Thursday 25 February 2021

Hello disembodied voice!!

 


These first three photos came from an early morning walk with Keith, up the hill to stretch his legs.  We've been going up there most days this week to improve on fitness.





Last week I was wondering where the frogs and toads were - we used to get them earlier at our last home, even in January sometimes, and their frogspawn would get frozen, but still thaw out and hatch. Yesterday I noticed that our pond here was absolutely HEAVING with amphibians in a high state of lust.  It was like a Froggy Bordello!!  Here below is the result of their days and nights of passion, so far.  It's mostly frogs in there, but I've seen a few toads at the far end, and when the light was right the other day, lots of Newts too.  Pleased about that.



I did some gardening this morning and put in another couple of roses up on the bank.  I  thought I had planted Roserie de l'Hay the other day at the side of the house, but then found it was The Lark Ascending I had planted.  So today, Roserie de l'Hay DID get put in, on the bank overlooking the stable yard, which has some nice small shrubs and trees in.  First though, I dug out and replanted (at the back) 3 clumps of grass.  I have a suspicion it is Pampas grass - if it is I think it will go for a further walk . . . hate the stuff.  I also planted Boscobel a little higher up and further over, and gave both plants a feed and a good sprinkling of DA Microcryzome on the roots.



I also got busy with the storage cupboard upstairs, where much was bunged when we first arrived.  It needed sorting out, and anything still in a bin bag taking out.  So now I have all Tam's bed linen on one shelf, the overflow of ours (all the king size bedding goes in the coffer in our bedroom) and sheets on the next, and some other quilts now put away in the coffer in the guest bedroom.  Getting there, especially as stuff still in boxes in the pink bedroom is slowly being tidied away in under the bed box storage.



Then Tam and I had a walk, the one across the fields and back along the lanes that we did when we first arrived here.



The two Hanoverians were turned out again - when we met them a few weeks ago the chestnut was hopping lame and awaiting the vet.


The brown-black horse in the front is 21, but the chestnut only 5 and full of beans!  After being made a fuss of by us, they headed into the next field and we heard the sound of much galloping!


This funny-clouded picture was the result of my trying a panoramic scene.  The views up here are just AMAZING. Pretty well 360 degrees.


We reached the road again, and this is looking in the general direction of Brecon - though that would be quite a hike as it's about 15 or 16 miles away on this route, and even further on the main A road out of Builth.  Tam and I want to go exploring along those mynydds in the summer.


Looking more northerly, this is the Aberedw, another one to explore.


These lambs were born when the Beast from the East was here (what a welcome to the world) and then had to endure days of heavy rain and wind, but now are enjoying some sunshine for a change.


I did a double-take the first time I saw this, as it is made of metal and quite large.  I think the nearest thing to it is a European Black Woodpecker  -   here's a link to a post about it.  I assume it is to scare other woodpeckers away - ones who might have ideas about pecking the telegraph pole, so they must have problems with this!

    Just as we were climbing the hill, Tam and I were looking at the leaves of various wild flowers showing in the hedgerows and on the banks.  We had just found some well-grown Aquilegia leaves, and were saying, it is going to be an early spring, when a man's voice from the garden above us agreed!  I said, "Hello disembodied voice" and thus we met another - very friendly - neighbour.  On each of our walks we have met a neighbour, and they are all really friendly.  Can't wait until Lockdown is done with and things are safer again and we can get to know one another better.

    All in all, another LOVELY day here, which ended with a fabulous evening chorus of birds - some of them unfamiliar to me.  We are so fortunate.

12 comments:

  1. "landscapes, plotted and pieced'--your photos of the surrounding countryside always strike a chord with me. I'm envious of your many new opportunities for walks. How nice to meet up with these horses--don't horses love to be greeted!
    Roserie d'L'Hay is one of my all time favorite rugosas--the first one I had [in Vermont] was a root from one that had been passed around in a particular family for several generations. I also had one in the first Kentucky garden--the one so callously bulldozed by a new owner!
    Not sure I'd like a voice coming at me out of nowhere, but good that it belonged to someone ready to be friendly.
    Sorting and organizing after a move takes forever [at least at my speed!]

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  2. It is so beautiful around here Sharon. When we have been driving through Powys, you see hills in the distance but the scenery beside the road is less inspiring, and many villages are truly in the middle of nowhere, which is why we never house-hunted here. Yet, Builth is much nearer the English border for forays to look at old houses etc (when such things are deemed safe again) and for Antiques Fairs etc.

    The horses loved being made a fuss of. Last time we saw them they were in the barn, but now they are "free range" again and can come and go as they please. They have 3 big fields to themselves - the ones we walked across to climb up there.

    As far as roses go, Roserie de l'Hay has it all - a stunning perfume and beautiful colour and just keeps flowering. I am so excited about my new roses. The garden here has obviously been planted so as to be low maintenance, but I love my perennial borders and am going to put one in up the side of the house, and train Clematises (Clematii?!) along the post and rail fence-line.

    It was a friendly-sounding voice and I didn't even jump! They had moved in about 18 mths ago and so we had a nosy last night - cottage has more character than ours, as it has a few beams and a lovely fireplace, but smaller. Gorgeous garden though, and good views. Hard to imagine the Big House coachman (for which we provided the living for the coach horses) living there, along with other lesser mortals, and in an earlier census, two old pauper ladies, so it can't have been much more than a very lowly tenement.

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  3. And we are so fortunate to have your excellent descriptions. My sister live 5 miles out from Brecon on the other side from you; I usually vistit her (from Australia) every year but wasn't able to last year and still unlikely to be able to this year, so it's good to have your blog to allow me a virtual visit to that lovely part of the world.

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    1. Oh CG - welcome and how pleased I am to show round round the area even though you can't get here to see your sister. I'm sure some places will be familiar (Builth for example) but the little lanes you might not know. There will be lots of photos in the coming months, I can promise you.

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  4. Fortunate indeed BB - it is good after your long wait to move to hear you so happy.

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    1. We're feeling very settled here Pat - I hardly dare say how happy I am in case I jinx things. Living here suits us even better than we dreamed it would.

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  5. Lovely views in all directions! It is wonderful when all your plans work out as you hoped!

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    1. There are indeed. I just walked up nearly to the top of what I am planning will be a little orchard (as I believe it once was) and I got another vista again. Must go up there later with the camera. I am so relieved it worked out as it should.

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  6. This move was just meant to be from all that you have written these past weeks. New vistas, new people, new home. A refresher for your lives, if there ever was one. Lovely to see photos of your surroundings and hear that you are meeting friendly neighbors--even if only at a distance for the moment. So happy for you all.

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    1. Thank you Mary. Everyone's lovely comments are wonderful too. You are all pleased to see it worked out in the end (as are we). Boy, did we need this, though I wouldn't recommend moving in a Pandemic if you are of a nervous disposition!! Having so many complete strangers in our house leading up to and facilitating the move robbed me of my peace of mind - nowhere was safe. It is so beautiful here and the neighbours lovely - what more could we ask?

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  7. So happy for you that you have settled in so well and are enjoying your new home and surroundings so much. Lovely to start meeting neighbours even at a distance. Good news about frogs, newts and toads :) None are stirring in our pond yet.

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  8. You are so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty. I enjoy traveling the paths with you.

    God bless.

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