Pheasant o'clock

 We have a cock Pheasant  regularly visiting our garden with his various wives (8 at most so he's nicknamed Henry the VIII of course).  Most seem to be off sat on eggs now but one or two accompany him daily to scrabble about under the bird feeders for what they can find.  As they peck the foliage of anything looking edible we will have to remove the feeders and chase them off before we plant vegetables this year!  He announces the day at 6 a.m. daily, with a raucous call and a whirring of his wings.  It never fails to wake me.

I had my 2nd vaccination yesterday, at the Showground hub, where they are VERY efficient, and I am glad to report that so far I just have a little soreness at the jab site, and had a very slight headache this morning.  Phew.  I was worried sick I was going to get the pain of the side-effects last time (very painful bad back) with knobs on.  Now the only worry is when Keith will get his as he had his AZ one in mid-January, several weeks before me.

Oooh look, Hay Bluff . . .

Stunning clouds when I stopped to take photos along a "short cut" - think Scenic route -  between Boughrood and Glasbury.

We found out last week that the weekly market at Hay-on-Wye has been on regularly and we felt as it was in the fresh air, and we have medical grade masks, we would risk doing some much-needed shopping there, on the Health Food Stall.  We came back laden with oats, dried fruits, preserved ginger x 2 BIG bags (the main reason for going), 3 different and wonderfully indulgent cheeses (a good farmhouse Wensleydale, Hereford Hop (oh my!) and Cornish Yarg); and several herbs and spices we were low on. All things we needed.

Then, on another stall - an indulgent "lunch".  Apple and Cinnamon Strudel (K) and a Salted Caramel and Pear Tart (moi.)  Tam had seen an amazing light, fluffy and jammy doughnut in a shop in the town, selling from the door.  No photo of that.  I have to say, they were SUCH a special treat for a special day out, eaten back at the car with much scrubbed and gelled hands.

On the wall at the back of the Castle.

I just about managed photos of the castle, front and back.  Repair work now nearly completed.  They had a Lottery Grant - just as well as I heard that the scaffolding alone (tremendous when ALL put up, at the front) cost a million pounds.

Entrances to the back of two over-the-shop flats.

Finally, on my way back to the car park, view across the much-damaged old stable? roof towards the fields beyond.

It was a lovely outing, much-needed, and allowable within the rural travel for shopping.  Keith is meant to eat ginger to help his health problem and buying it in a jar from a supermarket (and I can't get it in Co-op, which is the local shop here) is ridiculously dear.  I am going to drizzle melted dark chocolate over the chunks I got today, which is something we always used to buy when we were at Malvern Fleamarket.  Memories. . .