Wednesday 21 April 2021

Another local walk

 


This was a short walk but one we'd not done before because it meant walking through two farmyards, and didn't want to do this during Lockdown (though others had).  This little stream is at the edge of our land (we have a strip of woodland bordering the paddock).



Happy lambs guzzling!



The white is our house through the trees.  That huge tall pine is ours.  Hope it never falls over!!


Wild Violets flowering on a sunny bank.  We passed lots of them on our walk.


After we had passed through the first farmyard, and had a natter with the neighbours, this white farm was where we were headed.


One of the routes we could have chosen (there are 3 on this particular walk) goes around the mynydd.  Saving that one for a couple of weeks' time.


Looking across the woodland, now showing signs of leaves being unfurled.  Oak and Ash are neck and neck this year.


More Violets - there was a long strip of them here.


Down what seemed to be a sheep path rather than the bridleway it was marked on the map, and into a dingle with another stream to cross.


We reached the double hedges and the grassy lane looked more like an ancient hollow-way.  Not one to walk in the summer as it was a mass of young Nettles, but the banks were covered in Ground Ivy and buzzing with bees.


Another view of the mynydd.


Through the farmyard and up along the farm drive to the lane.




Masses of lovely Daffodils were still in bloom.


Greater Stitchwort.






The first Bluebells.


We got back to find Keith planing a piece of old oak he had dug out from his useful bit of wood in one of the stable stalls.  He and Tam have marked out the template for the new arm and it will be used for this.


We made the most of the late afternoon sunshine and began to lay out the poles for the polytunnel.  Unfortunately we had lost the instructions in our move - I knew exactly where it was when we were packing, but then sold the chest of drawers it was in to the newcomers and it has disappeared from view since then.  Fortunately Tam worked out how it went together from looking up a picture on her phone . . .



Yesterday we carried it up to its final position in the paddock and put the cover on it, so now there are young Tomato plants up there and Tam has sown lots more vegetable seeds.  I did some heavy duty gardening with a Mattock, and dug and fertilised the soil there with a sack of farm yard manure.  Then I got my three pots of Rhubarb in.  I will see if I can beg some well rotted horse manure from the lady with the bay horse in the field opposite.  The other soft fruit will go in up there too.

Today I have been busy baking cakes, two to take to a friend of ours as a thanks for looking after some of our boxes of stock.  One Lemon Drizzle and one Carrot Cake with walnuts and preserved ginger strips.



13 comments:

  1. Oh the pictures from your walk were just gorgeous.

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    1. Very pretty through there, with the wild flowers.

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  2. I so admire your ENERGY! What a beautiful land you live in. It hardly looks real, it's so pastoral and green and calm. LOVE the violets...

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    1. My back has been telling me off since! Use it or loose it though!! It is lovely around here - so is all of Wales come to that, and the varied UK countryside once you get away from the cities, especially the National Parks (check those out).

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  3. It's lovely to be able to do some of those things off limits during lockdown. You,like me, live in a beautiful area and I am starting to walk again too. Well done figuring out the polytunnel!

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    1. We have been very fortunate, especially in the first lockdown when we just carried on outside as always but had to have groceries delivered of course. We hardly saw anyone else walking but here by Builth it attracts more walkers from all over. Fortunately not on the walks we've been doing!

      I am glad you are out walking again too - I am sure it will really lift your spirits.

      So glad to have Tam to figure out the Polytunnel - I would be thinking still!!

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  4. It must be lovely there with all those beautiful flowers.

    Your poly tunnel looks very sturdy even if you couldn't find the directions.

    God bless.

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    1. Tam was brilliant with the polytunnel. It is lovely and warm in there. I planted some new-to-me annuals (from pots) onto the bank yesterday to add a bit more colour to the Primroses.

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  5. Another beautiful walk. Glad to see the polytunnel up and planting taking place. And cake making as well - you have been busy!

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    1. More planting happening today - just sown some mixed lettuces in a polystyrene box (ideal, according to the Telegraph gardening page), and put two more Clematis in this morning, a big one in the back lawn last night (up a support) and about to transplant a big pot of Delphiniums to the back of the bank.

      The cakes were well received by our friends.

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  6. Green with envy over your walk, that house was such a lovely choice. I think you and the family are blessed but don't overwork yourself just enjoy.

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    1. The gardening I'm doing at the moment is the dig holes to plant things so a bit arduous in parts, especially in the stony bits. I want stuff IN this year though, and then it will hopefully be mainly maintenance and just a few extra plantings when I fall in love with plants.

      We certainly chose the right house and it had been waiting for us too - she had been trying to sell it for 20 years!!! Sold several times but then fell through - probably due to legal disputes with a neighbour, so I am guessing it had our name on it! We are so fortunate in all respects - the situation, the local walks, the scenery, house cheaper to insure/run/clean etc and only two miles from town.

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  7. Well done, Tam! I am very big on taking photos of things that I might need a history of in the future and she has shown, with her reconstruction of the poly-tunnel, just why it is such a good idea. Keith does look happy working on the bench repairs. And so much exploring to do in your future. Great things.

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