Lamb Snow and gymkhanas in my youth . . .

 I had a busy morning, first of all trying to get through town - it only took 25 minutes! - they were trimming branches on the Giant Redwoods at the entrance to the carpark in the Groe - so two rows of traffic had to merge into one, and then the left hand lane (me) had to wait whilst there was a 3 way traffic light operating at the roundabout on the Llanelwedd side of the bridge.  I was late for my appointment at the Tip, but they didn't mind, bless them.  I had asked for help and  didn't have to move anything much as they were taking out all the shattered fence and rubble etc.  I just took a few hard plastic bits to recycle.

Here is my Georgian candle box (and yes, that is a scorpion shaped hook it's hanging off - Keith bought that!)  

Inside, a few candles (they were my mum's and she died in 2007!) and matches.  Waste not, want not.  I have a load more in the cupboard.

I parked up to go to the PO in Llandod, and take a couple of books to the charity shop.  I fell into conversation with a woman (farmer's wife) about the weather - as you do!  I said I hoped it wasn't going to snow, as had been predicted.  She said it might well and called it the "Lamb Snow" - e.g. it waited until you had finished lambing and had plenty of nice young lambs out in the field, before falling and causing angst.

I spent the afternoon watching the racing and writing one last letter that I owed a friend.  We started off as penpals, and met up several times, but down the years our letters had dwindled to just one at Christmas.  She wrote at Christmas this year and asked if I wanted to start writing again as several of her lifetime penpals had died in the last year or two.  So we are penpals again and I am hoping that penpal extinction doesn't get me just yet!

She used to run little gymkhanas on their land and my friend Gay and I used to go down and help.  One year they had a helper's race and I was persuaded to ride a little skewbald in the beer-drinking race :)  I didn't win it!

I was there in the capacity of judge too.  Oh gosh, there was one pony turned up that was lame.  I took the child riding it to one side and told her to stand there as her pony was lame.  The parents didn't believe me and she entered every class (and I did the same in each), but right at the end, when the poor pony was being forced to jump, I had to practically drag it out of the ring and the parents finally conceded that it might be a bit lame . . .

There was another pony, NOT a looker, which was entered in the showing classes - which are judged by the pony's conformation (shape) and way of going.  Well, this pony had the head of a Shire on the body of an ill-shaped pony.  It was NOT pretty.  In each class, I put it well down the line.  In the final class I was confronted by an irate handbag-wielding mother:  "You don't like my daughter's pony do you?"  I had to reply, "Well no, it is a peculiar shape and has a head like a bucket and this is not the ideal class to enter it for"!  Happy days :)

I bought some more mince today and made a Chilli for tea (and subsequently).  Once again, the tomatoes tasted strange and I had to force it down and have put the rest in the freezer for when Tam is here, and she can take it home with her.  Since that bug I had, cooked tomatoes just don't taste as they should.  Nor do my curries.  I shall have to change my repertoire.