Queen of the Gypsies

 One of the positives of having to go through drawers and sort out books (and I have been SO GOOD today and been ruthless with my countryside and West Country books, only keeping two boxes from a big book-case full), is finding odd scribblings of mine.  Here is one I would like to share with you.  It takes me back over 60 years . . .

Queen of the Gypsies

Gap-toothed and clothed in rusty black

Perpetual mourning,

She lived a half-life behind

Greying net curtains and

Four waving pine trees.

I knew her for a witch.

If I was playing by the cherry tree,

She would always notice, and

Cross the road,

Fumbling her apron pocket and

Pinching my cheek with her sand-paper fingers.

She would smile gummily, and

Press a packet of 3 wrapped biscuits

Into my hand. They were always soft . . .

She was Queenie Goddard, whose grandsons visited every week, taking dock-tailed Mandy out of the flat cart and leading her through to the shed at the back.  Queenie's home was a creosoted wooden shack, with four tall pine trees at the front, making it gloomy inside.  I can see it so clearly, the dark bay mare being led through the gates, and then they would all go in for tea and soft biscuits I reckon!

I am having to be a Grown Up Now!!

 The river Wye at Builth.

Oh gosh, no place to hide right now.  I am having to make phone call after phone call, knowing BT are ripping me off as I haven't been able to negotiate a new contract as we are moving and I do NOT want to be tied to them for 2 years after we have moved.  We will have to sort out Sky nearer the date too.  Plus change energy companies - possibly to Octopus, which as good reviews. Currently with the Green Energy Company, who have been good - they are also up for renewal but I will let that hang too.

    We had a removals chap here yesterday (one Keith met when he was moving our neighbour at the bottom of the hill and he came here by mistake).  I was NOT impressed - he seemed to rely on the brute strength of his workforce and really, I want unbroken china, careful transference of antique furniture, and sufficient insurance cover! which he did NOT have . . .

    So I have found 3 local companies recommended in the local tradesmen listings, and two are coming out in the next week.  So it will be masks on again as we have to show them round.  Moving in the middle of a Pandemic is not ideal, I have to say!

    I'm off out to the pony stables this morning, and then Tam and I will do a Tip Run.  We need to get hold of a charity shop so we can offload various boxes of books and bags of good clothing.  I think the books are best going to the Red Cross bookshop in Llandeilo, so I will phone them first thing.  I will try the Salvation Army shop too.  No-one was answering the phone when we tried on Wednesday.

    I may also call in Leo, who has the bookshop in town, and get him to give me a price on the archaeology books I want to part with.  I am about to go through them and put all the ones I am going to keep on one shelf.  I need to find a Ruthless Streak I think!

    Then I must photograph all Danny's books and DVD's and see what he wants to keep.  It's all go here!

Having to Get Organized!

 

Looking up the Towy Valley from Dryslwyn Castle.

Jobs for today - buying a giant roll of bubble-wrap and then trying to decide WHICH boxes offer the best value and how many of the dang things we will NEED (trying not to think of books - apple boxes from Abergwili perhaps . . .)  Anyone moved recently who can advise on boxes?!!!

       I have to check out removal companies.  Just had a chap round for a quote, but need a comparison as I don't think he has the level of expertise or insurance coverage.  Update: have called for quotes from two removal firms who are in the "best 3" recommended in our area. It will be dearer, but I just want it all to be as stress-free as possible.

    I have had two nights with scarcely any sleep - first one my lower back and hips were cranky and I couldn't drop off, and everything was going through my mind.  Last night our plumber called to put one of our bedroom radiators back on the wall (a picture fell on it during Lockdown - screws only went into the lime plaster and didn't reach the stone wall.)  As Rhys was here for an hour, we decamped elsewhere overnight - even though the window was open and he had a mask on.  Better safe than sorry.  I got the sofa as the spare bed in the master suite needs a new mattress.  I found it so hard to sleep though - back and hips still v. sore and the sofa breaks into two for removal and my hips were on the bit where it joins!

   I really MUST get my accounts finished and submitted and that's it, end of trading for us.  It will just be "getting rid" after that.  I have to do this now as we may not have internet for a few weeks once we've moved, so I am getting organized.  Right, I must away and make some more phone calls.

Down by the sea

 

I've just been starting on the Annual Autumn Tidy-up in my "unkempt, virtually non-existent" garden.  I have to say, for a "virtually non-existent" garden, I am on my 3rd wheelbarrow-full already, and I've not even got to the main garden yet.  I have cut the Aquilegias back to the ground, and hoiked out all the Feverfew (which grow on a gravel area near the Damson tree).  Around the wildlife pond next - that'll take some time as everything grows very luxuriantly there.

    I will do a good stint out there today and then head for the old pony boxes (originally calf-sheds) and sort out stuff to go to the Tip.

    Above and below: Blue Jellyfish stranded on the beach. Lots of them.  The fatter ones near the rocks, below, almost looked like turtles coming to lay their eggs! They are surprisingly firm if touched with a welly booted foot. . .

We set out to walk to the main headland, in the middle (far side of Scott's Bay).

Stormclouds massing up, but no rain whilst we were there.

The opposite shore - below Laugharne, and the very end of the Pendine Beach as it turns the corner along the Taf estuary. 

Then the walk back - it was about a mile each way I think.  Good for legs and lungs.  If we move to Builth, then we will be a lot further from the beach - over an hour away.  I think beautiful Borth and the Nature Reserve of Ynyslas will be our new tramping ground.

Some sea air for you - more photos to follow tomorrow

 

Tam and I got some sea air at Llansteffan today and I clocked up 10,000+ steps.  I felt much more relaxed afterwards, that's for sure.  Back tomorrow with the rest of the photos.

Another night short on sleep

 

A misty start to the morning, and the indistinctness of the trees in this photo reflects how I feel - no sharpness to my my mind this morning.  Blurry.  I slept well until 3.30 and then that was it for the night again.  I laid there for an hour hoping to drop off, but no.  I came downstairs and read for an hour, then came back to bed, but despite having had my electric blanket on whilst I was downstairs, my feet got cold and I couldn't get back to sleep. It will be a long day.

    I have more phonecalls to make - we need a quote for a UV system on the water and we need the Hergom stove serviced.  Our heating engineer was going to get back to us with a day, but hasn't, so I will have to nail him down.  Finally managed to get our plumber to come out this week and put the radiator back on the wall in our bedroom (the picture above it fell off and knocked it off during Lockdown.) Getting ANY tradesmen here at the moment, even for a quote for anything, is very difficult as they are all completely rushed off their feet.  I don't know if it's the same where you are but everyone seems to be playing catch-up.

    I need to get some stewing beef out of the freezer to defrost and then I will put it in the slow cooker and perhaps make a pie out of it for our evening meal.

    I also need to photograph and list some books on eBay, although IF (don't like to tempt fate) we get the house we have offered on (offer accepted), then there IS room in the dry usable attic to store them in boxes and deal with them at my leisure - or even, turn that into a Library, but it would need heating in if we were to do that.

The bridge over the River Wye at Builth Wells.  Builth would be our nearest town if all goes to plan.  Llandrindod (or if we fancied a drive out, Brecon) would be where to go for the Big Shop as both have a Aldi, and there's a Tesco in Llandod (what the locals call it) and a Morrisons in Brecon.  The ubiquitous Co-op can be found in Builth and every small town across Wales . . .  Expensive though but OK for day to day things you might need.

    Right, this won't do.  Onwards and upwards.

    

Shedding belongings - and UPDATE with river photos

 Now I am going through everything I own.  Books are a continuing job as we have so many.  Some I know have a good resale value so those will get listed on eBay.  I have a big stack of those though so I need to get cracking on those.

Other books will go to the Charity shop - probably the Red Cross book shop in Llandeilo as they are such a good cause.

I have a stack of Country Kitchen magazines to go to a good home too.  I will see if our local shop will take them (have books to go to them too if they are taking them at the moment).  A big box of novels are going to a friend to read and pass on.

Storm Alex wasn't too bad here - we've just had rain.  Tam and I will walk down the hill in a moment and see how the river is looking.

UPDATE:

Above and below: our river in spate, just as we come down the hill towards the bridge.

The river viewed upstream from the bridge - playing Pooh-Sticks on its own!

Here is the rock we normally stand on to take photos - we'd have got wet feet today!

Looking back upstream from the Hall gates.  Quite some volume of water hurtling past . . .

I have spent the afternoon picking up fallen apples, vacuuming, a little dab of paint here and there and making phonecalls to tradesmen with mobiles, more chance of getting them on a Sunday.