A little me-present!

A very quick few lines to say that I'm having a hectic week (on top of a very busy weekend) and I just want to put a very quick post up before I get distracted.  This little Aller Vale piece came home with me on Sunday from Malvern Fleamarket.  I paid too much for it, but I love these early pieces (it's about 1895 or so) and I loved the fact that someone had made a boo-boo with the glaze on top of still-wet paint?  Anyway, perhaps they were very much still learning, and that made it individual.

Below - my Love in a Mist has finally burst into flower.  It was meant to be LIAM and Pot Marigolds, but only a couple of those have grown.  To make up, two Borage plants have come through - the seed must have been in the soil already as I have a few around the veg plot.    I will have plenty of seed for next year now!

The water situation here is still perilous and we hope we won't run out, but we are having to be SO careful, and buy all our drinking water (and use it for tea, cooking etc).  We are managing but Next Door's outside supply has now dried up - which we were using for watering the garden (carefully).  Apparently the Council is supplying water to households without any.  Not sure if we count yet as we still have some coming out of the taps.  We shall enquire . . .

Keep cool everyone.

A quick Friday post and some bird-talk added

Miniature Ladies' Bedstraw growing on a very dry bank at Mwnt.

Restharrow in the same situation.

Wild Carrot, ditto.

Yarrow, hanging on in there.

I took these last few photos from the top of Llanllwni Mountain, which we drove across on the way home.  I used to go this way to Uni back in the day, and know it well in all seasons . . .

This last photo is the view behind us, looking towards Llanybydder.  Some nice rainy looking clouds, but no rain.  We got all of a dozen drops this morning too . . .

I will try and add some more chat later but have just had a VERY FRUSTRATING ten minutes trying to change the delivery address of the magazine I subscribed too.  But no, it won't save it and keeps going back to the wrong one.  So someone else is going to get 6 Emma Bridgewater mugs AND my magazine for the next 6 months.  Irritable emails (note PLURAL) have just been pinged off into the ether . . .

More chat!  Not a lot to add really.  I did manage a short walk this morning - I didn't want to push it as I have only just lowered my steroid inhaler and want to make sure I am functioning properly before I start to walk a bit further/faster.  I just went up the valley bottom for about 3/4 mile and back again.  The hedgerows are looking very weary - most of the wild flowers have either wilted or become totally dessicated, with the exception of the Umbellifers who can hack it.  Some of the Blackberries have ripened early and I ate a couple yesterday.  Others are growing on very dry banks and are barely producing fruit at all.  I saw some wild Raspberries today, really suffering from the drought, and they looked to be sporting miniature (and dessicated) fruits.  

Although we have two ponds in the garden, we also have cats, and I noticed a cock Blackbird and a Sparrow having a dustbath at the side of the lane near our house today.  All I can say is, when they get home the missus is going to say, "Pooh, you smell of COWS!"

I saw something the other day I meant to mention.  I never realized that Swallows were territorial.  Firstly one saw off the Blackcap it saw on a ledge of the old cart shed.  Then a few minutes later, a whole bunch of Swallows set upon a bird of prey which flew overhead - I think, size wise, it was a Sparrowhawk.  Anyway, they weren't having any of THAT thank you very much, and pursued it upwards and upwards, chattering all the time, until they deemed it out of their patch.  There must have been 20 or more chasing it.

Now our paddock has been turned back into garden (well, a lawn) again, there are lots of birds out there looking for what they can find.  There are normally 2 pairs of Blackbirds fossicking about, and a pair of Thrushes (all have nested in the copse over the stream, which borders the lawn).  Two Magpies were out there this morning (most unpopular birds with the Blackbirds and Thrushes) and there is normally a Jay or two about the place.  The rabbit is still out there too, but he nearly met his maker the other day when Whitby-now-Sam black cat noticed him, and coopied right down, flattening himself into the grass, whilst the dozy rabbit moved TOWARDS him, and then up a bit, turning his back on him.  You have to give it to rabbits, they make themselves an easy target!

All plans for this afternoon were abandoned as we  suddenly had to dash into town to pay a bill we thought we had already paid (the Council don't let you forget for a minute!)  Then I cooked the evening meal - a big batch of mince and some King Edward potatoes which needed using up (and OH, in his dotage, will ONLY eat King Edwards now.  He won't even touch new potatoes any more).  So that made a Cottage Pie for tea, and one for the freezer.  I christened my new Pyrex storage dish with the plastic lid, and wish I'd bought half a dozen now, when they were on offer.

So, just wittering rather than any news, and although we DID have some rain this afternoon, it wasn't heavy enough of for long enough - though on both counts it was an improvement on the very short light shower we had earlier in the week.  We may get more overnight, but I thought I had better water round everywhere just in case it didn't materialize.  

We have a busy weekend ahead, and I hope you all enjoy yours.

Taking some sea air at Aberporth

The view looking northwards up the coast from Aberporth.  Oh, and Himself's hands . . .  You may remember Aberporth from articles back in the winter, where it became famous for five minutes for launching an anti-plastic campaign.

North Wales in the distance.

Aberystwyth is there somewhere, tucked out of sight behind the headland.

What a wonderful place to live, with the beach at your feet. . .

Folk were happy on, in and by the water.

Whilst wild flowers were busy colonizing every nook and cranny.

I think this family hasn't noticed the tide, and were going to get wet feet going back!

A lovely craggy sandcastle built by a little girl (whose mum showed me a photo of her she'd taken as a sand-mermaid!)

This is what a good retirement pension brings you . . .  I always say I'm not mad on modern housing, but I could rough it here!

And this, next door, is the budget version, more suited to our pension-pot!  Note the wriggly tin roof.  Love it!

Few words again - my apologies but I have been wearing my new reading glasses all day today and my eyes are tired now.  I have added a few more paragraphs (after lots of to-ing and fro-ing from one link to another) to our Heritage Statement  which is necessary for the hoped-for relocation of the driveway.  We could pay an arm and a leg to have it done, but as I have the qualifications, I look forward to keeping all my limbs!

Driving through the memories - a trip to Cardiganshire

Yesterday we decided to have a Day Off - in fact, it was a Day Out.  Instead of heading East as we normally do, this time we headed west, to see a friend in Cardigan.  It's absolutely years since we were last there, and it made a refreshing change to go somewhere different for once.  (Please excuse the change of font/colour, but I typed much of this up last night in Office.)

(Some very stunted Yarrow at Mwnt yesterday.)

Sometimes the most insignificant things can evoke distant memories of happy days. Driving along the Cardiganshire lanes yesterday, the sight of Toadflax growing on a field bank took me back 60 years, as along with Yarrow (also in flower at the moment) it grew in the wild parts of the garden of the house where I grew up.   

These same field banks were also home to purple Knapweed, various of the Bedstraw family, blue Scabious and the “bluebells of Scotland” - the Harebell. Sadly, the lane was far too narrow for me to stop and take photographs but they are there in my head and reminding me of similar lanes on the way to New Quay, which was one of our favourite beach destinations when the children were small.

There used to be a regular auction in a little parish hall just outside of New Quay, and we would go and bid - or sometimes just check around – and then always drop down into New Quay afterwards for a wander on the beach with the kids and a chip supper to save cooking when we got home late. I shall have to ask them if they remember going there. One thing I recall with absolute horror was going there one busy day in August, not for the auction, but just for the beach, and we lost Tam amongst the crowds of holiday-makers. I went straight into panic mode, imagining her beneath the waves (she was only about 5 then) but fortunately another mum had found her crying and searching for us and we were re-united.

We parked in the Cardigan Car Park behind the Market Hall.  These lovely old cottages are on one side of the car park, and I couldn't help wondering what it would be like to live there - would you simply not notice the comings and goings in the car park after a while?  

This lovely house was at the top end of the car park, built into the hillside.  I looked at the plantings, and wondered what I would have there if it were mine?  Climbing roses for certain, and probably a Clematis Montana to scramble over that outshoot roof.  I'm not mad on Hostas, so wouldn't have those, but some nice Cottage Garden flowers would look pretty in tubs all the way along.  Perhaps an espalier apple grown up the wall too, though that might be a temptation to anyone passing by . . .

Here are a few views around the town.  There were some colourful buildings, and I loved the fan light strangely placed above the bay windows of the building above . . .

This HUGE cannon was one of a number captured at the battle of Sebastapol and this one was brought back to Cardigan because it was Lord Cardigan who led the Charge of the Light Brigade.  The captured cannons were probably brought back as ballast on the ships returning home, but were distributed to towns around the country - a public relations exercise which underlined Britain's success against terrific odds.

Above and below: examples of Edwardian architecture.  I was surprised to find a date of 1916 on the building above (I thought it looked quite Deco) and wondered what workmen were about to construct it in the middle of WW1.

The building below, with its pretty stained glass, dates from 1902 and looks much more Victorian in design.

After having a quick lunch (courtesy of Greggs bakery chain) we went in search of Mwnt, which I had wanted to explore for a long time.  Unfortunately, when we got there we discovered it was owned by the National Trust and it cost £4 to park for the day.  We got there at 2 p.m. and hadn't intended to stay much over an hour or two, and then discovered we didn't have any change anyway, so I took a few photos, and we are going to go back another time - probably NOT the summer holidays though as the lanes to it were very narrow, with the occasional passing place.

This is the little church at Mwnt, beloved of local artists.  I think it was originally a fishermans' Chapel of Ease.  Here is a link.

This is Foel-y-Mwnt which gives the area its name.  I am looking forward to climbing it when the weather is cooler - it was probably cool enough yesterday, had we been able to park.

Above and below: quick snaps seawards from the car park.  We decided we would go a little further on to Aberporth, another place we had never been before (photos from there tomorrow).

Our route home yesterday from Aberporth took us through Beulah. We had been to a busy car boot sale there on a couple of occasions, and then heard they were doing one on a Wednesday evening which “was very good”, so we decided to have a clear out and see if the rumours were true. Were they heck! It was the biggest load of rubbish I've seen in a long time, and half the stalls were market traders trying to offload dodgy batteries, old stock videos (it WAS that long ago), cheap childrens' clothing and the like. We only went the once . . .

Newcastle Emlyn – over the bridge into the town, and memories of my dear friend Kim who was all set to move to Wales to a property near the town, only to have it fall through on the day before contracts were due to be exchanged. I cannot imagine how gutting that must have been.  She is happily settled in France now, but it would have been easier to visit her in Newcastle Emlyn!!  We drove past the lovely plant nursery, scene of visits to browse, or spend birthday money – one year it was a BIG pot of mixed Auriculas and I still have some of their offspring about the place in pots.

Past the little chippy where I once took my mum for lunch on a day out. Quite a novel experience for her as when I was growing up there was just never any money for anything like that – the very occasional stop at a pub where mum would have a stout and dad a shandy (as he was driving). For some reason it is always one in North Hampshire which springs to mind – I can see it so clearly in my mind's eye, but can't remember the name of the pub. The village name suddenly came to me – Vernham Dean. I've looked it up and the name of the pub was The George and it looks pretty much as I remember it. I can remember we parked on the right of the car park, and I had crisps and then a sip of dad's shandy!

Back tomorrow with photos from Aberporth.

Photos of Whitby-cat at long last

This is the latest stray, who I call Whitby, because he is jet black.  Keith, of course, has chosen another name - Sambo! (as in little black . . .)  I think when he goes for the kindest cut of all in the not-too-distant future, he will just be "Sam"!  It has taken me a long time to get his confidence, and for him to allow me to even put a finger near enough for him to sniff, but as long as there is food around, he will now let me stroke him and make a fuss of him and he purrs happily.  The moment the food is eaten though, he goes back to being wary.  Daft animal!  Mind you, at least he is already purring.  It took the really wild and completely feral Ghengis 2 years to learn to purr - or feel happy enough to do so.  Now he is my little shadow and is with me wherever I go and the moment I sit down, he comes up on my lap.

This very intense stare is something he used when he arrived - there was NO WAY he was going to be chased off, he had decided he was going to STAY and that was IT.  He has been someone's house cat, as he knows about houses and cat-flaps, but he obviously left home to find love, and never went back.  It's hard to tell how old he is but his coat is brown in parts - which suggests he may be older than 5, but that said, black coats can be brown from poor nutrition and so we will see if he goes jet black again now he is being fed right royally.

A happy planting.  I sewed an entire packet of Love in a Mist in this pot and only ONE came up.  Then I put this Coleus in there (Henna I think it is called) and the blue of the LIAM (in sunshine) is amazing against the rusty foil of the Coleus.  Both plants remind me of my mum - she always grew LIAM in the garden and she was always given a Coleus plant at Christmas, which she promptly put on top of the gas fire, and by New Year it was somewhat dead . . .

Finally (it is late and we have had a lovely but tiring day out today) an evening picture of one of my Hydrangeas.  It starts off quite a bluey purple but then goes pink.  I would rather it stayed bluey purple personally but . . .

Back tomorrow with a few pictures from our lovely day out today.

Beautiful stitches

These photographs were all rather hastily taken at the Botanic Gardens last weekend.  Hastily as there were people walking from stall to stall and some of the nicest had been covered over by the back of someone's stall.  These are all worked to a theme and showed individual interpretations in needlework.  I thought they were wonderful and so skilfully done.  If they are still up on the wall at the next Fair, I will remember to take my camera along when we set up so I can get a proper collage of them. 

What I loved were all the different techniques used to create these pictures.  The skills involved, the mix of painting fabric and overlaying, and stitching, and stumpwork, and 3-D (with that lovely butterfly and the embellished hexagons) - so many different skills and so many different interpretations. 

 Enjoy.  

The picture above was my favourite.  The stumpwork trees were amazing, and I loved the map-like depiction of the fields in a particular corner of a parish.  Beautiful.  Which is your favourite?

Looking tidy - and wildlife

When we had the horses, this was the paddock.  It is no longer fenced and the border of trees would let determined ponies through with no problems whatsoever!

Now we are restoring it to be part of the garden here again, and today the gardener (doesn't that sound grand?!) came to mow it for us.  Of course, with the drought, it hadn't grown too much so didn't take him anything like as long as it did last time.  He also rotovated the last bit of the veg plot.  Now I am torn between planting it with green manure over the winter, or digging in the lawn clippings - of course, we should have thought to get him to rotovate them in at the time, but didn't know this was a good plan (I was thinking if we got grass seed dug in there, it would be back to grass in no time).  

Above and below: Ash trees suffering from Ash die-back.  We have several around our land.  Great for firewood, only at the moment Keith still has his frozen shoulder and just can't fell the trees and cut them up as he used to.  Which is a pain because this is perfect weather for getting them dried quickly - like being in a kiln!  We will have to see about getting someone in to do it for us - perhaps the local firewood chap might come and cut several down and be paid partly in firewood.

Anyway, I spent much of today indoors as the humidity levels were such that it felt just as it was in the Dome last weekend.  I am only just starting to come right from that, and even so, my peak flow isn't good.   I will try and get up very early tomorrow and do a walk as that helps more than anything to improve matters and clear my airways.

I finally watched some Tennis today (women's finals) as it was obvious that England weren't going to be 3rd in the Football which Keith was watching.  I haven't watched tennis for several years, but as it was the womens' final I thought I would.  I was very good and did the ironing and everything is tidied away, and windows have been cleaned, fresh bed linen on the beds (dirty linen washed with fingers crossed that the water wouldn't run out!) and tomorrow I will finish the tidying - though that includes the Junk Room, so I May Be Gone Some Time doing that!

Edited to add - I've just been looking out of the half-landing window, and the young rabbit who chances his arm most days, was out there again.  I fear that one of these days Alfie is going to catch him . . .

There has been a family of Thrushes nesting in our copse along the stream bank too.  I have two out there most evenings - not sure if they are the parents or youngsters but probably the former.

There have been a goodly number of Mistle Thrushes along our valley too this summer, so obviously something suits them here.

Right, off to read my book now.