Snow part II, and Alfie's Paw . . .

This was the lane downhill to home.  There were a few icy spots where the sun hadn't reached, but easily avoided.  You can see from these photos that the snow had just fallen lightly on the higher ground, and there is a definite snow-line.  In the photo above the view is our Cothi Valley, then across the Towy Valley and the hills on the far side.  I'm glad I was able to get out and take these photos as today, after several hours of freezing fog, which bedecked the hedgerows and trees with a spangling of silver, it came on to rain and is warmer, so much of the valley snow will be gone in the morning. 

A great hill for sledging (provided you could stop at the bottom and not end up amongst the trees that border it!) but a heck of a climb back up to the top!

Looking towards the far side of the Towy Valley again.  You can see we really did have just a smidgin in places.

Black Mountain in the distance.  As you can see, I have an excellent zoom lens!, as the header makes it look like I was stood just a hill away.

A busy day here today, as I had to see my Respiratory Nurse first thing about my problems with the asthma medication I am on, and the side effects of the palpitations/arrhythmia.  I have a different inhaler to try in tandem with the stronger Fostair I am on, so fingers crossed.  The results of my heart tests had come back and I am fine in that department, apart from it being slow, but it's been like that for years now, and as the Consultant said in hospital, whilst I will probably need a Pacemaker at some point in the future, I'm OK at the moment.  P.H.E.W.  The best thing is I am cleared to walk as much as I want, hills included (I do them though they make me puff).  Oh, and apparently I HAVEN'T had a heart attack . . .

Then after lunch we had to take Alfie to the vet as he has an abscess brewing on the paw that Theo bit.  Serves him right!  He was very good at the vet's and didn't even flinch when he had his jab, but he was very vocal travelling.  It could have been worse - remembering those "open the blardy windows quick" moments when other of our cats have got scared and you-know-whatted in the cat carrier . . .

So then I had a lazy afternoon as there was only an hour or so before it was time to start making the evening meal.

Reading-wise I am 1/3 way through a novel about the Ghosts of Culloden Moor, which isn't an approach I would have thought of.  I shall see it through, although Phil Rickman still gets my vote, along with Diana Gabaldon for escapist reading matter.  Books you can read and re-read.  We have now come to the end of the current series of DG's "Outlander" on tv, so I think I will have to watch it over again, an then wait until it comes out more cheaply on DVD before I buy series 3.  Any other followers?

Tonight we are going to watch something I recorded the other evening, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", so I'm looking forward to some colour in the middle of this bleak winter.  This morning I was down early and watched David Attenburgh's programme about Jumbo, which was really interesting - the poor creature suffered during his life of captivity, and his beloved Keeper, a rather dour and unhappy chap, used to sit and share beer and whiskey with him!

Right, this won't do.  Bathtime calls.  Keep warm.

A Snowy Walk

As you can see from the new header photo (Black Mountain in the snow) there has been a significant fall further East.  It is just as well we didn't decide to chance our arm and head for Malvern in the middle of the night yesterday, as the A40 was blocked near Halfway by a fallen tree (which crushed the back of someone's motorhome) and Sennybridge was cut off under just over a foot of snow (32 cm). 

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk today - I got Keith to drop me off about 1 1/2 miles away (uphill) towards Horeb, so I could get the best photos of the snowy scenery, especially Black Mountain.  WHEN I can load them, there are lots of beautiful scenes.

There will be more photos later, but these are loading SO slowly (I presume the cold is affecting the phone lines).  The scene above shows the hills to the right of Black Mountain - they will have Brynamman behind them, out of sight.  Below is sun on snow, looking across a field higher up, above the snow line.  I hope to add some more later.

Please feed me!

Broadband doesn't want to play ball tonight, and it took ten minutes for this photo to load.  I will try loading another whilst I go downstairs . . .  There we go.  I don't know how old he is as he has a tail going brown, but his body isn't.  I am guessing he is a youngish cat.

The front garden feeders on one of our apple trees.  I counted about 20 birds in this shot, but there are lots more, visiting all day long.  Plus we have another feeding station in the Damson tree in front of the kitchen window.  A Sparrowhawk has been visiting that in the past week, but I think the feeders are situated so she can't get a clear flight through to grab a bird and carry on flying.  It puts the wind up the wee birds though.

We had a little snow first thing.  It didn't amount to much (thank heavens) and turned into "snow drizzle" for the rest of the day, which soon melted.  The ponds weren't frozen, and I am hoping it doesn't freeze on the roads overnight as we MUST go into town tomorrow, and again on Tuesday, when I finally get to see my Respiratory Nurse and get to discuss my medication and the side-effects.  I will get the results of my recent heart tests this week too.

Keep warm everyone.

Cat fight!!

We are down to five cats now - after several old ones died close together in the past couple of years.  This is Theo, who came here as a stray. (As did they all in fact, or children of strays).  Theo is a softy - a real walkover, and although he likes to occasionally think he is Top Cat, he suffers from delusions of grandeur!  For some reason (perhaps that very one) he was involved in fisticuffs with ginger and white Alfie today.  I heard the cat fight to end all cat fight, snarls and growls and furniture being knocked into in the kitchen, and rushed in there to find them locked in mortal combat: Alfie with his jaws locked around/into Theo's neck and Theo with his teefs sunk into one of Alfie's back paws.  I stepped in and dragged them apart and Theo fled the scene, blood dripping from one ear.  Alfie limped away with dignity.  Theo ran and hid under our bed for a while, and then disappeared until his tummy was rumbling, when he came downstairs again, looking very nervy. I fed him and made him up a little den on top of my favourite pine cupboard, and behind the barricade of my music centre.  I think he feels safe up there.  I shall leave a kitchen light on for a few nights so there are no run-ins between him and Alfie.

I think what possibly happened is that Theo flew in through the cat flat, as he sometimes does, and there may have been one of the hungry toms around at some point in the day, putting Alf on his guard, and he assumed Theo was one of them, as he really was going for him, it wasn't playground fun and games.

Anyway, as the winter weather has arrived with a vengeance, and before it gets worse, I stripped the bed today and put on our new flannelette duvet set.  We bought it last week as a joint Christmas present to and from ourselves, when we were in Dunelm.  I have to say, flannelette has come a LONG way from the pastels and stripes I remember from my childhood (I think there are still some stripey sheets at the bottom of the pile in the airing cupboard). This looks so warm, and that Paisley pattern is gorgeous in the deep red.  I can't wait to get to bed tonight now!

The top for Gabby's quilt.  I need to iron it and then start pinning the sandwich together.  Let's hope I can finish it (and Tam's) in time.

Money seems to go just one way in December . . .

We don't go mad at Christmas, but there are still essential things which have to be bought - food for the Christmas period (I try and spread this over several weeks, especially with meat which can be frozen, and nibbly things, which will last anyway).  Keith never over-eats and if it was left to him, would be happy to ignore Christmas entirely, and just have a normal meal.   Obviously we have some extra goodies, make a special dessert - which is nearly ALWAYS fresh fruit salad (for Keith) and chocolate and raspberry roulade for the rest of us.  A cheese board.  A couple of good bottles of wine, and something fizzy for the girls. 

The Christmas present shopping is just about done (just close family) and again, we don't go mad over this.  I need to get some Amazon vouchers for family in East Anglia and then I'm about done.

Monday is the day we most often go into town to get groceries, and we left our trip until this afternoon as I had an appointment at the Cardiology department to get fitted with a portable ECG to wear for 24 hours to monitor my heart, and any irregularities.  I am still getting some arrhythmia at night, though it is better since I have dropped back from 6 puffs to 5 of my Fostair inhaler.  I don't use the strong one now, as that did seem to make me worse.  I only ever get the blips at night, when it is scariest.  Tomorrow I have an echocardiogram so they can see first hand if there is any obvious problem.  I am hoping it is just the medication I am on as both things have arrhythmia as a side-effect.

Anyway, having done the grocery shopping, and the Hospital, we popped back into town as I needed new cords, and hadn't found any decent ones.  M&S was a right-off as they had lovely ones but those in my size and length had already been sold, and I really DIDN'T want any in mustard or stone.  So it was back down the road to check out the Edinburgh Woollen Mill (not my first choice I have to say), but when I got there they were having a sale (again - or is that STILL?) and I found two pairs which fitted well, and were half price, and I topped it off with a lovely Fuschia pink cotton jumper.

I came home to a letter from my Dutch penpal (I owed her a long-overdue one, truth be told).  It is lovely to receive snail-mail and I am about to write back as soon as I have posted this.

Tea was of the bung-it variety (as usual).  I had some mince to use up, so browned off a couple of chopped Shallots (on offer in Lidl this week, 39p a bag I think - I got two).  They are just the right size for a small meal recipe.  Then I browned off the mince (1/3 of a large pack), chopped up 6 fresh Lidl baby plum tomatoes, and a chunk of red pepper, and added about 1/2 cup of white rice (I know, but it cooks much quicker than brown, which I normally use).  Salt and pepper to season, about a tablespoonful of tomato puree and a pint of beef stock.  You can zizz this up with curry powder/paste, chilli powder, or BBQ sauce (or any sauce come to that) or add a tin of spicy mixed beans.  It depends how many you are catering for too.  It can be bulked out with frozen mixed veg.  Anyway, with a big helping of cauliflower and green beans, that stuck to my ribs good and proper.  No photo . . .

Right, this won't do.  I had better write to Jeanette.

Santa's Little Helper!

We had to go and change the display in our Unit yesterday - and put up lots of SALE labels as last month was an absolute trading disaster (for everyone).  It looks like everyone's money is buying Christmas presents that don't include antiques or collectables.

On the way there, we stopped off in Llandeilo, so we could visit the Vintage & Collectables Fair we usually miss because we are elsewhere.  Our friends Alistair and Helen were there, sporting their Christmas jumpers, and I couldn't resist a photo!  Keith, I might add, would not be one for a Christmas jumper, although Danny turned up wearing one last night!

The main hall had a selection of interesting stalls, with lots of beautiful things on offer.  Mostly very different to our stock in trade.  I have some vintage china, but don't go in for jewellery or dolls or china knick-knacks.  We prefer unusual things, that can't be found very easily.  That said, they are difficult for US to find too!  I have had some nice table linen and other textiles, but they are not good sellers for me - too many other folk have something similar.

Almost next door is the Flying Goose Quilt Shop, which just happened to be managed yesterday by my friend Pam whose blog is A New Life in Wales.  I wanted some cream or beigey small print fabric for a cushion I am making, and we had a good chat whilst I was choosing fabric.  It was good to see her again and we need to have a Sock Reunion, so she can show me (slowly Pam!!) how to do the sock heel and toe, and how to get started on sock number 2 on the magic loop needles.  She was knitting a beautiful pair of socks using her own stitching pattern.  Very pretty.

When we were in Lidl last week, I noticed some cheap short-length LED lights and these ones came home with me and look lovely on top of the corner cupboard.  You can't see the definition clearly here as the flash was working, but they look like tiny leaves in the dark . . .

Right, this won't do.  It's the Archer's Omnibus in half an hour and I have another job to start on before I go down to catch up on that, and bake a cake for when we visit friends on Tuesday - the Spicy Dorset Apple cake is much in demand and become a firm family favourite. 

Let Christmas commence

I decided that as December has arrived, I should go up into the attic and bring out the Christmas decorations so I could put a few things up around the house.  First, the two meeces I already had came out to join Green Mouse in the celebrations.

The wallhanging I quilted (such tiny stitches) a couple of years ago also came out to share the celebrations and is hung over the bookcase in the sitting room.  Below: a detail.

I shan't go mad just yet, but it's nice to have some of the trappings of Christmas about the place.

I will keep this brief as I'm still not feeling anything like 100%.  I will be glad when we can get my asthma medication sorted and next week's heart tests out of the way.  All I want to do right now is sit down and read my Phil Rickman book.

Anyway, No. 1 son is coming tonight and will do the Brecon Militaria Fair with Keith tomorrow, as I don't feel up to it.  I will potter here, catch up with the Archer's Omnibus, and do some sewing.  I am still trying to get quilts finished for Christmas.

This morning we had a wander round the little Vintage Fair at Llandeilo, and chatted with friends, before going on to the Unit to put some nice things in for Christmas.  November was dire, so let's hope December is an improvement or . . . well, we won't go there just yet.

Finally: a not very exciting photo of the Beany Soup!!