I shall just have to say it ....its nice to be home!

We set out for the Welsh Coast last Thursday with some objectives loosely in mind, one being a day at Aberystwyth University with youngest son having a good old mosey round at The Open Day, another was to meet friends in Dollgellau on Friday. We chose to stay at a cottage we stayed in many years ago quite frequently but have not been back for a number of years and the ownership may have changed a few times in that period. I shall not hanker to return again.

The journey up to the coast started promisingly enough but finished in a howling gale and torrential rain in a prematurely dark afternoon. I had driven the whole way in the truck and by the time we parked I was clenching the wheel so tightly I thought I was welded to it. Scary stuff believe me - so scary the shepherd was travel sick - well there's a first and my goodness did I gloat! He is always so unsympathetic when it's me or the boys suffering - ha - revenge and all that ......

He recovered quickly enough on terra firma and a with a strong cuppa. Later we made our way down to the pub for an evening meal. We sat looking out at the stormy waves throwing the boats about that were anchored in the harbour feeling more queasy as the evening passed.

Friday dawned quite early - well the bed was that hard I just had to get up and go for a walk. The storm had abated, all was well with the world and Aberdovey looked as beautiful as I had remembered it, with the views out to the sea and across to Ynyslas and Borth on the other side of the Dyfi estuary. We were soon on our travels towards Dollgellau along the coast road to Tywyn and then along the Mawddach estuary through Fairbourne. Dollgellau is not somewhere I remember very well but with the sun shining from a bright blue sky it did not seem so dismal as I expected. We found the livestock market which was huge with sheep in pens as far as the eye could see. Shepherd heaven! We found our friends and sat nattering over coffee in the ramshackle cafe. I could not understand a word that was being spoken as dozens of old shepherdy men down for the day exchanged greetings and probably insults over their steaming mugs in broad Welsh.

Eventually we left the market but not before I snapped the lorry owned by the ram dealer!

We wandered around the little town, quirky and narrow. The stone used in the little buildings looks big and awkward and gives the whole town a strange look, almost as if children built it in a hurry.

The views of the hills on the way back were beautiful and we stopped off in Tywyn for a wander along the sea front virtually deserted in bright warm sunshine.

Saturday found me up pacing the floor again just in time to catch the dawn breaking over the Dyfi - one moment pink the next minute gold. I knew we were in for trouble - Red sky at night shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning shepherd's warning. We were on the road to Aberystwth by 8:30 and it was raining steadily by the time we reached the University Campus. We spent the day milling aound with numerous other worried parents with their 17 year old sons and daughters all trying to look so cool and failing miserably. I sighed a big sigh - if only I could have my time again I'd be banging the door down to get in -

Down on the seafront huge waves roared along the harbour wall and exploded over the parked cars. The sky just opened - emptying rain and hailstones on us as we ran for the cover of the truck. The drive back to Aberdovey was a nightmare I would rather forget!

Sunday morning I was almost too scared to peep through the curtains in case the storm was still raging. Just grey and quiet - phew! We had to be on our way by 10am, by 9:30 we were packed and the little cottage polished and swept. We gingerly made our way along the estuary road flooded in places with leaves in the drains. Waterfalls cascaded down the hillside onto the road. Everything looked very well washed in the golden autumn sun.

When we reached the Pont Dyfi bridge just outside Machynlleth we were amazed. The floodwaters were filling the arches of the bridge and at any moment were about to erupt into the road. The bridge was closed and we were diverted through parts of the Dyfi valley I had never seen before. Farmers with trailers and lorries darted everywhere hurrriedly moving livestock to higher ground, a very busy Sunday in Wales.....

We passed a group of traditional gypsy caravans, the happy goat in the little trailer on the back munching away, sadly everybody else looked pretty wet and bedraggled.

It was just so nice to trundle up the hill, see our sheep quietly grazing in the sun, the cats met us at the gate and the dogs set up a chorus of welcome.....home sweet home!