time rushes on.....

...and I think it may have started to dawn on the shepherd that very soon we will be suffering from the empty nest syndrome. He looked at me totally aghast on Saturday 'What are we going to DO?' he asked.

Now just rewind back to April when due to the precarious status of farming in the economy he decided and 'we' agreed that it may be time to call it a day with our little sheep enterprise. What was once a nice little sideline has now become a rather expensive hobby. University expenses had started to appear on the horizon and a mild sense of 'Oh sh*t where is the money coming from?' was starting to accumulate. So it was with a heavy heart a couple of weeks ago that we saw the old ladies off on a trailer, never having been off the holding before, I didn't dare catch the look in their bewildered eyes, especially as they were leaving their lambs behind - ( they go next week!) The shepherdess was on the verge of hanging up her crook, no lambing to look forward to, no early mornings or late nights - gosh!

Hang on a minute though, dont get too excited at the thought of all that relaxation- the shepherd was rapidly going into a decline - loosing the baby of the family to Aberystwyth university and all the sheep was in fact too much to cope with. Last Saturday we went to Wales and yes - he bought more sheep! I just give up!

Meanwhile the next generation in the family are starting to get interesting, our grandson T at all of two and a half is the eldest for both families. He has been quickly followed by two little cousins on his mother's side and they are growing up together spending a lot of time with Nana and Gramps and their collection of horses and dogs. They have started talking in their own little language which requires expert translation. Grandad is 'Lum' - dont ask. Anyway Nana was happily busy in the kitchen when in rushed two little people 'Nana Nana quick quick Lum Guffed!'

'GUFFED' thought bewildered Nana, wondering whether to call the paramedics or the police 'What the hell is 'Guffed'?? Of she went at speed down to the paddock with two little helpers leading the way shrieking all the way 'Lum GUFFED', Lum Guffed!'

When she found Grandad he was indeed 'Guffed' he had been trying to repair the climbing frame and was STUCK underneath it. His predicament was to last a few minutes longer as Nana just went into complete hysterics and was totally incapable of releasing him......

Nana however doesnt esccape scot free, since T gave birth 7 weeks ago she has had a craving for lemon drizzle cake. No problem - I dont mind making lemon drizzle cakes for a new mum so she can get up in the middle of the night and under the pretext of feeding the baby attack the cake tin. Anyway confessing her sins to her mother she promised to take her a slice and duly did only for Nana to say.'I dont think I've had lemon dribble cake before!'

It's stuck! After the little family moved house my mobile twittered with a text message ' A house isn't a home until there is a lemon dribble cake in it!!!!'

Barking - all of us - lemon dribble cake anyone?

my old man said follow the van.....

as the song goes...

we have been on full duty since Friday morning helping the family from the little house on the prairie to move to a bigger house on the prairie! They have gone from one part of the village to another -from 2 beds to 4 on three floors - lots of STAIRS! Sometimes only moving a short distance can be worse than if you were moving hundreds of miles because you think it will be easy enough - but it isn't! The horsebox came in useful as did every four wheel drive pick up or transporter we could muster between us - then add two sets of parents, three brothers, and a brother in law, a sister and sister in law, a whole raft of mates with skills in plumbing, electrics and essential celebrating! Chips from the village chippy fed us when exhaustion threatened. 48 hours later - all done including a complete garden makeover, power washed slabs and decking and all rubbish disposed of ( sorry it was a big bonfire at the bottom of our garden up here).

But before the exercise began, on Wednesday I had to go on a course - offered by the police as an alternative to 3 points for passing a speed camera a tad too quickly - same camera actually- twice! Hope I have learnt my lesson now -( course I have - just find a different way to Oswestry that leaves out nasty camera at Shotatton X roads - grrrr) I have to say it was a very interesting and informative morning - strange the other folk on the course were not youngsters, mainly women of a certain age!!! Perhaps we have more sense to think it may be beneficial to do the course ?- dont know! Anyway after undertaking it and completing it I think EVERYBODY who has been driving over 10 years or so should do it - because it certainly pointed things out that perhaps have been forgotten, familiarity, speed limits, it was all down to C.O.A.S.T. concentration, observation, anticipation, speed, time. A very worthwhle morning.

Thursday dawnwd beautiful and found me at the mercy of a man with a long needle as I had the dental procedures from hell that I have been waiting to have for months. All done and dusted at last. Not pleasant- in fact pretty vile, tremendously uncomfortable and that's 48 hours later. Still can't eat solid food, or speak properly but hell what a smile! Comestic dentistry rules OK! I shall be the grinning inane woman in Harrogate but as thin as a stick at this rate....glad I had the scampi and swede last Saturday night becuse I would have had to suck them to death tonight! Mushroom soup and ice cream it is then......AGAIN!!!

Who ever thought that it's quiet in the countriside....

...needs to come here for the afternoon. There I was flat out on the lawn reading Sebastian Faulks' Engleby and I couldn't hear myself think! If it wasn't the air traffic zooming about above like a swarm of demented wasps then it was the combine harvesters in the valley, the silage mowers and the busy little tractors whizzing about with trailors. I think there must have been a microlite convention somewhere in the vicinity as even more buzzed across the blue - (YES - BLUE) sky. Yet only a few years ago so much farming activity on a Sunday would have been very much frowned upon. When we did the taping for our local history book it was such a common thread with so many memories of whole fields of hay being left to ruin rather than work on the Sabbath day.

It has been a glorious few days in Shropshire, long summer evenings, a large moon looking down from a cloudless night sky, a cool breeze at day break and lawns soaked with dew - just perfect.

As I type the sky is becoming overcast and the sounds from the valley are almost up to a frenetic cacophany as everybody tries to beat the weather. I doubt there is a lawn unmowed for miles, I should think this must be the tidiest corner of the county!

Yesterday evening we had to drop youngest son at a 'bit of a do' with his college mates in Bishops Castle and we decided to simply carry on find a country pub, have a meal and wander back in time to collect him at midnight. Now that sounded a reasonable enough plan but things went awry after the second pub who told us we were too late for food at 8:45! OOOPs looks like South Shropshire goes to bed early on a Saturday night then!

Miles and miles later we glimpsed a hostelry and dived in to ask if they would be kind enough to feed us - getting a bit like the Nativity story here. Relief as the landlord came back and said that his dear wife would be only too happy to oblige and we were shown into a little dining room with mismatched furniture a bit like a granny's parlour. Other diners were relaxing happy and replete discussing rural matters such as the weather and the harvesting and the price of sheep - just like home from home really.

At the moment I am in fish mode - when ever we go out I tend to head for a fish dish off the menu - its because I am deprived at home - they all moan like fury if I say 'fish for tea!' The choice on this menu was limited to scampi but beggars cant be choosers and I dont mind cheap and cheerful on a Saturday night in deepest rural Shropshire. The shepherd went for gammon steak - no change there then, and veg of course, trying to be as helpful as possible in return for the poor lady revving up her gas burners on our account I just said that would be fine by me. What I didn't reckon on was SWEDE - I felt sure there would be peas. There wasn't a pea to be seen! Cauliflower, carrots and swede - with scampi? The shepherd absolutely fell about.

Later the very nice landlady brought us the dessert menu - we chose - a raspberry meringue for me and apple pie for him. Then I saw her picking up a torch from the bar and off she went. I could not believe my eyes as through the window I could see the feeble beam from the torch flickering at the end of the moonlit garden. OK so who else could say their raspberries were so fresh the moonlight was still on them? Gorgeous. We lingered over coffees listening to the locals playing dominoes and shrieking wildly - they weren't playing any sort of game we recognised and the shepherd said we should stay a bit longer because he was convinced items of clothing were going to start coming off.

As we drove out of the car park two men with a couple of evil looking lurchers slavering on their leashes stood back, the one looked vaguely familiar under the shadow of his pulled down hat - he nodded to us as we passed - it was the landlord - his turn for the torch which I spotted was clutched in his gloved hand...and he wasn't picking raspberries I'll bet!

We wandered back to Bishops Castle laughing all the way along the moonlit lanes and fluffy cut hay fields. We waited in the chosen place far enough away from the venue and watched the antics of the tipsy teenagers rolling out on to the pavement. We laughed even more as we recognised youngest son with a young lady riding piggy back and another trotting unsteadily at the side with two handbags. He delivered them to another waiting parents' car and jumped into the truck

'Hell - she was heavier than she looked!'

We just cracked up - all of us! Saturday night in South Shropshire! Scampi and swede anyone?

Ever had that hamster on a wheel feeling...?

From Sunday onwards the world as we know it just went totally totally mad - as the sun came out to play again it was as though we had to join in.......



Monday ...can't even remember - OH yes I can ironing and panic buttons being pressed as middle son got himself ready for a holiday in Cyprus - his LAST lads holiday before settling down so he tells me - not that I'm skeptical or anything but....... let's just say I'll believe it when I see it!



Tuesday - babysitting for two exceptionally good grandchildren - not that I'm biased in ANY way of course. While I was busy with the babies the shepherd sold the sheep! Our flock was halved in one go - nice shearer man bought them. I was glad I couldnt see the reproach in their eyes - having to go and leave their lambs bleating away in the field. They had all been born here so it was the first move for them.






Wednesday - I had these for a birthday present - I just can't stop laughing when I see their faces. They are HUGE and are now sitting happily on the lawn. Then as a special birthday treat - I am being ever so sarky here - we went to look at MORE sheep - up on the top of the Kerry forest at dusk - just the right time to look at sheep - bah!








Thursday - we were off on one of our annual family days out to Burwarton Show - love it. A real olde worlde show which has not yet been commercialised to within an inch of its life. The sun shone, we had melting ice creams and summer was back with a vengence.




Bit worried about this class though - not a rosette for this poor specimen - bless.




The littlies had a wonderful time T is used to our family days out now but it was little P's first at the ripe old age of five weeks. She was as good as gold.



I had a shock when walking past a tent a screaming woman rushed at me - then I realised she was screaming my name - then I started screaming as well - it was a dear friend who I had lost contact with over the years due to the fact she was always on the move. We howled at our past misdemeanours until everybody watching us was howling as well!


I still remember my very first day at Ludlow Court - it had snowed, I had no option but to make the precarious journey in jeans, wellies and waxed jacket - not exactly what the best dressed newly promoted Court Manager was wearing at the time, I banged on the door and was gobsmacked as this power dressed to kill woman in full make up opened the door and looked me up and down with a look that spoke volumes but translated into - 'the tradesman's entrance is round the back'


'Err I'm J you must be M...?' I faltered


'OH! They told me you were SMART with a capital 'S' = I take it they didn't mean in the fashion stakes then?'

We just cracked up - and carried on doing so for the whole time we worked together!

We have vowed to stay 'connected' now. Burwarton Show will be so pleased not to have us screaming the place down again.











So that brings Friday and we decided to brush off the good old NT cards and whizz up the A5 and have a look at Chirk castle -( Little Brown Dog where are you? There was a dungeon and a tower and a lovely NT tearoom. )


We had the optional guided tour - the fastest ever I think - apparently the NT have used an old sketch book done by a daughter of the household to recapture the decor and furniture and they have done it very well. I love a guided tour - there is always something quirky or murky - this time it was the Pugin architecture (he of Big Ben and House of Lords fame) and a portrait of a lady with a five o clock shadow - dont ask.









The gardens were huge - not as splendid as Powys Castle -(LBD another one) but nice enough with splendid views back into the Shropshire Hills.






Note the barrel on wheels in the servant's quarters - just fill it up and roll it up and own - good thinking there - gosh dont let the lager louts catch on ...





We left Chirk and drove north towards Llangollen but took a detour to the Trevor basin to drool over the canal boats and ended up on a boat trip over the Pontcysllte aqueduct. There we were 126 feet up in a cast iron trough on 18 stone pillars all built by Thomas Telford in the 1800's when Jones the boatman tells us thet the joins in the trough were joined by a mixture of Welsh flannel, lead and burnt sugar. Apparently I went a whiter shade of pale.
Well wouldn't you if it suddenly dawned that all that was keeping you up in the air above the crashing River Dee was a few old vests and treacle toffee? Don't even think about it!!!

A nice long walk in Langollen put me right, the flower displays are the most vibrant I have ever seen.

The road, river, canal and steam railway all run parallel through the vale of Langollen and very picturesque it is too on a summer afternoon in August.

A manic Sunday............

Its almost a relief to sit down and loose myself in the computer for a while......just a little while PLEASE - just leave me alone for five minutes ...........

The phone rang last night and the announcement we have been waiting for for the best part of 2 months - 'we're shearing tomorrow'

Well what a relief -I have looked at the poor old girls trudging their way round the field in their heavy mostly waterlogged coats and felt sorry for them - that and the fact they are still feeding offspring which when they feed take the mothers clean off their back legs.

So we loaded them up and tore off up the road for all of 500 yards and delivered them into the capable arms of strapping shearer - phew... almost had the need for a short back and sides myself.........it was the way he threw the huge wooly beasts into submission and then they sat there - smiling! TARTS!

Then they jumped sprightly back into the trailer for the short ride home. We would walk them but new houses have been built with wide open plan gardens - not conducive to the old fashioned method of walking livestock along a road.

I managed to finish a bit more sewing early this morning and from the remants of my dress I have made a little hat and knickerbockers for the baby. I wanted to try the pattern out before I start on the gorgeous materials I have bought and I needed to get used to the new sewing machine as well. It sews like a dream. One question for anyone of the dressmaking set - like Wipso -(this may be quicker than ringing you )---when you gather something using long running stitch and then stitch the gathers in - ie the brim of the little hat - do you pull the row of gathering stitches out after? - There just seems to be a lot of stitching in one place which feels a bit rough for a baby.

I shall now share two little gems that have caused much hilarity this weekend..... grrrrrrr

The plain black dress I have made is still causing me concern I have done something wrong with the back and it is too big around the neckline - I said it makes me look as though I should have a hump on my back to which youngest son retorted,- 'that'll be OK then mum you can wear it when you get humpy - you'll get so bored though......wearing it THAT often...'

run- child- run the slapping hand is going into action>>>>>

and then he followed it up with an absolute purler .....

The shepherd queried why I had spread his jumper out across the footboard of the bed to which I told him in no uncertain terms it was because he had left it screwed up on the banisters and I had smoothed it out and hoped the sun would help get the wrinkles out - 'OOOOOOOOooooo' he said sarcastically, 'would that work with you as well?' Cheeky - but the murmer from the corner seat was......'I reckon if we stretched her out and got rid of all the wrinkles we could have a trampoline in the garden!' -

I got him!!!! You could have heard the slap five miles away!!!!

The lilies in their pot didn't stand a chance in the garden so I brought them into the conservatory where we can enjoy them, the fact we need a lorry load of anti histamines is just a mere inconvenience..........

ChrisH - results week this week girl - 7th!!!! I shall be itching to know how you have done but I think I see the word 'distinction' for you in the old crystal ball!! Fingers crossed.