Best Foot Forward and all that ....

Totally in awe of ElizM and her 'stroll' along Offa's Dyke we were inspired somewhat to do a bit of 'yomping' ourselves along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. The weather was glorious we were in the right kit so off we went. We happily bombed along and then would return by courtesy of the little Puffin shuttle buses - which meant we could walk farther without the worry of the return .

Sunday we were high above the sea between Broadhaven and Newgale, Monday -Tenby - Saundersfoot, Tuesday - St Davids - Solva, Wednesday- St Brides, Marloes and Dale, Thursday - Bosherton Lily pools and Friday Littlehaven via the beach at low tide.

Some of the path is a teeny bit scary, slippery with a sheer drop - I had to buy a walking pole for the extra reassurance. Dearly beloved assured me that according to the signs on the posts only men fell off - women were therefore safe.

We met dozens of like minded souls of all ages, everybody happy to have a natter, noted many lone women walking.

Kim our 12 year old lab came too, she loved every minute of it, fawned around everybody we met - stared the very sandwiches out of our mouths and learned to drink from a bottle! Now she does it all the time - who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks? Total embassment when without warning she leapt into the stream in St David's Cathedral grounds cheered on by a school party who though she was hilarious and was part of the entertainment.

By the end of the week we were suntanned, much fitter but had feet like pig's trotters and guess what? We cant wait to go and do it again - and needless to say Kim will come too!

Phew - I think we needed that!

As the last A level exam finished the bags were packed and we simply ran away for a week.

The sun shone down from a cloudless blue sky from dawn until dusk. Our 'home' a rustic cabin high above a wooded valley looking out to sea, silence surrounded us - we spoke in whispers and watched the birds sitting on the treetops below us. The sea was warm and inviting, gentle wavelets just crept onto the clean white sand. We wandered along clifftops for mile upon mile drinking in the scenery, marvelling at the perfumes of the wild flowers along the route, stopping to take pictures of pyramid orchids as we passed. A couple of old donkeys enjoyed some fuss, why do donkeys always look so melancholy?

When we ventured into the town (to buy thinner clothes - yes really!) the clinking of the masts on the boats in the harbour was matched only by the clinking of ice in the glasses of the beige and grey brigade sitting in the hotel gardens beneath gently waving palms as they awaited their call to lunch.

As soon as necessary purchases including gallons of sun cream we were off to find little villages that spilt fisherman's cottages down onto the tiny harbours all painted in the colours of sugared almonds with scarlet geraniums falling out of tubs and window boxes. Stone churches stood with their doors wide open a welcome few minutes away from the sun to read about fishermen and their dangerous lives.

As evening fell we found a gem, a hidden away hotel, perched on the side of a cliff with such an amazing relaxed atmosphere, room ran into room and nothing matched except the vases of wild flowers on the tables. It felt as though we had simply wandered into a large family home along a wood panelled hall a hotch potch of art works of every medium including beautiful stained glass looked down at us, the interlopers, a piano stood in the french windows - covered with sheet music and photographs and a muslin curtain billowed gently in the sea breeze hiding a big fat black cat fast asleep on the step.

We ate freshly caught and cooked sea food outside in the garden almost overcome with the heavy scents of pinks and roses, the sunsets over the sea were amazing and as we sat with other diners we realised that we could not understand any of the languages around us. We hazarded a guess at Scandanavian origins, Italian for others, definitely French in there somewhere.

Eventully replete we could be found wandering back along quiet lanes with high hedges full of honeysuckle, wild roses and fox gloves to our verandah above the woods for a last drink and to watch the owls and listen to the foxes far below along the rippling stream. As we sat there at peace with the world, the silence was only broken by the distant thud of tank fire and occasionally the stacatto sound of machine guns that would drift towards us on the breeze.

PS we were in Pembrokeshire, South Wales - just 139 miles from home! No - we couldn't believe it either.

hurtling along .....

.......................through May and before we know it it's June!

My 'gardening' exploits are the talk of the neighbourhood. The designated area is now known as Steptoe's yard for obvious reasons. Two unwanted tractor tyres hold my potatoes and runner beans. Old tin baths are resplendant with peas and French beans while a collection of sheep feed buckets hold courgettes, lettuces, leeks, squash and tomatoes. Metal wastepaper bins are full of sweet peas and a dustbin has been sown with carrots. A large galvanised water tank has radish, rocket and lettuce plus a patio rose. Toby planted an old car wheel very carefully with radishes then got excited and threw two handfuls up in the air over us both - bless! You can guarantee at least a couple of folk leaning on the fence in the evening having a bit of a larf - but bless 'em they have crept back and left me some spare plants - I think they are trying to see what they will end up in. Thanks to the weather everything is growing like mad, these photographs were on day 1 - it's a lot different now!

The shepherd has taken up fishing with a vengence, I end up as the ghillie but in these beautiful surroundings I don't mind, its just the precarious balancing on a slipping bank with a net full of a writhing fish starts making me feel less than comfortable. He can't do a thing wrong this year the fish seem to jump at him shouting 'take me - take me' (nice change for the poor old shepherd)

The swans have had six cygnets this year but dear me she has been a careless mother in the past - sometimes she has hatched nine only to finish up with two. Fingers crossed.

The street party season is upon us again - so we just have a nice little local one just to get some practice in so to speak. - look what the drinks table is - a cable reel. Its catching on this recycling lark. It was a lovely evening and as dusk fell we all had a go at playing the violin whilst the more musical played classical guitars. A tiny little girl sat with her arm around our dog telling her long and convoluted stories about unicorns, Kim listened to every word and never moved but probably had nightmares.

nother practice party next weekend for a joint birthday, I think trout is on the menu - well there's surprise.

I have decided - Big groan from the dining table whenever I utter those three words - it usually means work. But no - nobody else is involved just me. I need to finish things wot have been started. This week I finished my course of physiotherapy on my shoulder, I sent in my last assignment for OU course -( we'll see if that comes back with 'whimsical' splarted all over it.) I have rooted out two half made garments that I got fed up with and have restyled them and FINISHED them all bar the hems. THE IRONING BASKET IS EMPTY! Now just the bathroom to do, scrub the patio, a lot of work on a local history project and then I can go on holiday before a new grandchild makes an entrance. Never a dull moment here.




Mountainear - its still flowering - pic taken today!

a bit of a catch up...........

Yes the awkward old baggage did produce a lamb - well a baby donkey would be more apt as at four weeks younger than most of the lambs it is already slightly larger. Unable to get a picture of said beastie because she runs off with it and hides as soon as we open the gate. She did all this last year as well - it was the devil's own job to catch it to get it's tail ringed and at that precarious moment I didn't have the camera to hand. I could do with one of those photographers that sit for days waiting for a lion to wander past I suppose because I simply do not have the time at the moment.

Two weeks ago we got our passports out and wandered off into Mid Wales to N's neice's christening. We got lost. Horrifically. We arrived at the church just in time for the second hymn. We waited in the porch until the singing started and then sidled in hoping no-one would notice. No hope! The Church was full to overflowing and people had to move up to give us a place, then somebody had to scurry round and find books and sheets - we can't do anything quietly!

The Church was a bit dilapidated - the pew seats were on a slant and there were enormous cracks in the ledge on which hymn books are rested - so enormous my hymn book went sraight through and crashed onto the floor in what was supposed to be a quiet moment. They knew we had arrived then if not before! Cue red face hidden under heavy fringe!

After calming down I looked around, not only was the Church full to overflowing there were an awful lot of children there that were not with the christening group - it was a Sunday School - about as rare as hen's teeth now. The children helped with the service leading prayers and doing the readings all under the able guidance of who we presumed to be Mrs Vicar. The Vicar himself was a tad out of the ordinary as well - mid thirties, dark and swarthy, Australian and had been a rugby player - he said so, it showed -(swoon now) His sermon was light and was meant to be for the benefit of the children and visitors (us lot) the actual christening went without a hitch, the baby loved the water and smiled throughout. I sat back and relaxed - well as much as one can do on a sloping pew - looking around it appeared the flower lady had forgot the day because the vases of flowers were as dead as they could get, there were a motely collection of kettles and chipped mugs under the font and the whole building felt as though it was about to slide down the hill on which it was perched yet the whole atmosphere was one of happiness and peace. As the service ended and the vicar made his way to the back of the church he stopped and turned to do the final dismissal prayer (right by me - phew) he sang it! Well not 'sang' what ever is the right word? Incantation? Amazing - then everybody had a strong mug of tea and pineapple on sticks that the children had prepared. I am not suprised that the Church was full to overflowing and nobody gave a stuff about the flowers - there in a little Church in Mid Wales somebody has got it right!

The following Saturday we were off again into Mid Wales but this time we knew the way. Builth Wells and the Royal Welsh Showground, we avoid the actual Royal Welsh Show in July because it is too big and if it is hot there you absolutely bake - we prefer the Winter fair and the Smallholders and Gardener's show in May. We were not dissapointed even though it was showery. We met WOOZLE and her lovely hubby and sat for hours nattering and catching up whilst the men did swapping of one chicken crate - Bodran I hope you are reading this. Not long now girl!

The smaller shows have grown over the years we have been coming and now virtually fill the site - which is huge. We wandered through the animal sheds looking at the rare breed animals that were on show. This pig family had everybody in hysterics - they were in the main ring - whether by accident or design I shall never know but the piglets were very very naughty and kept racing about as though they had been stung by a wasp. People gathered on the rails just to watch, it was hilarious.

After a lovely day we wandered slowly home, the golden sun in a blue sky after showers was beautiful, all the fields we passed were tinged with a fringe of gold as all the animals grazed in the evening light. We reached Clun and stopped by the river for a while and watched as two geese came swimming upstream, got out onto the grass and strode off up the drive of a house onto the lawn and into what we presume was their shed - if it wasn't then somebody was in for a shock later on!

Now - I am on a mission to transform what was our chicken run into a productive vegetable plot. I came home from the smallholder's show with a wealth of ideas since when I have been seen wandering in the woods looking for old metal buckets - found four. Scavenging around the outbuildings of nearby farm - one large tin bath and three tractor tyres, begging soil from a neighbour who had a huge load delivered and hasn't got room for it all. I kept thinking 'raised beds' would be the answer but haven't got any wood nor have I got a 'glamourous assistant' like Mountainear - my 'assistant' baulks at the very word 'garden' and just mowing the lawns is his limit - (under threat at that!) So I have collected all these weird containers and we shall see what happens - watch this space...........it may work, if it doesnt I shall be on my way to the amenity tip with a very strange load of old scrap.............may just stuff the ironing board in as well (hush my mouth at the very thought!)

Finally a PS to Wipso - have done it! Made a dress for the first time in about 20 years - and believe it or not it fits! So proud!

Just one OU assignment left to do - must do it this weekend, along with the ironing mountain and make some jam for the visitor centre - so why am I still here??????????

And still she hangs on......

this is getting silly now - she is just going to explode. She can hardly waddle and still no sign of bringing forth any lambs. The shepherd thinks she is having a larf and has just got wind. Well she is on her own now the shepherdess has to return to paid employment tomorrow so will not be there to hold a hoof and grunt in unison. Friends and middle son will keep a wary eye on her in case there is a problem but I do wish it was all done and dusted.

Three old ewes went to market today - I couldn't look at their eyes and never went anywhere near their pen in the market. But that's what happens if you dont have a lamb - no second chance - its off to market with you. I wandered around and looked at some lovely sheep and was quite surprised when a very reputable breeder came up and started talking away as though I was his long lost best friend. It appears that after 18 years of this sheep business I may just be recognised as a 'sheepy' person worth having a conversation with. Stands back in absolute amazement. We were stuck in the market for the best part of six hours - I was fit to be tied! I kept thinking of the dozens of things I needed to do at home and what was I doing? Nothing! I retired to the pick-up and read a whole book - cover to cover - it was absolute rubbish.

Another wander round in the drizzle - big sigh. The shepherd teases me relentlessly as he once again finds me deep in conversation with old shepherdy men with few teeth and gnarled hands. I just love the stories they share, the bits of advice, their knowledge born of a life working with nature - he says its either my long lambing hands or my child bearing hips and I slap him -hard.

So the 'holiday' is over - what a roller coaster that was. The new shed is in place and MY summer house is MINE again. The shed is already known as HIS office - I'll just call it the 'doghouse' where he can normally be found. The cheek of it - he has a key to his shed and he is going to keep it locked! The ironing pile has been conquered twice. The OU course is up to date. Spent some fun time with grandson - poor child just cracks up when he sees me - we just get into so much mischief. The upstairs bathroom has not been finished because the plumber has not appeared with new fittings promised and ordered end of February. The back terrace has not been power washed because he only got the dratted thing on Saturday and has been busy playing with it ever since. The dog had her operation sucessfully, lambing - well so far so good but it is not finished yet. I havent started the dressmaking - should have taken it to the market with me I suppose..... oh and I read a rubbish book.........

Hey ho, hey ho, its back to work I go ..... as four cats evict the dog from her basket - I'm not getting involved in this .....

the sun is shining.....

...all is well with the world. Well that's unless you are a pig, or dare to sneeze in public whereupon you will be bashed around the head with a coal shovel. When Asian or Spanish flu was rampant did we make such a fuss? Don't think so. What about the fact that more humans are contracting TB in this country when it had been virtually eradicated?

Still one ewe to lamb - hurry up woman i have to return to the world of paid employment on Tuesday and you will be on your own. Talk about leaving it to the last minute. As soon as she performs we then have to do the honours and vaccinate everything for Blue Tongue. What will it be next I wonder. Red Leg virus? Green Ear disease?

A much awaited shed is being erected on what was part of the old chicken run - the begining of a makeover project, Hopefully that will mean that the 'man' stuff like tools and football boots, saws and enormous lump hammers will depart from my summerhouse that was supposed to be my area for arts and crafts - bah you should see it! Perhaps I should do before and after pictures.

They have sent one man to put up one shed - hell's teeth it takes two to bath the dog in this house. He got lost - the phone rang, 'I hope you weren't using Sat Nav' I remarked. The times Tesco shop and drop have ended up in the woods and have had to be towed out doesn't bear thinking about. We are not Sat Nav-able up here in the wilderness, we cant get local radio either, and horror of horrors woe betide us should we reuire the emergency services - I stood there in the road once as they tore past me - to where?

I did my bit for the 'credit crunch' yesterday - having looked at the prices of summer dresses that left me spluttering I bought a pattern and the reuired amount of material - its years since I did any dressmaking - quite looking forward to it actually. Brush the dust off the old sewing machine - its a hand one - nothing modern here! (Look out Wipso I could be down if I get in a mess!)

Anyway the sun is out - I have two babies to bottle feed, a friend to visit, a dress to make, a shed to fill what more could a shepherdess want ....hang on I'm going to sneeze - its ok I'm allergic to the dog- dont hit me with the coal shovel just yet

Still hanging on.....

One still to lamb - she now looks as though she will burst!

Meanwhile here is a conundrum for you...

Ewe no 3 had twins, one had an umbilical hernia that was operated on but sadly there must have been other things amiss in the gubbins because whatever went in never came out if you get my drift and it died peacefully on the lawn in the sun wrapped in a towel. So that left No 3 with one lamb known to all as Little Jimmy.

Ewe no 8 had twins - she doesn't appear to like one of them but in this game it is survival of the fittest and we dont think she has enough milk for two. In we wade to top up the skinny one with the odd bottle - nothing like sticking your nose in where Mother Nature is trying to sort it out! She will get us back though dont you worry!

Are you with me so far?

Sadly No 3 ewe decided to become ill and despite numerous injections and attention, bagloads of fresh grass, tasty corn etc etc she passed away yesterday morning - which leaves Little Jimmy an orphan.

Drat and blast -a cade lamb- when that is actually the last thing I need! I can so remember when we first had sheep and was so desperate for a cade lamb! Not any more - I soon got over it after the first couple -what a performance! Not for the faint hearted. It does have its funny side though.

There is an unauthorised short cut to the football field across our sheep field, we had persuaded the cade lambs who were big strapping lads to go back to the flock and try to be sheep not humans. As one gentleman of the parish was on his way to the football the lambs thought he should feed them so they chased him and bunted him a bit, as he got up the other would knock him back down - good game lads - good game! When he got to the football match he was in a bit of a mess. Ooops. He said we kept dangerous sheep - yeah right!

I digressed a bit there -

So yesterday in the rain off I go to do the 10:30am bottle run. I find two lambs cuddled up to the dead mother. Everybody get hankies out - how sad. One is the skinny no 8 - so I feed that. I then get what I thought should be Little Jimmy only to find its the big No 8! So where the hell is Little Jimmy? Not with his deceased mother that's for sure ( She has been removed I hasten to add)

Right across the field I find No 8 feeding Little Jimmy! I give up! She hasn't got enough milk for her own twins so starts feeding another, who is being fed anyway - see Mother Nature having a larf I reckon.

So when we go to feed late last night we take three bottles because we are not sure who is actually feeding who and when anymore.

Lucy our demented spaniel had an operation to remove a mammary tumour and be speyed at the same time yesterday. She is now playing the sympathy card with a vengence. Bless her. She has adopted one of T's soft toys as a puppy and sings to it in a high pitched whine on the sofa ON WHICH DOG'S ARE NOT ALLOWED I may add. Caught her on there this morning and photographed the evidence.

Before Lucy went for her operation she had to be bathed and groomed appropriately and J and his girlfriend offered to undertake the operation. There was much screaming and hilarity to be heard as Lucy soaked the pair of them. There was even more screaming when I found the dog shampoo on the worktop in the utility room and an empty bottle of Pantene Pro V for a glossy shine at £3 a ******* bottle! The dog smelt like a tart when I left her at the vets!

Meanwhile grandson after worrying sheep on Sunday - desperate to cuddle a lamb kept running after them to catch one - decides his true vocation in life will be pole dancing. Well it sure beats shepherding - or ironing.

Anybody want to share this lot? - groan. That will teach me to go through the house like a whirling dervish and wash everything in my grasp.