A lovely w/e

Monday morning and relaxing. We had a great w/e starting on the Friday when M drove us down to the caravan via Llandovery. It was misty and it rained intermittently but we had an enjoyable time. A and B arrived at tea time, and we enjoyed a lovely BBQ under my erection. W and G joined us. Saturday M drove us around the lost quarter. We had lunch in Solva, and afternoon tea in Porthgain.

In the evening we ate in the Castle. A lovely meal, but partly spoilt by 2 loud children.

Sunday on the way home we called into the Wildfowl and wetland trust in Llanelli. The weather was superb, and we all enjoyed the gentle wander. M in particular seemed very taken by this particular grunting goose.

Elvie enjoyed the attentions of this Magpie goose.

A and B set off home and we left an hour later after a cup of tea.

The whole w/e was rounded off with a take away curry, and a watch of Sherlock part 3. It took all G’s and my concentration to follow it to the end. LB

Wildlife on Skohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/pontydoc/4704617794/mer

After just a few days at home it was back to Pembrokeshire for us to greet our next set of visitors. We have been friends with A & B for more years than I care to admit! They're the sort of guests where the host/guest relationship doesn't exist we just enjoy each others company. They arrived on Saturday morning and as the weather was indifferent we had a drive around the area showing them various points of interest. Our new picnic set proved a great success at the Castell Henllys, the reconstructed iron age hillfort. In particular, it was surprisingly nice to have a table cloth, albeit small, to spread on the picnic table! We also visited the lovely church at Nevern with its 9th century Celtic Cross which is gradually turning orange due to the lichen growing

on it.

On our way home we discovered Fishguard Fort. It's just a small ruin but in twenty years of visiting the area we had no idea of existence and came across it accidentally. Amazing! Back at the caravan we made the mistake of enjoying a good meal and wine & then additionally having a

sociable late night with more friends.

Now one of the main reasons for A & B's visit was to get the boat to Skomer Island to see the wildlife, and in particular, the puffins. Unfortunately the seas had been high and the winds strong so we thought the trip wouldn't be possible. Mistake! Sunday morning brought hangovers, no wind and a flat sea! It took a bit of an effort to get going but what a wonderful day we had! It's a magical place and I was pleased to get some good wildlife photos.

Razorbill having his chin scratched by his mate - looks like he's enjoying it!

Little owl sitting on a rock staring at the visitors going by.

And finally -The puffins were performing well!

So thanks to A & B for helping make it such a great weekend!

Broadhaven at it's Best!

We have spent all week enjoying the exceptionally wonderful weather here in Pembrokeshire. We can't remember when we had such a good hot sunny spell. It's been great for all the kids spending half term at the seaside and the beach has been full of activity, though this pic was taken when it was particularly quiet!

The surf was up earlier so all the kids were out on their body boards. The wildlife seemed to be enjoying the weather too as the rock pools were teeming. In particular we seem to have an epidemic of sea slugs. We sometimes see the odd one or two here but this week there were hundreds.


It's been a busy week as we've entertained a succession of visitors but today we took a trip to Cilgerran. It's a quiet little place with a small but interesting mediaeval castle on the banks of the River Teifi. The river was wonderfully peaceful and we were really pleased to see a kingfisher flying up and down it.


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Broadhaven Again

We've come down to the caravan again for the important purpose of re-engining the boat. The outbard was stolen earlier this year so today I took the boat over to the dealer in Pembroke Dock to have a new one fitted. It was all done by mid afternoon and as the forecast is looking good we plan to launch the boat for a test drive tomorrow or at the weekend.

This evening we made the most of the evening sunshine with an icecream on the sea front & then walk across the beach to Little Haven.

The beach was deserted, it was beautiful.

Elvie

Tempus Fugit!

Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself! It's nearly three weeks since I last posted...I'll be losing all my readers! Anyway we were fairly shattered on return from France & spent our first 5 days at home, recovering, doing the garden & visiting the parents. Then it was off to the caravan for a hectic week of entertaining & biking. The first visitors were J & S from France, who were staying with S's parents in Llangwm. We took them out on the Haven in the boat one day, here's J about to photograph the Neyland Bridge. The following day we abandoned the planned cliff top walk due to rain so spent the day eating! Lunch was at the excellent Sloop Inn at Abereiddi & supper was coked by J at Llangwm. There we were entertained by the wild foxes who visit the garden regularly.

Wed & Thurs was spent at Llanidloes where w'darranged sometrail riding with Trail Rides Wales. This was excellent practice for our proposed September trip although I only managed one day due to wrist ache on my clutch hand.

Back at the van we were host to B & A for the weekend. A & I were in college together, a long long time ago and remain the best of friends. We had a great time together with lots of good food boating & exercise. That's B& A admiringNewgale Beach from the coast path.

We've been back home for a couple of days again. The lawns have been mowed, garden weeded and parents treated to meals out so we're heading west again tomorrow for two to three weeks with short trips home intermittently to check all is ok.

Next adventure is booked for 14th September!

Reflections of Haverfordwest

After a dramatic thunderstorm on Thursday night yesterday was quiet and overcast with no wind. We did a bit of shopping in Haverfordwest in the morning. The Riverside Shopping Centre runs along one side of the River Cleddau while on the other side is a modern market and some old warehouses now converted to various other commercial uses. The lack of wind produced some wonderful reflections in the water so I popped back with my camera in the afternoon. Here's a selection of watery pictures of the town.

Elvie

Walking on Skomer

Had a great day on Skomer yesterday. We joined a guided walk run by the National Park Authority. The first bonus of doing the walk was that our group of about twenty had priority on the boat, so no queueing. We then had 6 hours on the island in glorious sunshine, walked about 4 miles, enjoyed a picnic on the outermost headland and saw thousands of seabirds.

There's an inlet callled the Wick where you can get close up to the puffins and the cliffs are full of the nests of guillemots, razor bills and kittiwakes. Also there are several pairs of chough nesting so I finally managed to get a photo of one.


Annie, our guide, was very informative and really added to our enjoyment. Having got an overview of the whole island I'm looking forward to going back again and spending more time in the areas of most interest.
Elvie

Preseli Walk

With a cloudless sky at the caravan we decided on a gentle walk in the Preseli's today. LB has strained his knee so it had to be gentle. We parked at Bwlch Y Gwynt (Windy Pass) and strolled to the summit of Foel Eryr. It was decidely muddy with gathering clouds overhead. There were extensive views from the top but a bit hazy so not particularly good for photos. Anyway as it was getting chilly without the sun we decided to abort the rest of the walk and headed straight back to the car! A short walk but pleasant. Once off the hills the sun reappeared so we went back to the caravan and spent most of the afternoon catching up with everyone who had arrived for the weekend. Bank Holiday weekends are great here as the site fills with friends old and new. We're looking forward to a very sociable couple of days now.

Elvie

Ravens Revisited

I wasn't happy with the photos I took of the raven's nest three weeks ago so after today's rain had passed over we went back to the Deer Park to have another go. Well, they have grown! Last time we could barely see the fledglings, now there are three nearly nearly full grown youngsters in the nest. I used a tripod for todays photos and got half a dozen much better shots. There was also a fulmar's nest nearby with three argumentative adolescents on board.


Elvie

Broadhaven

On Friday we came down to our caravan for the first time this season. I particularly love it at this time of year. From the van we have a great view up the valley of Haroldston Woods and the surrounding fields. We're ideally placed to watch the changing colours of the seasons. At present most of the trees are bare but some are coming into leaf so there are patches of the palest green, not the vibrant greens of the summer. The gorse is in full bloom and the blackthorn is also blossoming. Each time we visit the colours will have changed until everything is in full leaf, then it will remain fairly static over summer until the autumn brings it's own changes. The woodland is full of birdsong now. The chiffchaffs have arrived en masse and you can hear them wherever you are in the wood. There are plenty of blackbirds, robins and assorted tits and finches singing away too.


We've had a couple of walks in the woods, along the cliff path and of course on the beach. I've brought my slr camera and am quite pleased with some of the photos I've taken. It's strange how having a new camera has made me think about different camera angles and views. I've also tried a few arty close up photos and some underwater shots in the rock pools. I don't have a card reader to get the rock pool shots off the compact camera so I'll post those after I get home tomorrow.

Elvie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

It's LB's birthday today and we woke to a surprise. The fairies had visited overnight and left balloons and happy birthday banners on the caravan! Thanks TB! We haven't anything particularly special organised for today. The sun's out so we'll have a walk this afternoon then a nice meal and some bubbly for just the two of us this evening.




So.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY LB



Elvie.

XXXXXXX

Has winter arrived?

Snow on the Preseli hills, and today we are taking the boat to have the engine made ready for the winter lay up. The central heating is full on in the caravan, and while power walking earlier today we both felt very cold. I know it's only Autumn, but it doesn't feel like it at the moment.


Even this Black Headed Gull seems to be hunching his shoulders against the cold! The weather forecast has just confirmed that we may get some more snow overnight. They have also pointed out that the snow that fell overnight in the south east of England was the first time this has happened in October since 1934! Perhaps we are in for a hard winter. LB.

Country Walks

Most walks around Pembrokeshire involve a fair bit of battering from the wind, as the coast is fully exposed to the Atlantic westerlies, which are in full flow at the moment. One of our favourite sheltered walks for when we don't want to be too windswept is from the marina at Neyland along Westfield Pill, a small inlet opening on to the Milford Haven waterway. The path follows the route of an old railway line through a nature reserve. There's lots of plant and animal species there although the birds are the most obvious. We're no naturalists and weren't looking too hard but nevertheless spotted cormorants, a heron, little grebe and white ibis as well as the more common swans, mallard and black headed gulls.
Elvie

It's Britain, on the beach - you WILL wrap up and build sandcastles!

It's half term for most schools this week so the beach is quite busy. It doesn't matter that it's cold and windy; it's anoraks and wellies on and carry on as if it's summer. The sand is sprouting sandcastles, elaborate dams are being constructed across the streams, dogs are chasing balls and the intrepid few are in the water , surfing. We had a pleasant walk in the late afternoon sun but declined getting our hands wet and sandy.

What's that up there then?

It was good to get back on the bikes again this weekend. We brought some friends to stay at the caravan. Had a nice run down yesterday but had to take advantage of the dry weather with another rideout today. We braved the Bank Holiday traffic around the coast then headed inland and as it's Sunday, went to church. Nevern Church is famed for its superb celtic cross and stones inscribe with the rare old celtic Ogham script. Paul was obviously receiving inspiration from on high while there while LB remains unimpressed. Had a fast run back over the Preseli Mountains on the B4329. It's a good road apart from a few sheep on the top. Back at the van now with BBQ alight and several more friends due to call around for a drink later. Shhould be a good night!

Wet Wales

Well, it wasn't just wet, we had a met office weather warning today for Wales! Today is going home day but I'm still at the caravan. LB took M-i-L home in the car this morning while I cleaned the van, stripped the beds, did the washing etc. The plan was for me to follow on on the bike but I've decided to wait till tomorrow. I don't mind riding in the rain if I have to but it seems foolish when it's unnecessary. So I'll be up early and on my way while the roads are empty.

As I've been posting from the caravan for a couple of weeks here's some photos of the inside, including me blogging! I've managed to avoid photographing the clothes airer, in the corner of the lounge, which isn't a pretty sight! It's a nice bright & homely van with lovely views over the top of the rest of the caravan site to the fields and woods on the hillside opposite. This evening the view is shrouded in mist and driving rain so no photos of that just yet.

Elvie

Rain!

The sky was wrong! Full marks to the BBC!

Elvie

Fishing at Sunset

LB and the boys, armed with assorted doomed worms wandered down the beach this evening for a spot of shore fishing. They always set off with high hopes although personally I never expect a fish supper! I am usually regaled with tales of big "knocks" and the ones that got away but tonight they were more successful. The ragworm and lugworm proved their worth as several bass and a flounder were caught. The fish were all a bit on the small side so lived to tell the tale. I joined them for half an hour, to watch and take some photos. It's very peaceful on the beach in the evening.

Red sky at night.............. or BBC weather? Which to believe? This is the sunset while the lads were fishing, BBC says rain tomorrow. Let's hope old weather lore is the more accurate!

Elvie

A leopard and it's spots.

Well as you can see, a leopard can change it's spots, or in this case it's blog colours. When we started the blog we chose a simple template as we tend to follow the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principal in most things.

However having got up at an unearthly hour to wave son H off this morning, we spent a few hours looking around the Blogger web site, and decided to change the layout. We also looked at FEEDS, and are wondering whether to include them in our blog. This would enable anyone interested to be informed of updates to our story. Any views on this? Also as some peeps have had difficulty in posting comments, we've tried to make it easier. If you have had problems why not try again? LB

Fathers and Sons

The boys and I have been fishing on and off for many years, but we've not done much together recently. Some months ago I booked a fishing charter out of Dale, looking to head out to the Smalls lighthouse some 18 miles offshore, hoping to catch some big fish. I also invited a couple of close friends and their sons to join us. Our boat was named Volsung, and the previous week Andy the skipper had the victorious Welsh boat angling team aboard for an international competition, so I felt very confident in his abilities.



We would only be able to get out to the Smalls if the weather was perfect, and as the great day approached we were all listening to the forecast with fingers crossed. Luckily it couldn't have been better. So yesterday on a fine sunny day, with light winds and a flat sea, we headed out to try our luck.



The fishing wasn't spectacular, but we caught several good sized pollack and 3 good sized codling. The seals which swam around us seemed to be enjoying themselves also.



I was struck by how difficult it must have been to build the first lighthouse on the site. It was built of wood and was designed to sway in the wind. All the materials would have had to been delivered by sailing ship!

At the end of the day I was shattered and had an early night, but Chris and son H, had a cod supper cooked by our neighbour on his BBQ. Apparently it was superb. LB