No need for words...

Newport Beach

Carningli Mountain

Next time - shoot me!

Next time someone says shall we do a car boot for the Cadwraeth (translation = conservation; a little community group that looks after the common land) have a BBQ for the church funds AND have old school friends come down to stay... all on the same day - shoot me.  And to think everyone believes it's so quiet in this neck of the woods; think again. It can be busy, very busy.  Luckily living with others as we do, we always have those extra pairs of hands that can help lighten the load.  Thanks especially to Her Next Door who was cooking and preparing for days beforehand.

On the Sunday we took our friends out and about...  as always very proud to show off picturesque Pembrokeshire.  I noticed again how thoroughly friendly people are here; really open, chatty and happy to give you their time. That made me even more proud to be a local now.  My friend's jaw dropped open when at one café, where they didn't take debit cards... and I didn't have cash, it was 'not a problem, pay later'.



My friend's christian name is David, so a visit to St David's was a must.

By Sunday evening I was tired though, I caved in - I think I might have had a little snooze on the sofa.  I just hope I didn't dribble in front of my guests.

The weekend before last we climbed Carningli Mountain - G10's friend had a birthday party at the very top. What a place to have it, thought I'd share a photograph of them - quite a special memory.


Top of the world.

And while we're on the topic of photographs, a blogger friend of mine has gone as far as putting one of my efforts on her wall.  Thank you Rachel for the very great compliment.  Quite mind blowing for me, to think my little corner of Wales is adorning the wall of a home in Israel.

Nothing to say...

I think I've got writer's block.  I can't think of anything interesting to blog about (no change there then you might think).  Either that or my life is pretty dull at the moment (and I'm really not going to admit it to you dear reader - after all, life in the blogasphere is always interesting).

Here are a couple of pictures instead (it's said a picture is worth a thousand words - so actually I've been quite loquacious in this post).  The theme over at The Gallery this week is 'Colour' - so as I can't think for myself at the moment I've decided to roll with it. 

Nothing displays the spectrum of colour better than mother nature herself.

Playing catch up

Have you missed me?  "No" I hear you cry.  Well tough.  I'm back.

Our Gran

I've been away on our extended family holiday to Whitesands (which is all of 20 miles or so away).  This was quite a feat this year though as Gran needed to bring all her equipment; including oxygen bottles, special mattress, portable adjustable tables, commode - the list goes on.  Anyway a very special shout out must go to Country Cars who provided the disabled transport and a driver.  They charged us the princely sum of £8.50, both ways.  Simply amazing (and there we'd been trying to get Gran's bus pass organised to get the fare half price, thinking it would be more like £85.50).   Also worth an honourable mention are the carers Western Welsh Community Care, who pulled out all the stops and juggled their staff so that we could still have the three visits a day whilst Gran was on holiday.

We all took it in turns to help look after Gran through the week, ably assisted by a To Do list I'd put together, (ding, just polishing the old halo).  For this I'd come under some flack from my brother (little Hitler might have been mentioned - hmm, me!)  When his turn came round though he bumbled and fumbled.  Had he actually read the To Do list?  Had he heck.  Gran felt sorry for him and in tones that seemed to indicate that it was all my fault she said, "Poor M, he really doesn't know what to do.  Nobody's told him."  My flabber was gasted.  "He berlurdy well does know," I said, waving the list about in the air.  But still she felt the (48 year old) boy was very hard done by.  How do the male species get away with it?

I returned home with a razor sore throat, which then developed into a near death experience (OK perhaps it was just a cold).

In the midst of all this I have been trying to revise for my Welsh exam, but the only successful thing I've managed to do so far is confuse myself further - it that's at all possible.

I'm also back on my running plan... second week in.  This has been partly prompted by a throw away, although rather to the point remark, "You're getting fat!"  Oh out of the mouths of babes.  I must admit I've got to do something, I'm looking more like Mr Blobby every day. 

Pembrokeshire Coastline - I did do some walking to burn those calories too.

My Backyard

"Mmmm" said the caterpillar.  "What a lovely spread they've put on for us this year.  Time for one helluva party."


All bug friends welcome here.

Want to have a nose at other people's back gardens?  Then go look at Tara's Sticky Fingers.

Sticky Fingers - April

One word - busy.

Endless sunny days.

Two lots of visitors descending on us, taking advantage of the wonderful weather, great to see them.

School holidays, children here, losing mine to others. 

Visiting J's family in Fleet for the Easter weekend. Long drive, meals out, catching up.

Gran coming home after a long stay in hospital; along with lots of extra necessary equipment and visits three times a day from carers.

Another long weekend away, only an hour up the road this time and just the three of us. Precious time together, never enough. We succumbed and watched the big event Friday.  History in the making after all. We seemed to pack a lot in during the four days; as brought home to me when downloading the 300 pictures taken and from my depleted bank account. Fantastic break, but not too restful.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.  William Henry Davies

The photos below are when I did manage to stop and stare in April. 
Stunning, breathtaking scenery. 
How could I fail not to.

The Gallery - Togetherness

My first post at Sticky Fingers - The Gallery, inspired by Preseli Mags.  This week's theme is togetherness.

G9 is an only child, so her friendships are extra special to her.  She and H9 are very close... very much together.  Almost joined at the hip.

And at the other end of the age range G9 is striding out with her Grampy. Two peas in a pod.  And to think they may never have met as Grampy was having a triple bypass whilst I was pregnant.  Yet due to his recovery he had time on his hands.  From a babe in arms with G9 in a backpack and Grampy in his walking shoes, they went off on their little adventures together.  They are having adventures still.

Beautiful October

What a beautiful sunny, warm and dry October we are having.  The flowers in the garden are a bit confused and have been putting on the best shows, trying to entice the insects.

There's nothing so beautiful as a rose.

 

That's Billy the fish in the background (opposed to Billy the boy).

And with a heavy heart I see just round the corner winter coming. I so much prefer the light to the shade.  The warmth to the cold.  The long days to the short.  So late in the year these special sunny days are like priceless gifts, they are to be treasured.  They hearten the soul and the memories of them will have to last until Spring.

As others say it so much better than I can do, I'm going to share with you some quotations and poems that have particularly touched me about this time of year.  If you have your own and you would be willing to share them, please comment,  I'd love to read them.

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

"I know the year is dying,
Soon the summer will be dead.
I can trace it in the flying
Of the black crows overhead;
I can hear it in the rustle
Of the dead leaves as I pass,
And the south wind's plaintive sighing
Through the dry and withered grass.

Ah, 'tis then I love to wander,
Wander idly and alone,
Listening to the solemn music
Of sweet nature's undertone;
Wrapt in thoughts I cannot utter,
Dreams my tongue cannot express,
Dreams that match the autumn's sadness
In their longing tenderness."
- Mortimer Crane Brown, Autumn Dreams

...... The following one is particular pertinent to us here, as we are surrounded by trees.

"October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band."
- George Cooper, October's Party

A little slice of heaven

just to be able to get in the car and GO to some of the most unspoilt places on this planet (even though it's busy at the moment with the school holidays).  With over 50 beaches to pick from, all within half an hour to 50 minutes away, we are truly spoilt for choice.  The only fly in the ointment is trying to get us all unanimously agreeing on the destination... I think I might have missed my vocation as a mediator.

We chose Newgale and Whitesands today.  I don't know what it is about the seaside, but it makes us all so happy; any cares or worries we may have just seem to dissolve away.  To sit with the sun on your face, listening to the roar of the waves, with warm sand between your toes.  A great stress buster.

Newgale

Whitesands, we sat with a take away coffee or two for hours, just people watching...

Stayed for a while longer and had a fish supper too.

Nothing to do but watch the sun go down.

Our garden in pictures

I love this time of year... (and wondering around the garden on a sunny day like today is the perfect antidote to politics).

My new camera!

When we moved J (my partner) and I thought we would make some general changes, and one was not to have a TV in the bedroom anymore - mainly because we tended to watch absolute rubbish and then end up tired the next day. In fact since we've moved we all watch a lot less TV generally and it's amazing how much more time I have available to do something more interesting instead. Don't get me wrong we still like to slob in front of it inanely when the fancy takes us.

One of my new interests, besides blogging, is photography. I've always enjoyed it but living in Pembrokeshire now there are so many beautiful photos waiting to be taken, its whetted my appetite again.

I bought my first digital camera when my daughter (G8) was nearly one. It's strange to think that she has never gone to Boots and waited with fevered anticipation to collect photographs, and has no idea what a roll of film really is. Technology evolves quickly - which also means my 7 year old camera is positively archaic. My Canon Ixus has taken some good photos in its time (all the Pembrokeshire photos in the slideshow top right), but is now quite slow. I have to ask people to pose for 10 seconds while it warms up, in that time they generally wonder off - time for a new one me thinks. G8 is delighted as she is in line for the old one.

I thought about buying a DSLR, but for me because of their bulk I don't think I'd end up carrying it around with me very much - then not having a camera to hand makes it difficult to take pictures! I've gone for a bit of a hybrid - the Canon G11. It's basically still a point and shoot compact camera and I can take it anywhere, but it does have a full manual mode and you can buy accessories including fancy pants lenses etc (this might be a bit advanced for me at this point). Hopefully the camera will make me feel like a real photographer, even if I'm not.

I'm still a bit of an ignoramus when it comes to the manual mode, but it'll be another new learning curve and something for me to do when I'm not watching TV! Everybody say CHEESE :)