Autumn commeth

Two in your face indicators of autumn arriving here in Llysyfran. 

One is the large amount of leaf litter we suddenly start seeing.  We are surrounded by trees and for a few weeks now they have started to shed their leaves.  In a few more weeks it will be an almost full time job trying to clear them up daily. 

The other and most unwelcome (especially as they seem to congregate in the bedroom, and on my side of the room too) are spiders.  Very large ones.  I can't quite believe we get so many, one of the drawbacks I suppose of being in the countryside.  They stand out somewhat on the stark cream walls (the walls used to be a dark purple when we moved in).


Largest spiders in the UK – Tegenaria gigantea

One night last week I saw one come scurrying out from behind the wardrobe.  Once I'd screamed and got that one scooped up and put firmly outside another appeared from the same hiding place - and after only about ten minutes respite.  Then I found a third on the wall opposite.  I was really freaked and hardly slept at all. 

Monday this week I saw yet another appear from behind my wardrobe, I took a deep breath and pulled it forward and let's just say they were having a party. I've now CLOSED my window on the same wall very firmly shut.  I'm thinking of caulking it. 

I have an evening routine now, I switch the main light on and inspect all the walls.  Then I move the wardrobe on my side of the bed to check behind it for unwanted lodgers.  That's all my nerves can take. I reason that if there are any behind J's wardrobe he'll fight them off before they get to me.

Apparently in the autumn months a range of species which would normally stay outdoors do start to find their way into houses. Most will remain outdoors, but as they are quite audacious some will by chance end up in the house.  That is why they suddenly seem to materialise from nowhere.  Before closing the window I had also tried to deter them from coming in by placing conkers at every possible entry point. But this obviously wasn't working. I'm even tempted to try one of those plug in spider repellent gadgets - despite the mixed reviews.

The wayward spiders are almost always mature males who’ve set off in search of their Juliet.  As they are more mobile, they are more likely to be spotted. And being spotted they are.  I took the above photograph with shaking hands, and I believe it's the Tegenaria gigantea but I just can't look at any more pictures to identify - I'll be having nightmares tonight.

I know they do a lot of good, but that knowledge does not trump my irrational fear of the big spiders (I can live with the small ones).  Can't they find their fun somewhere else but my side of the bedroom for heaven's sake.

Noisy Neighbours & First Day

I'd thought I'd heard rustling down in the valley - but had ignored it.

The following day I heard it again and peered over our new gate, to find a little band of bullocks investigating their new found freedom. 

Him Next Door and J spent the evening herding them back to their field, whilst the neighbour made good the escape route they'd created in the fence.

The bullocks made quite a mess of our path down to the bottom of the valley, but Her and Him Next Door have been trying to rectify that... it'll take time. 

You can just see our open gate at the top.

A momentous event has happened today too. My baby has gone to secondary school - her first day. It's been an intense six week holiday; busy, active, a balancing act. Now we can get back to the routine of a new school day.  She leaves home early to catch the bus at 7:40am and won't be home 'till 4ish.  We offered to cut down her travelling time by dropping her off at our nearest village, but she wants to go under her own steam on the bus.  The school itself is in Crymych, some 13.5 single track, bendy miles away.

She was so excited this morning, eager to go.  It's great the time they spend now to establish a connection with their secondary school and some of the staff well before the big day itself, orientation days really.  It must make the first day so much less intimidating for them (a far cry from when I went to secondary school - which I know was last century).  What's worrying me the most is the 1 to 1.5 hours homework promised a night.  How will we fit it in with all her after school activities?  And its very important to leave time for a bit of fun too.

Ready for big school.

More hours in the day required...

I don't often go out or stay up late on a school night, but it's the holidays and you can tell.

Next week is almost fully booked.

Tuesday evening we're off out for eats with my soul mate from University who is in the area... I don't see him very often now, but when I do it's a very special time. We're going en masse with his family and mine and I can't wait to catch up on all his news.

Wednesday evening, together with my friend and her daughter, we're going on a bush craft exploration deep down into the wooded valley (adjacent to our property).  There we're going to light a fire and cook our tea on it (beans and sausages then bananas and chocolate for afters - with a marshmallow or two thrown in). 



Him Next Door has made a new gate that opens up onto our wooded wonderland.

Thursday it's G10's 11th Birthday Party, so it will be a generally busy and chaotic day.  Eight young ladies to organise and taxi, heading off on a high ropes course and then kayaking in the afternoon with Sealyham Activity Centre.  Lucky devils.  I wanted to tag along for the actual outdoor adventure and enjoy the adrenalin rush, but apparently we were advised it's much better for the children if the parents leave the vicinity!

Friday evening is the first of G10's two sleepovers. The Mum's are coming over too, so we can have a chat, a drink and... (if I'm very lucky) a brownie.

I may not surface for a while blog land.

The Big O

You just had to be there. 

It was a wonderful experience. 

We felt proud to be hosting and proud to be British.  The officials, army and volunteers were all very polite, cheerful, helpful and efficient. 

The swimming heats themselves ran smoothly (though there was no obvious lane numbering so it took us a while to work out who was where).  We were up in the gods.  It was very steep so we didn't suffer with other people's heads in the way and we were directly overlooking the pool, almost a bird's eye view.  We cheered for everyone, went mad when a Brit was in the line up and nearly had apoplexy when a member of Team GB finished in the top three.  We saw an Olympic Record being broken by Emily Seebohm of Australia in the 100m backstroke. We watched Rebecca Adlington qualify for the 400m freestyle final (she went on to win a bronze medal).

We even managed to survive the underground to get to the London Eye. 

It was one of those days I'd like to repeat all over again.

London Olympics 2012, Sun 29th July - Swimming Heats

Hwyl fawr i Ysgol Gymunedol Maenclochog

Yesterday was the end of an era.  G10 has finished primary school. She walked out of the doors for the very last time.

I've always been a bit aggrieved that she arrived early (she's never been early for anything since).  If she had been born when she was due, she'd still have another year there.  As it is she started school just as she turned four, and has left primary when she is still 10.  I look at her now, she seems so young and I feel sad that she's having to leave the warm arms of such a supportive and wonderful environment.  Saying a final goodbye to the teachers, staff and helpers that are like family to her and leaving many friends that just happen to be demarcated into a younger year, including her BFF.  It must be a wrench. 

Sometimes you don't fully appreciate what you have until you lose it.  Cruel world.

G10 though seems fine.

Last day, emerging after sleepover at school.

There are thieves in our neighbourhood!

Bare - and a tad on the dry side!

But they haven't stolen my little bit of sunshine...

Books, Books and more Books

I'm in love, again.  I can't stop thinking about it, handling it and I take it to bed early, just to be alone with it.  I'm not having an illicit affair, it's the touch screen Kindle.  I wasn't really bothered about having an e-reader before I had one, but now I wouldn't go back.  Since the 15th June when it was given to me by J it's been difficult for anyone to tear me away from it.  I've read prolifically, all of the books below and downloaded many more - just tantalisingly 'there' waiting to be read.  If I had to choose three that I'd recommend from my recent read list I'd say Eye of the Needle, The Hunger Games (a children's book - G10 has now read and relished) and The Importance of Being Earnest.  A lot of the books are free, including many classics.

Lovely jubbly...

Eye of the Needle
Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum

Perfect Crime
The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Phoenix Conspiracy

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Black Beauty

What Katy Did

The Importance of Being Earnest

Catching Fire
The Hunger Games

Why do I love it? It's so very light. I can read in bed without the pages flopping about as I prop it up on a pillow. I never lose my page. Ever. I can look up words I don't know, at a touch. I can read free books. What is there not to like?

Now, tonight I'm going to the first evening of a book club (organised by our very own Preseli Mags.)  We are discussing The Time Traveler's Wife and horror of horror's I couldnt' download it onto the Kindle.  I know we have free copies from our World Book Night event, but I'm so obsessed I didn't think I could actually regress back to the paper version.  I did, I coped. Just.  I hope it's not too intellectual an evening, I read only for my own pleasure and almost as soon as I've finished a book I forget the detail. I've been promised it won't be, (any excuse for a social) but just in case I started reading it Monday and finished this morning - at least it'll be fresh in my mind :)