Croeso i 2011!

With all best wishes for a great 2011!

Christmas Snowmen!

Despite all the snow outside we never did get round to building an actual snowman - although there were one or two to be found inside in the warm as part of what Martin refers to as my 'Christmas Bling' ...







It nevertheless seemed an appropriate theme for this year's Christmas Cake (which it looks like we'll be eating well into the New Year!):

Back to the Future

Another Snow Cat this time an actual one, padding its way through our overnight snow.  

Another 'snow day' at home as well (although did have 'work' with me to do, having planned ahead based on the weather forecast yesterday).

Did take a break from 'work' work to clear enough snow to get the car back up the drive, as the snow had already begun to compact where Martin had driven out on his way to work this morning.

It took a bit of shovelling, but it's all gritted now so hopefully should be ok.  It does look rather look like someone took a certain DeLorean down our drive though!

Wind and Rain and Ice and Snow

November this year had it all - well for the time of year anyway:

The cold spell is continuing into December, although here on the coast of West Wales we haven't suffered from anything like the snowfall that Scotland and the North of England have seen.  Although at the time of writing more is expected, and we may yet get that White Christmas!

Butterfly!

Mystery solved - finally got a picture with wings open:

Think it's a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly - I've since lost it again (assume it's found a nice warm dark corner to hole up in!).

Snow CAT

Had a trip out today to the Centre of Alternative Technology (CAT) which was hosting a Christmas Fair (and free entry as a bonus!).


Although the rain was busily washing away much of our snow, CAT had benefited from a heavy snowfall yesterday, and there was still a good deal of ice and snow underfoot.  As such it wasn't really the day for looking round.



Managed a walk round some of the 'displays' anyway - including the subterranean 'Mole Hole' - and were greeted wherever we went by some very friendly robins.  Unfortunately they weren't very good at standing still.

The Christmas Fair itself had some good stalls (although some stall-holders hadn't made it thanks to the weather) - got some locally milled wheat flour to make some bread, and this stoneware bunny (or given the size of its ears, maybe a hare) caught my eye . . .




Did eventually get one decent robin shot as well:

Keeping Warm

We're not the only ones staying indoors keeping warm in the current cold snap - the plant in one corner of the front room is currently playing host to a member of the Lepidoptera order:

Only seen it with its wings closed so not sure if we're talking moth or butterfly - hopefully will provide identification in due course - unless someone else has any ideas?

Icily Does It . . .

We haven't seen anything much in the way of snow in the rest of November, but it's remained really cold and icy.  The weekend was all freezing sunshine - and frozen garden.  The birds are really appreciating the bird feeders at the moment - peanuts, sunflower hearts, and fat balls are all going down well.


We don't see many starlings however, despite Aber being a bit of a starling hotspot - did catch one in the back garden at the weekend though, posing nicely with a daylit moon in the background:

Snow Day

I think that's what they call them - in places that really have the kind of snow that means people can't go anywhere - snow days . . .  Had a snow 'half-day' today.  This was the scene at 10.49am this morning, it did stop snowing by dinnertime, but came home anyway, while the going was good!

Didn't actually snow much this afternoon, but it is freezing (which just makes the snowy roads more treacherous).  Nice misty evening views across the valley:

And now we have heating again*, we can take the time to appreciate it!

* We've had a couple of weeks of intermittent heating - came back from a couple of days away on Monday 15 November to find that our oil-fired boiler was broke (kept blowing fuses on the control panel) - managed to get a heating engineer to come out on Thursday 18, he fitted a new control box and solenoid and we had heat again - all was well until Sunday 21 when the boiler repeatedly 'locked out' - had a boiler service booked for Thursday 25 anyway so made do with our plug-in radiators until then - Thursday 25 the engineer replaced the oil pump, but it still wouldn't work - later that day though we had a phone call from the engineer to say he'd realised he hadn't fitted it properly - back today, all fixed, heat!  Hoping it lasts this time!

Parsnip Crisps

Tried something new today - baked thin slices of parsnip in the rayburn - hey presto:

Parsnip crisps!  Might try potato next.

Close Up and Personal!

  . . . and so cute!

Winterfylleth

Time for another weather update - October, or Winterfylleth as the Anglo-Saxons apparently called it, is supposed to mark the beginning of Winter.  Apart from one day though it hasn't actually gotten that cold yet . . .

The beginning of November is also still quite warm at the moment - unfortunately we appear to be replicating last year's drenching and Bonfire Night is promising to be something of a damp squib!

Bat Cam!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Bird Cam

At least these ones are a little more recognisable:

October Garden

Been putting the garden in order this month - the hedges have been given their winter trim; the grass has been cut (hopefully for the last time this year); the hardy geranium has been given its annual decimation (needless to say it will be back!); and the veg plots have been emptied, weeded and dug, and partially replanted with winter onions.


One major change - we've taken out the small thin pine tree in the central bed of the back garden (picture in situ on the left) - it was blocking the view down the garden, and looking a little on the straggly side.  Got a bit of wood out of it anyway.






Finally we put in a few primroses, winter pansies and violas out front to fill the gaps left by the geraniums.  Still got some weeding and cutting back to do - and the fruit cage needs some work, but might wait until it's died back naturally with the cold weather.

First Frosty Day

Today was the first frosty day of the Autumn / Winter - and a beautifully sunny one at that.  Couldn't resist taking my new camera on the walk into work, although it did mean I took rather a long time to get there!

Keeping the Rain Out!

We'd known for a while that the flat roof over the utility / shower room needed some attention (see left), and finally got around to sorting out some quotes for a new roof this summer.


Having decided on a 'polyroof' system, that comes with a 20 year guarantee, we had to wait a while for the right combination of weather and builder availability, but it finally all came together this week.

The new roof deck . . .

The builders stripped off the old roof, which as it turned out was soaking wet and partially rotten - there was also a distinct lack of insulation, which goes some way to explaining why the shower room gets so cold in the winter!

. . .  with a coat of glass fibre.

New insulation was packed into the roof space, which will hopefully make everything much warmer now.  A new roofing deck of exterior plywood fitted, and then this was topped with layers of glass fibre.




Finally a weatherproof topcoat, and some new lead flashing, and now it all looks very smart - and more importantly is hopefully equally good at keeping the rain out!

September's Weather Update

As you may have gathered, we were away for nearly two weeks in September, so the data for the 13th - 24th isn't actually based on experience. We did start our own weather blog based on the data from our weather station - but with a British Atmospheric Data Centre Radar Facility generating professional data just over the road, we felt a little outclassed!

Anyway here's the rundown  - a bit of a mixed bag - we did have much nicer weather in South West England!

West Country Wanderings

Mid-September and we finally had our first 'going-away' holiday since we moved in 2008.  The weather was kind and we had a great tour of the West Country:

Exotic plants in the gardens of St Michael's Mount.
Many more of course at the Eden Project.  

The path up to Glastonbury Tor.
Stained glass at Montacute House.

A la Ronde with its diamond windows.
 More stained glass from Killerton House.

St. Ives as the evening draws in.

Alice in Wonderland scarecrows at Knightshayes Court.
The Dream Garden at Dunster Castle.

Gates and gardens and Castle Drogo. Lobster pots at Boscastle.

On the Vine

Just picked our first couple of bunches of grapes from the small greenhouse - both bunches and grapes are a little on the small side, but not bad for a first crop. They've ripened nicely as well, but while sweet enough, they are a bit more pip and skin than anything else.  We'll have to see what we get next year, and perhaps try a spot of wine-making in due course.

Courgette Recipes Please!

Our courgette crop this year has been practically non-existent, but luckily Martin's sister has been able to keep us well supplied.  Her courgettes have tended to be a little on the large side mind you - more like marrows - and today's offering has left me feeling rather daunted:

[The egg is for scale - the red thing is our first 'ripe' Scotch Bonnet chilli, which I'm also somewhat apprehensive of despite its small size!]

If anybody has any good courgette recipes, would be glad of suggestions . . .

Update: found a good use for overgrown courgettes on Twitter (thanks Amanda!) - apparently they are just the thing for scaring off your charging black bear - I guess I could try throwing it at a marauding bunny . . .

Little Green Apples

Harvested our first crop of apples this month - 12 eaters and 9 cookers - the eaters (Jonagold) were surprisingly much greener than the cookers (lost the label and can't remember the variety!).  Not sure whether the eaters were quite ready - most were a good size, but they were a bit 'tart' still.


The cookers were bigger and rosier - we stewed up the bruised / bird-pecked examples - and have some set aside for future apple pie!

**Security Camera Motion Detected**

Hmmm . . .

Awst Tywydd *

Well it wasn't the best of months August - the sunny bits were overshadowed by the cloudy and rainy ones for the most part, and it remained quite cool for the time of year:

Hoping for that September 'Indian Summer' . . .

* August Weather in Welsh

Rosebud to Rose

 

I planted a climbing rose on the trellis arch into the garden last year - I can't say it has exactly thrived, as much of its growth has been choked back by the clematis, which has really taken over.  But this year, finally, it put out a rosebud . . . and now we have a perfect rose:

Greenhouse, Green Tomatoes

Faced up to the fact that the tomatoes weren't going anywhere - the majority were rotting on the vine rather than ripening - so we cleared them all out of the big greenhouse this evening.  Left the cucumbers in situ - and the trestle has gone back in for onion drying purposes during the day (unfortunately can't leave them in there overnight as they may well sweat under glass in the cooler night air).

Did manage to 'rescue' a fair number of green tomatoes that hadn't gone over yet - pictured here on the windowsill (next to our newly fitted windows*).  They've all been rinsed, and once they've dried properly, we'll consign them to a box or something to ripen them properly before they make the sauce pot.




*We've just had the rest of the windows done - we had some replaced last year when the porch was fitted - so we've now got a matched set.  The new windows also have much better double-glazing, so hopefully we won't get quite so much condensation in the coming months!

Bank Holiday Bonanza

Bank Holiday Monday was harvest day for at least some of our two major crops . . .

Firstly the onions - some were mega-specimens (like this one) - others that had been rather shaded didn't grow that big at all.  We did however harvest a fair quantity - here seen drying in the sun:







Next up - the potatoes - which I rather thought had 'blight'.





I'm informed however, that they do actually also 'die-back' in this way, so the yellow stalks and dried brown leaves weren't necessarily signs of anything very dire . . .

Had already started digging them up by then, so decided to lift half the plot, and leave the rest for now - even so this yielded an unfeasibly large quantity of potatoes!

We've stored some of the better specimens in a dark cool place, but the majority (which seem to have the rather unpalatable sounding common scab) are being peeled, turned into mash, and frozen.