Coast and Castles

End of May holidays, leading in to the Jubilee weekend - enjoyed a few sunny days away in South Wales.

Visited castles:

Carreg Cennen with its dramatic setting built over a natural cave you can actually venture down into (we went a fair way down but were worried that the battery on the phone we were using to light our path would give out, so turned round after a bit - will have to go back with a proper torch!).

Weobley Castle, with stunning views out onto the Gower peninsula.

Chepstow Castle, perched over the banks of the river Wye - didn't have much time here, and the castle is huge - one to return to . . .

You can also see Tintern Abbey pictured - we stayed in Tintern but didn't actually visit the Abbey on this occasion (had been before), although we got some fantastic views of it from the Devil's Pulpit viewpoint on the hillside above.

Walked part of the Gower coast, round Rhossili Bay and out past Worm's Head - more stunning views:

Rounded off our trip with a visit to Tredegar House in Newport, recently taken over by the National Trust on a 50 year lease.  Lovely house (the dining room looked stunning dressed for a C17th wedding banquet), and fascinating tour of the upstairs 1930s rooms, with tales of the eccentricities of Evan Morgan, 2nd Viscount Tredegar.

Slightly surprised to find a dalek lurking in the stables mind you - although it was only a model, not the 'real' thing! - perhaps a reflection of the BBC's  frequent use of the property in recent years as a set for various Dr Who episodes . . .

Peas Please!

Have thus far failed to replicate the success of the pea harvest in our first year (2008).

In 2009 a lot of them didn't even get started (eaten at the off-go we think - probably mice), and in 2010 the 'nursery gutter' approach didn't really work, although we did end up with reasonable growth from later planting, the mice started on the pods and we lost a lot, plus they didn't really swell.

Didn't bother in 2011!

So for 2012 we're implementing a new strategy:

1. Soak and pre-sprout (in order to spread the harvest a little we've done this in two tranches - the first lot c. 23 April, the second c. 22 May).






2. Pot up the sprouted peas into half a toilet roll half filled with compost - cover with compost to the top and keep well-watered - initially these were brought on in the greenhouse.






3.  Wait till the seedlings are up, and a good couple of inches or more high, before planting in cropping position - our first tranche went out on 20 May - further updates on progress to follow!

Bird Watching

Took a trip out to Ynys-hir on Sunday, joined the RSPB, and had a nice (slightly muddy) walk in the wind and sun, round by the coast, through open meadows and along woodland paths.

Saw lots of canada geese (with chicks), a heron or two, and some mallards - put a pheasant to flight on our wanderings - and had a redstart pointed out to us by some slightly more dedicated birdwatchers!


While we didn't get any pictures of the birds at Ynys-hir,  back at home 'garage-cam' has had a busy couple of months or so . . .

 

We've seen flaring wings, formation flying, and of course the mid-air 'hangers' - only a couple where I'm not sure of the species - the swallows are already stepping up the action, so expect more dramatic swooping pictures in due course . . .

Garden Update

Haven't said much about the garden recently - so time for an update on progress:

14 / 15 April - started on veg plots - dug over the small plot, and planted out the broad beans we'd been given -  then the potatoes (some in pots).

23 April - dug over the large veg plot - planted more potatoes and the red onion sets.

12 / 13 May - prepped greenhouses - put weed control fabric down in the larger one and planted it up with main crop tomatoes (cherry varieties have gone into the smaller greenhouse).

Also planted up one of the raised beds with rather flimsy looking asparagus seedlings (pictured - not sure whether these will survive).


Courgettes and butternut squash have gone into the large veg plot.





That leaves us with aubergines and a few more tomato plants (for outside planting) which are still being brought on in the large greenhouse - and implementation of this year's new and improved 'pea' strategy (more to follow on this).

Dyfi Enduro

This weekend saw Martin take part in his first mountain bike endurance challenge - the Dyfi Enduro - 55km (34 miles)-ish of the "Dyfi forests best hidden trails" starting / finishing in Machynlleth.



Must admit I found the whole thing a little worrying:

(a) It's a looong way, and he hadn't exactly gone out of his way to do much in the way of training;

(b) The day before he was muttering about a dodgy knee;

(c) The FAQs offered this encouraging statement:
What if I fall off? - There will be at least one ambulance in the forest while the event is in progress, and one mobile medic on a quad bike, there will also be first aid staff at the event HQ. Local Hospitals are Machynlleth and Aberystwyth. If you see an injured rider, once you have stolen his food & tubes,  please inform the next event marshal you see.

It seems I was fussing unnecessarily however, as he made it back - 5 hours 13 minutes and 29 seconds later - in one piece, if a little muddy.

Although,the leaders (super-fit nutters pros) were coming in after only 2 hours 30 minutes!


His first reaction was 'not doing that again' - tales of hair-raising descents with deep ruts and huge puddles - plus the fact that one of the four people he'd set off with had taken a nasty tumble (dislocating a shoulder, breaking a finger, and cracking some ribs).

In retrospect of course he's now thinking about the next event, the 'room for improvement' on his 352nd place out of the 508 people who finished his route (the first 250 or so were sent round a slightly longer and even more arduous course) and the free flapjack (best ever apparently)!