At last....

I'm getting worse at this I know. I can't make the excuse of no time really because I could've done it last night, Monday night, and anytime since about 5pm today. Just can't be bothered I suppose. It was easier when I was doing it every day, but once it gets to be a week between posts, and I have to stop and think what I've done, it just becomes a chore and not a pleasure. So many things happen in the course of a week, some interesting to me, some trivial, but I feel I want to record them here because I like to look back from time to time and think, ah yes, I did so and so then. Well after all that waffle I suppose I'd best put something down then.

Okay, so I have just finished a 12 trip stint at the farm (6 days) was great as always, lots happened, Alan helped with 5 of those over the weekend and we had fun with the dogs, with some stray sheep from the other farmers fields, with some new kittens which have appeared from the feral cat, Kate is not amused! Without a doubt though of all the times I have worked up at the farm over the course of the last year, this time was the worst weather I've encountered. It's been crap on the whole, rain, wind, cold, apart from a couple of early mornings when I could manage with just a sweatshirt, otherwise it's been wellies and wax coats, hood up and still getting soaking legs. Have had to light my fire at home one night, now out of logs, and I've now resorted to putting on the night storage heater in the hall, unheard of before in July.

Apart from the norm of shopping, housework and bird feeding, the nicest thing I've done since last blog was on Sunday, when Alan and I had a day out between the farm shifts, at the Teifi Valley Steam Railway. (http://www.teifivalleyrailway.com/Events.htm) We were lucky with the weather, despite the forecast being lousy, it wasn't too bad, had sun for much of the day. The railway is run and maintained by volunteers, and the journey takes about 20 minutes each way, with a turn around wait of about 5 minutes whilst the engine shunts down the track away to pull us back instead of push (apparently it's illegal to push carriages whilst passengers are on board, so we all had to get off, learned something new there) We had a lovely lunch in the cafe there, sitting outside with Emma, the cafe is run by two nice ladies who do all their own cooking and buy local produce. I had a nice ploughmans and salad which had some delicious chutney with it and found out that one of the ladies makes it, it was Banana and Date so bought a jar, and also some Apricot. Absolutely yummy. We had our trip on the train, Emma petrified at first but was okay once she was sitting on my lap. We got back to the cafe and had tea and cakes, and then went on again, but this time disembarked at one of the stations on the way back, and we could walk back through beautiful woodlands with a gorge and waterfall, takes about 20 minutes to walk. Was a lovely day out. Oh, and btw, the name of the station is pronounced Pont-pren-sitoo!

Yesterday I took Emma to see Damien again. Her allergies are really bad at present, she's scratching like mad, eyes running and coughing. I'm fed up with paying out so much money for the vaccine she has to have and obviously there are other things that she isn't immunised against, so wanted to ask Damien if she can be tested for the pollens that are prevalent from May to September when she is at her worst, and then they can be added to her vaccine for the next batch. The stuff in question seems to be Dock and nettle. Up at the farm the fields are full of dock, and Emma has been much worse since we've been walking up there. He is going to get in touch with the people in Holland to see if this will be possible and get back to me. If I don't hear from him by next Tuesday, I have to go and see him after surgery, so I have a date with him at last.... if only.... He was bloody drop dead gorgeous again yesterday, I was only kidding myself last time I think that I don't fancy him any more. Oh dear. Oh well, I can still dream. Won't get me anywhere but still, lol.

A few photos to post so will call that it I guess. Can't think of much else to report except still have at least four hogs coming to feed, no sign of Squirt anymore sadly, but Cass and Jack every night, plus two unmarked ones. Mice still scampering around in the shed. Bloody sparrowhawk killing lots of things in my garden, seem to be forever chasing it away, but it had a collared dove yesterday by the looks of things, loads of feathers up by the bird table. It's had a couple of blue tits too. Grrrrr.

And finally, please when is it going to be summer? It's cold, grey, pissing with rain, and I am so, so fed up with it now. :o(


Emma on the first journey on my lap




Emma on the return, enjoying the scenery