Meanwhile, A Trip to the Tip!

Hello Friends!

Goodness, it's been three weeks, most of which have been utterly glorious Summery weather, since I last wrote. If we have had the odd rainy day then it's gone mostly unnoticed, blanketed by blue skies and warm sunshine, and lazy ocean breezes billowing gently across sun baked hay meadows and ripening corn fields.

Welcome to my new followers! Thank you, and I am thrilled you now follow my ramblings.

I have a little news to share!  I started a new job on July 1st, and this is the reason why I haven't written an entry here for a short while.  I applied and interviewed in June, and shortly after was told I was the successful candidate! Yay Me!!!  It's part time, and that suits me well right now. It's taking a little getting used to, but I do love it.  My official title is Retail Assistant, but it also involves giving out a lot of information on the area to tourists and visitors who are looking for things to do, places to visit, and general things that all tourists need help with. I love helping people, and I simply love it!  Oh, it's with the National Trust, by the way. Many of you will know I am a huge fan of the National Trust, and I know many of you share my passion, so I am doubly happy to have got this job.  I am so grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to work for them.

So, today is a day off and when my lovely neighbour asked if I would like to go to the "tip" with her, I jumped at the chance.  Those of you who know me well know that I can get a little excited over a trip to the tip {officially, it's the Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre} as it brings back such happy memories of going there with my Dad when we had rubbish to take for recycling, and we would always route around to see if there was someone else's unwanted treasure that we could use. I've always been a recycler long before it was fashionable, you see.  Off we went to take away her garden waste, and I could not resist taking photos of all the flowers growing around the centre, they are such a haven for wildlife!  Here are a few.

There was a huge bank of Convolvulus and the pristine white flowers were simply gigantic! It has many names, including bindweed and morning glory, but is generally considered the bane of gardeners and farmers alike as it chokes out everything in its creeping path.  Did you know there are over 1,650 species of Convolvulus?  Neither did I.  I think it is a very beautiful plant.

A hedge full of all sorts of wild flowers, and some that may have seeded from the nearby composting centre

I love umbelliferous plants of any kind. Their flower and seed heads make my heart go pitter patter and the birds will feed happily for many weeks to come.

Teasels in a tiny patch by some giant concrete monoliths. Loved by goldfinches particularly, and also by me to put in dried arrangements for Autumn decorating.

I think this one is having a 1980's style aerobic workout!

Another umbel gone to seed

Such a pretty colour on the sorrel plant. As a child, I would pull all the seeds off in my hand and scatter them like confetti as I walked the country byways with my Nanna. Little did I know my sweet game was spreading the seeds far and wide!

Buddleias abounded everywhere! Butterflies will be in abundance when the sun comes out, for sure.

One of the fun things is finding new treasures from the discarded items others have brought to recycle, and today I found these two, tiny cut glass bowls. I think they may be salt cellars, but whatever they are, they are pretty, vintage pieces that I am happy to give a new home.

Uh oh! As we approach the junction back on to the main road, we suddenly discover we will be stuck behind a tractor pulling a trailer full of hay bales. The joys of Summer in the country!

Soon enough, though, he turns into the farm lane and once again we are on our way!

So, I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the tip!  I am gathering material for more gardening entries, but you will have to bear with me as I adjust to working and I settle down into my new routine.

Until next time
Deborah xo

Abereiddi

Hello Friends!

A few weeks ago, on a warm, sunshiny Autumn afternoon, we visited the pretty Pembrokeshire fishing village of Porthgain.  You may remember a row of cottages, a pub, a post box and a red telephone kiosk, along with some fairly imposing industrial ruins.  Taking the steep climb up some very narrow, often slippery, stone steps alongside those ruins, and then a pleasant stroll along the high clifftops that overlook St George's Channel, brings us to a stretch of National Trust coastline at Abereiddi {English spelling Abereiddy}.

Alternatively, you can approach Abereiddi, as I did, from the other direction, either walking along the coast path, or by car, bicycle, or on the Strumble Shuttle, one of several Coastal Busses routes that service outlying areas to aid walkers returning to their cars.

I did not have long to spend on the beach, but here are some of the photographs I took on that delightful, mid Autumn afternoon.  The sun, noticeably lower in the sky than a few weeks ago, skittered and sparkled off the dark, grey blue water, and although the air was not cold, the water looked very cold indeed.  The edge of the sea lapped, languid and lazily, over the seaweed and smooth, glossy black rocky shore; there were not many people out for such a lovely afternoon. The gentle breeze was barely noticeable, and the afternoon was altogether very pleasant, making me wish I had a picnic to nibble!

The traditional lime washed Pembrokeshire stone cottages are some of the most often sketched and painted in the area.  They are literally yards, probably not even eighty yards, from the beach. A few years ago, you may recall, I wrote about the horrendous and relentless weather systems, endless Winter storms that battered our coastline from November to March.  During that period, the face of Abereiddi was changed forever when the raging waves and massive Spring tides lashed for week after week after week, and eventually the retaining wall for the car park gave way and disappeared into the small bay forever, leaving the beach and car park now, more or less, on the same level and bringing many boulders {since removed} and small stones up onto the car park.

Imagine living in one of those cottages while massive waves and high winds bring the sea closer and closer to your door!

The area is high in slate, originally removed from the now flooded Blue Lagoon {which I did not visit this particular day} and processed at Porthgain. It means the sand on the beach is black, and if you ever swim here {as I have done} you emerge like something from a B Grade horror movie, covered from head to toe in a fine, dark grey gritty dust. Lovely! You don't see many people swimming here because of that, but my friend and I just had to do it, simply because we could! And we were young. And foolish!

For the thrill seekers out there {I am not!} the Blue Lagoon is home to one of the events on the diary of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championships.

Along and over the top, a pleasant, two mile stroll will bring you to Porthgain

Traditional Pembrokeshire stone cottage, complete with television and all mod cons!

The red lime wash would, originally, have been coloured with ox blood

All that remains of a once eight foot high barrier between beach and car park

An artist has been at work!

A typical slate, full of fossils, which abound at Abereiddi

Finally, a dear little robin stopped by to say 'hello!' obligingly sitting for a few moments to have his photo taken ~~~

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah