Stained Glass and Cut Grass

Hello Friends!

I plucked up courage and went inside a church this week for the first time in over 14 months.  You will be shocked that it was not the Cathedral, I'm sure, but I have my reasons, and it was all very carefully planned.

As some of you know, I recently lost a very dear friend, suddenly and unexpectedly.  We had no warning, no time to say goodbye.  She had been on my mind for a few days and I'd been meaning to phone her, but I didn't and now it's too late.   I wanted to light a candle for her, which is something I do on times such as this, and especially as I cannot attend her funeral.  As I say, it was carefully planned, yet despite the planning I still panicked when I got there.

The walk down was delightful, it makes me want to sing out loud {I assure you that this would not be a good thing, so I restrained myself}; not too hot; a perfect blue sky; calm with a gentle spring breeze and enough sway for the Cow Parsley and grasses to dance delightfully in tune with my steps.  Every step I put in front of the other was made with a grateful heart full of joy in honour of a beautiful day, and remembering my friend who enjoyed this part of the world so much.  We've been blessed with some delightful weather of late, if a trifle cold, but hatches are battened for the coming days which bring change.

The reason I picked the Chapel of Our Lady and Saint Non, which sits on a high clifftop, overlooking Saint Bride's Bay and the wild Atlantic Ocean is that it would, hopefully, be much less busy than the more popular Cathedral, and right now the Cathedral is operating on a timed ticket only entry system.  I did not want to take up an entry slot just to light a candle.  That seemed a little selfish to do.

This chapel was built in 1934 and stands in the grounds of Saint Non's Retreat.

I left my cottage early, purposely to make an attempt to avoid too many other people.  I encountered a couple of coast path walkers who turned right on to the coast path, not headed the same way I was headed, so I was okay!  

I arrived to find the door slightly ajar, and I put on my mask, as required, and gelled my hands with sanitiser.  It is all arranged inside in accordance with current guidelines. I brought my own matches from home to avoid touching their lighter, and I lit the candle carefully, as alcohol based hand sanitiser is flammable!  

As I was on my own, I took the opportunity to take a few photos; they are not brilliant as they're on my phone, and by now I was starting to panic a bit.  I noticed a small card on the altar, it contained a prayer for our deliverance from the Pandemic.  I stood by the altar and read it aloud.

The stained glass over the altar did not come out, but it shows Saint Non.

The four windows are of:

Saint Bride

Saint Winifred

Saint Brynach

Saint David

As you emerge from the dark interior, you are greeted by the most magnificent view of the coastline, facing south and west.  You get an idea of how near the coast path this precious little chapel sits.

Before heading home, a last look back at the Chapel

Near the {open, no touching needed} gate, the ox eye daisies flower in grand profusion. 

and further along, on the flat edge of the path, are spikes of pennywort, which I've never seen on the ground, only growing up a wall.

My heart leaped with joy when I spotted my first flowering foxglove spike of the year, but sadly there was a group of breakfast picnickers sitting just a little bit too close to it for me to get a photo.  Still, it brings hope that soon more will follow!

The fields that line the road are no longer the lush, verdant green of recent weeks, rather they are now the colour of pale, golden straw, for they have been mowed in the last day or two for a cut of silage.

Until next time

Stay Safe, Stay Well

When The Rains Stopped

Hello Friends!

Well, it rained; and it rained; and it rained; and it rained. Then it rained some more, but this morning after what seemed a monsoon season long wet weather system, and certainly not anything like June is supposed to be, I awoke to glorious sunshine peeping through my curtains from a bright world rejoicing as the sun glinted and danced around the pristine, freshly washed land.

Today is so beautiful; the temperature is pleasantly warm; the breeze is as gentle as a butterfly's wings beating; the sky is oh! so blue behind the cotton puffed sky; the sea is calm and gently laps the shore.

I had to get out of my cottage. After days of being stuck indoors while the deluge deluged down from above Cabin Fever was setting in. Off I set, turning left at the bottom of the road, and off into the byways and country paths that surround my cottage I strode.

Like Bilbo Baggins, I went out of my front door on an adventure.

A Hobbit walking song is a good idea!

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though we pass them by today,

Tomorrow we may come this way

And take the hidden paths that run

Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

taken from one of JRR Tolkien's poems.

I have not been out on the coast path for a few years, and this morning when I set out it was not my intention to do so as I went walking past horses and cows in the meadows 

with the music of the wild to accompany me as I sought out butterflies and bees going about their business, making honey while the sun shines brightly

Fox Moth

Painted Lady

I have tried to correctly identify, but if you know better, please leave a note in the comments!

On I wandered, following the road as it meandered through the fields, as it narrowed, and passing by some tempting little paths that I mark to return another day

So on and on I went, eventually arriving at the coast. Oh! how magnificent it looked this morning in the pre midday rising sun!

The sea so blue, so calm; the sky so big, so bold, so blue, so puffy cloud strewn and bright! The land in countless shades of green and cliffs in many hues of richest brown.  Clear as the eye can see to the wide, adventurous horizon.

Does it matter which way you turn, which way you look? I don't think it does, do you? It is all majestic in it's splendour.  I stood, I turned, I drank deep draughts of salt sea air, fresh and cool, refreshing, restoring, traveling deep into my being.

The tide is low, far out, and rock pools and caves exposed, for we are on a big Spring Tide cycle right now. How fun to explore the shallows and the nooks and crannies along the rocky shore?

I have seen many repurposing uses for the old GPO red telephone boxes, but this one is a new use to me! A doggie comfort station! How quaint; how sweet; how thoughtful indeed!

Returning to the village, I see yet another view to make me gasp, out across the Cross Square, over the rolling meadows where sheep do safely graze, and away to the vast and distant ocean.

Oh, I took many, many more photos, but they are keeping for another day!

Until next time
Deborah xo

Mid Autumn Catch Up

Hello Friends!

That most delicious time of year is upon my corner of the Shire once again. You know of what I speak ~~~ Autumn, my most favoured time of year, and now nearly half way through. So much has happened since I last wrote, so today I'll quickly share a few of my recent photographs as there is really far too much to recap. I can scarce believe it is a month and then some since I last journalled here ~~~ I have been sidetracked but manage today to share some photographs taken two weeks ago, although my words are sparse today ~~~

Summer passed us by again, and I know many of you are quite envious of the cooler weather that meant I have had the heating on at some point most days through July while you and your ice creams melted in the sweltering, scorching sun. Of course, I've now got the heating bill to prove it! A few weeks ago, we actually broke through the 70 degree barrier! It came as a shock to the system, three whole days in a row of 80 degrees and higher, but then we dropped back to our typical mid~60's.

The light at this time of year takes on a quality of gentle softness as the sun slips slowly lower in the sky with each passing day.  I do not get out as much as I would like, but when I do, you know my camera goes too, so here are some, quite a few, photographs I've taken when I've had the chance to go for a walk along the highways and byways surrounding my home ~~~

A well camouflaged trout in the shallows

high in the horse chestnut tree sit unripened conkers waiting to fall

the view from Pen Lan across the valley to the village

I think he might be stuck ~ he's torn up the road for sure!

So lush and verdant it almost looks like a tropical valley

down the hill and into the valley below

so little rain, the stream is nearly dry

gulls paddling on the seashore's edge

old stone cottages with traditional lime wash bask in late autumn sunshine

the cathedral tower rising up from it's hiding place in the hidden valley

a macro photo of sycamore "helicopters" with a tiny spider

a sprig of helicopters waiting to fly

horse chestnut leaf 

a magical new addition to the once ordinary railings at the Bishop's Palace

beautiful details

I love these magical mushrooms

cathedral view

a row of pretty traditional stone cottages

if the folk lore holds true, red berries signal a hard winter ahead

a calm and shady spot along the stream

sweet chestnuts fall along the wayside

I'm sure the squirrels will be along soon

looking out across the coast to the south west

a medieval chapel in ruins in an ancient field 

a tanker, like a ghost ship, sits across the misty bay

all the way down at Fulmar Cove

ruined medieval chapel

I often sit on the Welsh~American slate seat and think of my friends Across The Pond

A big old beetle scurries across the path to the cool shelter of the grassy verge

Blackberries ripen on the vines

Nature's sculptures ~ trees carved into shape by the prevailing west winds

So, dear friends, thank you for coming with me, I have enjoyed your company on our happy little stroll through the sunny byways and lanes ~ wasn't it fun? It is getting colder now each day and October is nearly spent ~ my gloves and scarves are waiting in the wings {there is always room for one more lovely scarf and pair of gloves?} Next time we'll bring along a Thermos of hot chocolate and a biscuit to nibble. My autumn decorations are up, the special favourite mugs are now in use, and hot chocolate is back on the hot drinks list in my kitchen.  I always put a tiny pinch of chilli powder in my hot chocolate, just to give it a little kick, they do compliment each other so very well.

Until next time
~~~Deborah xoxo