Dam grass.

Yes today I have been working on the bottom dam and also cutting the grass. 

But much more exciting is that the kingfisher is back. He must have heard that we have visitors coming!

Taken from the bedroom window. 

Catching up....

There have been several days when nothing got done, partly because of visitors and partly because of the weather. When James was here at the weekend we took him for a nice long walk up onto to the Mallaen. 

Today has been a day of dodging rain showers so workshop jobs and garden jobs.

The hedge trimmer had sheared a cylinder head bolt and I had to dismantle the thing to replace it. 

Amazingly it worked again after I had put it all back together and there were no odd bits left over!

I have been planting greenhouse-grown wild flowers in the meadow...

and buddleia and willows down in the waste ground

Boys and their rather lovely toys.

James is here!

Meanwhile in the veg garden......

Onion harvest. 

And the butter nuts are doing well....

Summer-time.

Miss Summer Celeste Magdalena Hilton. 

We made a quick drive to Stone to see Abbi and Carl's new addition. P

Blogging about logging.

Today I sawed up the remains of the larch and shredded all the branches. 

This is the very top of the tree going through the shredder. 

It seems that a big larch doesn't amount to a hill of logs. 

Putting on women's clothing and hanging around in bars.....

Today I was a lumberjack. Well, more of a lumberjack's assistant. Our neighbour volunteered to help take down a larch that was a problem at Glyncoed. It was fourteen years old and over thirty feet high and it was growing out of the bank above the kitchen. It was better to take it down than to have it fall on the house. 

Ddoe ein bod yn mynd i'r eisteddfod

Come on people keep up. That's Welsh for " yesterday we went to the Eisteddfod. "

We went on the coach from Llandovery and spent a glorious day walking round exhibitions reflecting every aspect of life in Wales. We saw a singing competition in the pink marquee and also saw the Chairing of the Bard, when a the person who has won the poetry competition is welcomed on stage and ceremonially seated in a chair made specially for this year's Eisteddfod. 

and it all took place just a few feet from the sea front. 

What a day....

Only half a day as we were on duty at Bore Coffi this morning. 

The sweet peas are trying to leave home

The Virginia creeper is doing a good job of covering the garage

And we have pumpkins in the pumpkin patch!

 

Nearly done....

All the work at Glyncoed is done, just the house cleaning to do and felling a larch in the back garden which is threatening to jump off the bank!

Tiling not tilling.

We decided to tile the bathroom at Glyncoed instead of vinyl. 

(Tilling as in tilling the soil )

Ahhhhhhh.........

Sorry, just having a gin and tonic moment. 

The tenants have moved out of Glyncoed so there have been a few days of patching and repairing. Fortunately they left it in a fairly good state, apart from the cooker, so it is mainly minor jobs. I have painted the kitchen as the previous tenants had painted two wall mushroom and left the other walls cream so it was earlier to paint the whole thing white. 

We are also going to replace the Lino in the bathroom.

Tatty time.

I have dug up the potatoes as the tops had turned. Quite a good crop but I must find out how to reduce/prevent scab. 

Back to the garden.

Tidying up in the garden. 

The lupins are getting ready for their second flowering after being cut back. 

The spear plants in the ponds have masses of flowers this year....

..despite the fact that the spring has nearly dried up. 

The newest fruit trees are beginning to bear fruit. 

Elsie in her new home.

Caravan pitch.

Just waiting for the caravan now.