walk near Talybont

escape!

 looking one way at sunset last Wednesday

 and the other.....then on our way in the morning at 7 degrees C....

 dogsitting...

 well, 2 dogs, 6 cats, 9 chooks and 5 ducks....

 and meeting The Carpenter's Woodchip for the first time at 2 weeks old...

she is a sweetie...apart from being nocturnal and having a mind of her own!!!! (and is willing to let all know!)

Now we are staying with more family....and go to England to see some of Pirate's family...and back home....
The car has had garage tlc, which will use all our spare money...

something will turn up before we escape to NZ.....hopefully!!

Quilt inspiration..

The Carpenter has requested bright colours...Woodchip will be getting a cot quilt like her father...and I think I may have found the pattern..I bought the fabric today

weather and life...

 we were glad to be riding indoors...

 rainbows can be deceptive...when followed by heavy hail and snow showers!

we did see the supermoon however, last Monday...and Tuesday morning as it set!

Today was more cyclocross helping, near the beach at Irvine. Very cold but good and fast racing. Luckily not too far from home as the car exhaust detached itself at the front just 7 miles from home...lucky too as it was after the fast bits of the journey, as we were going slow,just before a layby.. not too far to drive sounding like a tractor!

Just when we thought we had a little cushion of money for entering events in NZ and doing some travelling there....

from clean bikes to muddy ones...

 Sunday morning started colourful in Drongan

 but soon went grey even before we got to Glasgow

 and followed the motorway past the Falkirk mermaid on our way to Dunfermline

 where it was muddy

 and got even wetter and muddier by the senior race...

 we were being pit crew with a spare bike and water and brush...every other lap or so our rider changed bike for a clean one...

and this is some wood on the outside of the building..Fife College provided the race HQ.

A long day, 160 miles travelling, but good to see and help friends

Scottish National Track Champs

 150 riders....chief commissaire (judge)...on his podium to see all...

 and the lapboard man busy with the pursuit..

 Pirate pushing off the man in red for his sprint match..

a lap to go..then he won...

The result sheet for my event, the Womens open (18 yrs plus) 500m TT
I'm near the bottom of the list but not last!! (despite being the oldest) .

The best time I'd done all year in competition...and one more race next weekend.

Still lacking a bit in enthusiasm and get up and go, but not doing too bad.

politics

I found this on Fresca's blog...another she reads.

http://www.leewind.org/2016/11/dear-president-elect-trump-you-used-to.html

politicians are supposed to work for us.......




That's enough politics...there is more than enough elsewhere!

Celebrations and Insulations

 This is the view yesterday morning from the bedroom where our turbo trainers sit...snow less than two miles away and less than 100 foot higher...

and last night we were celebrating the birth of the Carpenter and his Lady's daughter...a woodchip off the block?!

Today we are putting up a curtain pole for the curtain to keep the front door's cold air out of the house.  Then window film secondary "glazing" as we get the plastic frames dry enough for the tape to stick.

The joys of a rental....but at least we have it cheap on the premise that we do the DiY and keep the front lawn tidy.

Herald Moth

car wash...we're not in England.....

Car Wash in Hamilton....

Ayr bridges

weekend in Abergavenny

Dogwalking, gardening, foraging, relaxing with friends.
A little racing on the velodrome at Newport as we were near.
Collecting furniture and pottery things that have been in store for a year.
Visiting family...the Carpenter and family with an addition due in just over a week..and the Pirate's daughter and family in Bristol, before heading off on the long road home. Nearly 1000 miles done!