busy Monday

Monday was supposed to be up and at it, getting in the workshop asap....
housework intervened. Putting away the crockery from the dishwasher that The Carpenter filled and drying all the washing he did (YAY!!!). It was a chilly wind, but it dried well.

Moving the empty jars and bottles that await preserves and cordials onto a high shelf in the workshop.
Defrosting one freezerand organising the contents of both, now the smaller is just fruit/juice and the one in the kitchen has veggies and meals ready to be used. I portioned out nine helpings of the curry I made and froze that in shallow "take away" boxes-they fit well in the freezer and take less time to defrost. Thus removing a justification for getting a microwave oven!

A bit of cleaning then it was lunchtime already!!

I had a good workshop session in the afternoon, from two till gone half past six!
Small lidded boxes thrown, with some spare lids, and all eight storage jars finished and the lids turned and knobbed. The dozen salt pots are wrapped in clingfilm, ready to be turned and be-knobbed!

Then it was evening out!!
A small bag of hot fresh chips from the village chip shop cum cafe and I was off! I met The Carpenter on his way into the village and a few chips were welcome after a twenty mile bike commute. Another mile and the second village on, and I arrived at the Crosskeys Rugby Club for the Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society meeting.

The main focus of the society is the iron age fort of Twmbarlwm, but we are concerned for the state of the whole common and mountains that Col loved so much. I wish they had talked to him when they first started. They are finding many old farms, barns and buildings that he could have told them the names and uses and who lived where. There are still some people around that can help, thankfully. The society works with the landowners , the Commoners and other local societies too.

I was glad to have a lift home as it had turned cold, and happy to arrive as The Carpenter was dishing up supper!!

walk, Twmbarlwm and Cefn Rhyswg.

A fine sculpture of a heron, just along the path from the Forest Drive visitor centre
Pity about the flower beds!

Along the lake


and up by the stream
to the bottom of the path which goes straight up ...


and up....

to Pegwn y Bwlch (top of the pass) where the chainsaw sculpture stands (no, not a portrait of Himself!)

The Raven from the book, The Mabinogii

and we are at the foot of Twmbarlwm

still more up....



to the fort


looking West and seeing fine rain coming in


and over Newport and the River Severn
Trig point, with grid reference
looking along the main twmp to the separate smaller twmp at the far end

Then looking down from the small twmp along the route I'll follow, straight ahead then round to the left near the skyline

I saw the same group of ponies again. I wonder where all the other mares yearlings and foals are?


just where I rounded the forest and started going left. Then I followed the track which goes off to the left, halfway along.
Instead of going back down towards Rhyswg Fach, which I'd planned in case of heavier rain, I followed the track across Cefn Rhyswg towards Hafod Owen and turned left at the crossroads to follow the lower track to the mountain gate.


Along this track I met two members of Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society, who are aiming to research,restore and protect Gwent's most iconic landmark. Such a pity that they never met Col, as he worked towards protecting the whole Common.
You can see them at www.twmbarlwm.co.uk

Looking down Cwm Gwyddon towards Abercarn, and Llanfach to its right hand side


Looking back over the Common from the Mountain Gate


The sheep folds, above, and below, a wall by Rhyswg Ganol


The old road home
trees that were once a hedge
Then back past Col's stables on Rhyswg Fawr Farm fields and down the old road past the back of Rhyswg Fawr farmhouse and on down to enter Cwmcarn by Maes Derwen, the house built for the coal mine manager in Cwmcarn, where Col's grandfather moved to in the early 1930s.

Back to my house with a pair of well used feet- I'll need new walking shoes soon!

I didn't need my waxed jacket, thankfully, and the fine rain stopped me from overheating.