gallivanting (3)

and last but not least, a door made by The Carpenter, in the National History Museum of Wales, St Ffagan,near Cardiff when he was 15.

gallivanting (2)

The journey last Monday was fun, and got gradually warmer (relatively speaking) as I headed Westwards across Mid Wales. I still didn't feel like adventuring out of the warm car!
There was some stunningly beautiful countryside, but so often where you can stop is a way from where you want to photograph. Even if you walk back, if it is safe, the light that you saw has gone, the mood has changed.

Hedges are still being laid and cut, late because of the snow. Trees are being harvested and where once was a dark green hillside now shows a swathe of brown with tree trunks like so many discarded matchsticks.
Two days later I had a trip a little further North.
I'm glad I hadn't been able to go that way the day before! (where I was to stay,and the other place I normally would have found a bed were both not available)
Next time I'll make it!!
This is at Bwlch yr Oerddrws - vaguely translates as Pass of the Cold Door!
"door" used to mean the hole, not just the wood in the hole!
Thankyou Imageman. (Daughter's husband).
The combination of Artist and Driver is not always easy- one *should* keep one's eyes on the road!! It was bliss to be able to forget the road and just see and look.

homecoming

I've returned refreshed-but to a house that needs cleaning. Mainly because Mike the Builder has put three new wood double glazed windows in!!

I've been offered more horse manure for the allotment!

The other heap of **** that needs sorting is the government department that is supposed to be paying me the princely sum of £64.30 a week. To quote the government blurb, this is how much you need to live on.....
You sign on the line to say that you are unemployed every fortnight...so I have been since early December. Their computer caught up with the fact that I wasn't sick enough to be "sick" mid January....so no money since then. Apparently I have been dealt with "manually" instead of on the computer system. So no records. Now apparently even THAT doesn't exist.

All this, and you cannot deal with anyone face to face, it is all online or by phone..."yes, I'll e-mail this off straight away, mark it Urgent"- said ten working days ago.

Now will they phone me back this morning as promised?

gallivanting

Time for some time out.

Away from a house that is improving, but still fairly disorganized.

Away from housework.

The ground is still too wet to dig so I don't feel guilty on that front!

I've done a long distance errand for a friend.

I'm in my daughter's house now...not sure where tomorrow!!

The Black Mountains were all white as I drove through and further north in mid Wales little lanes and laybys were full of snow and ice.

busy day

I had a baking morning today, getting bread and bean and vegetable pies ready for when Mountain Man delivered this weeks eggs.

The Wizzard visited, which was nice, and we had lunch together before he took another of his bikes away and went in search of a Nice Surprise Present!

Then to the allotments where it is still too wet to dig and the buds on the Cat's Tail (Equisetum) are beginning to swell just beneath the surface.
I cleared one Strawberry bed and transplanted the best dozen plants to the shade of a fence as it is a woodland plant originally. They should do better there.
Then I decided which four beds will have potatoes this year! The plans are shaping up, the greenhouse is "ready for the off" and potting compost should arrive at the Allotments' Shed any day now.

Winter is still hanging on. Another two inches of snow fell early this morning on the mountain, making over six inches lying in some places, more in the drifts.
Down here it was just cold and wet, but dried up and the sun came out by lunchtime.
It was beautiful in the afternoon and the weather brought quite a few allotmenteers out to tidy, move greenhouse and compare notes.
Ar four o'clock the sun dipped down behind the mountain and the chill descended upon us.
Home Time!!

jugs again

All handled now!
I retreated to the kitchen for this as the weather is deceptive. Beautiful blue skies, bright sunshine...and a chill breeze.
I went to deal with the reclaim bucket and the clay was that dead cold which sucks all the heat from your hands in seconds. This is when it is dangerous to do this job as you have no sense of touch to be aware of any foreign- possibly sharp- bodies in the clay.

I have brought three bags of clay into the house to warm a little, plus the reclaim now in an old clay bag. I do this for the slurry pot to make throwing easier, this weather I'll do it for the clay too.

I wasn't too happy with the last of the new shape jugs, so I cut it in half to see how my throwing was...not bad, even if I say so myself!!
I think this jug might be better with three pounds of clay....

cake!!

A Marvellous Orange Cake
Sean and Jamandas' recipe from www.downsizer.net

Find it here http://forum.downsizer.net/index.php?component=catalogdisplay&show_post=756492&Cuisine=&Course=&Special1=&search_text=orange

Fine, it uses six eggs...but at this time of year there are plenty. Just think of all the protein with the ground almonds too. If you want it gluten free you can choose the flour you use too, and even the flour is optional. However if your eggs are rather large, you will need a bit of flour!!

The Carpenter has given it his Seal of Approval!! Also he asked what colour it would be if you were to use Blood Oranges...!!

I used Seville Oranges, so it is tangy as well as sweet, so an Orange Drizzle would go fine on top. If I only had Sweet Oranges, no icing for me!!