Hello again those who follow in Dafad's tracks. I still haven't solved the photograph problem and have had other things to deal with. But looking on the brighter side of life, the weather has improved and for these last few days, wellies have not been needed, yahoo!
The mountain, being covered in sphagnum moss and rushes has soaked up the days of rain like a sponge and ... the weather has been slightly warmer if rather breezy to say the least. But these last few days have seen a dramatic change in the scenery. It's almost as if nature has been patiently waiting in the wings for the curtains of rain and mist before going on stage. Suddenly she has burst into a grand display of new growth with new, fresh green foliage appearing and flowers raising their heads out of spring shy buds. The change has been quite amazing. Our native Welsh bluebells are starting to create a beautiful carpet of colour under the pale green leaves of young beech leaves. Tiny milkworts are adding their blue hues too and the sphagnum mosses are bearing golden rust heads above their emerald cushions. This year Ladies Smock have bloomed in abundance and the buttercups have opened their sunny faces to embrace the suns warm rays. Cuckoos are calling and swallows are flashing through the air catching the emerging insects. Yesterday I watched a crow and a buzzard in conflict with each other, trying to see who could outsmart the other in flying skills. Skylarks and Meadow Pipits are in full song above the moorland which is now being grazed by sheep released from the in-bye pasture onto the commons.
Sadly the last few months have seen the loss of yet more farmers who have "retired" from life. It was a sad minutes silence at the Commoners Meeting the other night when we showed our respects to those that had passed away. Those that are left are mostly beyond beyond retirement age and yet still struggle on. I was talking to one the other day as we looked over the valley to see that the farms we could see had all been taken over by folk who have no interest in farming and the land they have bought is purely for "recreational" purposes. Almost a whole hillside is now without sheep or cattle. Our farmers are having a tough time and for those that simply see the pre-packed meat on the supermarket shelves have no idea about the many hours our farmers put into raising their stock. Over the last months I have witnessed farmers (past retirement age) worn out with calving and lambing and the recent price wars have seen dairy farmers give up, unable to provide our daily milk for a fair price. An often spoken phrase ... "You never see a poor farmer." is absolute nonsense. Framers are giving up almost daily as they are squeezed out of business. None of us can live without food, yet it seems that folk are willing to pay for the latest mobile phone or electronic gizmo's (seen as a "Can't do without.") yet are oblivious to where our food comes from. Sadly, more and more from abroad. I constantly hear talk about slave labour overseas, it's happening here in our own country!
Anyway, enough rant and rave, summer is on it's way, all be it slowly.
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