A DRY-ISH BREAK IN THE RAIN.

Well ... what a miserably wet lead up to Christmas weather wise as the U.K got blasted with torrential rain swirling around our conglomeration of islands large and small. It was wellie wearing weather even when the rain had stopped due to all the ground water racing down the mountain at a rate of knots taking all sorts of detritus with it. Still it did a good job of giving the mountain road a good old wash and old Dafad's muddy wellies got a good clean up. It was mid afternoon before we had ventured out and we were lucky in that it was blowing quite a freshening wind with just a few spots of rain to splash on my face.

All the sheep were huddling in corners as sheltered as they could find and looking bedraggled and miserable. The cattle are probably grinning in their barns and no doubt feeling bovine superiority to their soaked ovine sufferers.

 The last of the beech leaves were getting whisked off the trees at speed, leaving the branches looking very winter bare and the trunks glistening in the weak afternoon light.

I was well wrapped up in a few good layers and a weatherproof coat but there are times I envy the mad mutt ... one coat, no extra socks, just a collar. Get wet, shake off the excess wet, get the boss to towel him down and that's him dressed ready for the next adventure!

In this case it was a wander around the old church yard.

In the barn behind the wall I could smell the warmth of a comfortable barn for cattle.

All the winter feed baled up and wrapped in waterproof plastic ready for the months ahead when we face the prospect of that frozen white stuff expected before lambing time.

The church yard was looking less festive than a week ago and definitely bare and dark.

But just as I was knelt in the wet grass taking the above photograph, a shaft of light ...

transformed the scene before me.

As I looked back at the corner of the churchyard where the dog was snuffling about I saw a really welcome sight ... that moment of extra light caught the colour in the beech leaves

blown into the shelter of the stone wall corner overlooking the Argoed fields and beyond.

But all too quickly another squall threatened so it was back in the car to get home and dry.

We made it back indoors just in time before the cold heavy rain started yet again.

It is almost hard to believe that tomorrow is Chris Moose eve!!

SOLSTICE GREETINGS FOLKS.

Yes folks, today is The Winter Solstice ... from now on the days gradually get longer. We are only just over three days away from Christmas Day and I have been trying to get into the festive mood. Last Friday I went to our annual Carol Concert at St Illtyds ... which has been duly decorated by our willing band of volunteers and beautiful it looked too both outside .......................and........................... inside

 It's hard to believe looking at it empty as it is now but on the night this wonderful space was filled with music from the Abertillery Town Band & the Cwm Male Voice Choir as well as a fully packed audience who sang their hearts out. The acoustics of this wonderful church can take it all as well as amplifying a solo voice with no need for a microphone.

 It is almost hard to believe when I took these photo's the other day, that this space was so filled with people who had such a wonderful time & afterwards mulled wine & mince pies or tea & coffee for those who were driving home on a rather cold, wet, winter night

So ... is Dafad in the mood for the Chris-Moose Fez-Divities?

The answer is no, not really. The weather has been mostly quite cold and very wet.

Though today gave us a small welcome break when the sun came out and so we took the chance to walk up one of our favourite forest tracks to see what had changed in the many months that we have been away and oh my goodness was I in for a big surprise ...

A large swathe of conifer plantation had been felled and the results were stacked up ...

and judging by some of the rather interesting growths on some of the cut ends, this felling had happened some months ago because there were some fascinating patterns on them.

 I was busy trying to gather some fresh greenery for the festive wreath on the door and I kept getting side tracked by all sorts of other more interesting things, like this stag beetle.

But with festive preparation in mind, trying to get in the spirit, I had a little bit of fun ...

making a snowflake pattern of oak leaves.

*****************

No doubt we will soon have our fair share of snow on the mountain here, but

as I write this it is raining with a howling wind and rather cold but it it's comforting 

at least to think that the days ahead will get longer and brighter

So, wherever you are in the world, I hope you are better prepared than we are here.

DON'T FENCE ME IN.

That song came to my mind this morning when we had headed up the mountain to get some very fresh air! The skies seemed not to be able to make up their minds as to which clouds to form as the main players in the atmospheric stage. Some seemed fairly static but low level ones were racing each other above our heads it was fascinating to see the sky just seeming to be having some kind of a party or festival of atmospheric fun.
It was great to drive across the mountain road looking across at the panoramic view across the commons, some 3.000 acres of it. Bare of sheep at the moment as they are all held in safely until they have safely lambed. It gives the grazing time to recover.

"Oh give me land lots of land under starry skies above. Don't fence me in."

Those are the opening lines of the song and believe me, here with very little light pollution, being up here on a cloudless night is rather magical but it is in the daytime too.

On a clear day one can see for miles and miles, the Chilterns, Malverns, Avonmouth Docks in Bristol and then back into Wales the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains etc etc.

"And I can't stand hovels and I can't stand fences. Don't fence me in."

But of course there have to fences between farmland and the commons and the two farms near me here used to be hovels until a few years ago and they now both run some livestock although far from the levels stocked by the long standing farmers here, some of whom go back generations and are sadly all past retirement age, with only a few whose sons will take up the challenge of full time farming, it will be all very sad to see this die out. Now as you know old Dafad here loves the unusual and the rotting posts along this wall have become like old friends, full of character. I almost dread the day when it is all renovated, neat tidy walls, impersonal posts holding up long stretches of shiny new galvanised wire.

I shall miss meeting all these character-full posts with their unique shapes and fences too,

look closely, see how many shapes you can recognise in the above, it has quite a few.

and so I will leave you today with one final view ...

... though the singing gate was only whispering soulfully today.

HOME IN THE HILLS.

Yes folks we are back in sheep country  where the guys have been chasing the girls, having a tupping good time!

It's hard to believe that we have been back over a week already and what a lovely warm welcome we got after being away so long and how things have changed in the garden here which is now very overgrown and in bad need of a man with strong hedge-cutter!

However there was planting going on as the village Christmas tree was put into place for the carol singing and the guys were busy getting all the lights put around our little green

It was a great night, well attended and we all sang along cheerfully with the brass band.

Afterwards most went to the community centre for hot soup and rolls and to warm up.

It's the first time in years we have done it and now hopefully it will be an annual event.

Next day I managed to get the mad mutt up on the mountain where he bounced all over the place catching up on all the new scents and diving into thick piles of autumnal leaves.

We also went to visit "The Singing Gate" but the wind wasn't quite in the right direction

Standing cold  in the wintry wind but the skies were clear and visibility good for miles.

It was nice to hear the news that the red grouse population is increasing and spreading.

Even better to hear that someone else has spotted a black grouse up on the moor too.

All the ewes are in off the commons land at the moment and will be until after lambing.

The rams, having done their job are looking somewhat tired out and just resting for a bit.

Of course the nights draw in all too soon now we are well into December so early sunsets and the need to get in out of the windiness and get warmed up with hot soup and toast

but it has been good to catch up with all the various news, and sights of our area.

I've been very tired and resting a lot and yes the jackdaws are as nattery-chattery as ever in the evenings, boasting about all their acrobatic antics as they've circled over the farms.

I've been wondering what the skies have been like in the Fens, good ones I hope.

My sincere thanks to all the many kind folk who helped me through such a tough time

and also showed me such warmth of friendship and the healing of laughter.

Bless you all.

SNOW-VEMBER ... ?

Snow-vember ... that's how this last month was forecast for the U.K.

To be fair ... quite a bit of the extremities of this united set of islands got their show of snow. However, here in the fenland flats although it was very cold, it rained quite a bit. But out trogging the dog in between the ice cold showers, there were more autumnal splashes of bright colours to warm the eye ... even if the rest of the body was well covered.

Brief spells of bright November sunlight just highlighted brighter leaves in the hedgerows.

 Hedgerows that seemed still very green, especially with the new shoots of spring crops ...
which were highlighted by the few hours of brilliant bright skies and seemingly warm sun.

But yes it was cold and I was wearing lots of body warming layers even for short walks.
Oh to be a dog and just wear one coat all the year around and not have to change it when going to bed for the night. How much easier life must be for our canine companions!
So .. whilst he was busily sniffing the latest goings on in the "text messages" left by other dogs who walk the local paths, I as usual had my camera at the ready just for even the smallest of cameos that could be found on the muddy and often boot squelchy ground.

Yes folks these were small but very welcome breaks in the day as I reach the end of my time up here. Kindly folk have missed Dafad and the jottings of the mad mutt and I.
Well, it won't be long now until I am back to hibernate in Wales and you will be able to catch up on the latest news regarding our busy rams as they enjoy tupping time and don't seem to mind in the least that the temperatures are reaching near freezing back home.
Thank you to all those who have missed my posts on the blog ... normal service will resume very soon. That's if ... I don't get snowed in when we're back up on the mountain!

Meanwhile ... one more sunny photo from the November archive ...

Lovely old wooden (but sadly inedible) mushrooms. A lovely sight to see.

I will catch up with you all again from over the border ... very soon.

 

SPOOKS-VILLAGE,

Hellooooo folks wherever you are on this last day of October ... celebrating this Samhain or Halloween or for others Festival of Light. Whichever way you see tonight, may the winter ahead be a time of rest and recuperation from what has been for many a tough year. As Her Majesty (our queen) said some years ago now "Annus horribilis." latin for a bad year.

Certainly so many of my friends have been through all sorts of hard times this year.

I know that certainly here in the village tonight there will be a lot of "trick or treat" visitors so my pumpkin candle is ready to light, and sweets at the  ready for small scary people.

 

Now ... Dafad here has not yet been able to upload any of my photo's onto my friends computer, so this will be another text only post on the blog, which is a shame because some of my photographs recently have been rather wonderful fire-bright autumnal colours and

stunning fenland flat skies. But the weather after the weekend when we here at least escaped the ravages of the hurricane, has become very distinctly chillier and the winter woollies, thick socks, scarves, gloves and welly boots are now regularly in use. Brrrrr.

 

Please be patient for the next month as  wrap and pack up ready to head for home, when Dafad and the daft mutt will be back amongst the sheep filled haunts of Wales.

Lastly for those of you who have missed last years Halloween post ... just google ...



Dafad's Days - All Hallows Eve

and smile!

Take care out there wherever you are in the world and enjoy the season ahead.



CATCHING UP A LITTLE.

Hello folks out there. It seems that some of you are concerned that Dafad hasn't been doing any posts for quite a while and my wafflings on have been missed which is nice to know. The reasons are simply that Ihave been a busy little person trying to sort a mega load of things out up here and then went down with some aweful bug that knocked me for six, so I didn't even get out much. I'm over that now and have been out with the mutt.

Then to top it all the landline here was terminated and as I am not going to be living here there is no point in getting a new contract with a minimum of a year to pay. So luckily I can access the blog from a friends computer and keep in touch with the outer world.

One which is most definitely changing as the summer trees are looking more and more naked, standing in their carpets of autumnal coloured leaves. It has been windy too and I have been listening to the apples, acorns and conkers dropping on to the now wet ground.

The temperature has almost halved down to around 10 degrees even during the day and today as I update you all, it has been raining either hard or softly all day, all the lovely coloured fallen leaves are now looking sad and soggy and even the dog decided he didn't want to venture out much. I've been trying to catch up with things in the outer worl and it has been good to be able to email and let folk out there that ole Dafad is definitely alive.

So bless all of you who have missed me and my wanderings, ponderings and photo's.

I promise that I shall not leave it so long until the next jottings.

OLD GOLD & NEW BROWN.

Old Dafad here is struggling a bit with all that I have had to face over the last months trying to get this place sorted out and so the last weekend I just needed a break so took the daft dog for a short walk behind the village on a track we've not been before. The now old gold of harvested fields is starting to turn green again after the recent rain. As I drive round locally there is not a bale to be seen they have all been safely stored and what like houses mad of straw are appearing around all the farmsteads locally. Good winter bedding. Now the tractors are out and ploughing ready for the next crop sowing. Ah but what will it be, we shall see as the seasons change again.

A friend of mine was chopping logs for autumnal fires when the chopping log, literally fell apart and we found this ...

insect nibbled little tracks right under the bark but in amongst the softer wood, these ...

ugly little critters aren't they. They are stag beetle grubs which got fed to the chickens

all part of the free range proteins needed for better quality of hen and subsequently eggs.

Methinks that the ducks on the village pond might have liked a few too. >>>

These new ones are slowly getting used to the dog trying to say hello as he used to do with the old ones that were on the pond. They will come closer now and give out tentative, questioning quacks almost as if to ask "Are you safe?"

All around the village green there are falling leaves. Kids & parents have been shaking the branches of the horse chestnut trees, hoping to find shiny brown conkers inside those spikily armoured shells.

<<< along the back lane as the sun was just starting to set, the sinking rays were casting golden highlights onto some of the foliage like this ivy growing alongside and old back entrance door. Sadly where there were almost wild plums ripening along a part of the hedgerow, the council had been along there with hedge cutters and there was a total wastage of free fruit just lying on the ground alongside blackberries and sloes. One would think that they would have had the common sense to leave them for hedge foraging walkers. What a waste of fruit!

On the old "widershins" (meaning the wrong way round) weathervane, evening sun was highlighting the back drop behind it, causing a dark,  stark silhouette. There are no insect hunting swifts in the evenings now, they have sensibly headed off to warmer climes and will be in Africa for the winter as will other migrating birds such as swallows, house martins and cuckoos. Lucky them!

To end the evening, the sky  seemed to be on fire ... and all those thoughts of logs burning in an open grate, I hope my log chopping friend will have a warm cosy winter. Old brown logs and new golden flames to cheer up the bleak, dank and cold autumn and on the long  winter nights ahead.  May they be cosy and comforting.

GREEN MAN.

<<< Just one depiction of The Green Man. He has many variations and is depicted in various forms around the world as a symbol of rebirth and regrowth come spring time. Now the one shown left, was until today "living here" but this afternoon he went on his travels to adorn the door of a Yurt that a friend of mine is currently building. A friend of years came to visit me and has already constructed the skeleton of his Yurt. Now for those of you that don't know, it is a portable, bent dwelling structure ( rather like a moveable tent but more rigid) and the word yurt originates from the Turkic word describing the imprint such a dwelling leaves on the ground. Probably most folk associate the image of this circular "tent" with Mongolian dwellings as Yak herders in that part of the world are well documented but in Mongolian they are known as a "Ger". They are easily moveable and complete construction takes approximately just two hours.

Anyway I digress as regular readers of my blog know I often do, he came to stay overnight. We caught up on how all his kids are doing, what he plans for the future etc etc and it was lovely to share an evening of singing and him playing guitar. Songs old and new and talk of the past and both our hopes for the future.

Now ... he asked me what the local sloes were like as he has for many years now been making sloe gin. It just so happened that I have just recently spotted a hedgerow, heavily laden with these somewhat bitter fruits. We had a grand time filling two carrier bags full of almost soft to the touch fruits. Now as I have mentioned before, it is traditional to wait for the first frosts to soften the fruits before pricking each individually and then soaking them in gin, until the liquid turns a dark luscious red. But ... with the modern freezer, one can cheat natures way a little and if one cannot afford that much gin at this time of year, one can always start another batch early next year.so, if you've never tried it, look on-line for recipes, it is really simple to make and just delicious  and  ... a lot of folk I know cannot leave it a year to mature. It is too tasty to wait for as long as a year. 

That was just one sign of autumn fast approaching encroaching upon us ...

I found my very first conker of the year just the other day in lovely St Mary's churchyard.

and here just under the oak tree I came across the first boletus (an edible fungi)

But sadly, mouse or slug nibbled before  I discovered it in amongst the acorns just falling.

But today to my delight the local mill was open so I was able to take my friend for a tour.

As I have mentioned before this mill celebrates 200 years and fully restored is working

though sadly not today as there was not enough wind power to get the sails turning.

But even so, it is fascinating to see the inner wooden gearings of this old mill.

They have just started grinding spelt wheat alongside the normal white & wholemeal.

My friend bought a bag of locally ground spelt to bake into bread for his family.

So ... a lovely visit. It is always good to catch up with old friends.

And ... another chance to photograph this lovely old mill, which has just had a new grindstone fitted, they just need wind enough to test it to see how it works.

Organically, wind powered milling. I think the Green Man would approve!.

A CHANGE FOR THE WETTER.

Hello folks, it is hard to believe that a week has gone by since my last post written when it was fairly sunny, & reasonably dry, though the weather at the Steam Rally was a bit cool.

<<< I didn't see this old bus there, but it might have been. This photo was taken in July on the village green here, anyway I've added it it today because of the link between old vehicles and the weather and just because it has the word dew on the back of it.

And yes these last mornings have been dew heavy or rain sodden as the weather has changed and the temperatures so high for so long this summer have plummeted as I sit here in early evening, it is cold.

August was lovely a really sunny month with masses of blooms appearing all over local gardens and in the hedgerows too. There were acres of golden fields stretching as far as the eye could see and the harvest began in earnest to get all the grain gathered and the straw  baled to make sure it was in and safely stored for the long autumnal and winter months that face us through until next year.
In the garden here there were masses of butterflies and bees covering the headily scented heads of such blossoms as the buddleia and hundreds of wasps feeding greedily on the early fallen apples which fruited very heavily this year.

The daft dog amused himself in the garden whilst I was trying to sort the garden shed out and generally tidy up around the place and all was sun gold, calm, warm and peaceful.

And then the weather began to change as greyish skies started to loom overhead.

Walking the footpaths that edge along the dykes, teazles were standing in bare headed clusters,

whilst in all of the hedgerows hips and haws were fast turning into rich autumnal reds and the blackberries were hanging in juicy large deep purple clusters bringing forth such lovely thoughts of wonderful winter warming deserts and lots of pots full of home made jam.

Then shortly after that dry walk along the fen dyke, the weather really changed. On came the lead heavy skies and the rain began in earnest. Within just a few days the fields were too sodden to plough and in the orchard here, apples were falling fast as they got bombarded with large water droplets like miniature bullets firing the fruit off the boughs.

Even the wasps were taking cover somewhere, as indeed were we, it was just too wet to be out and indoors the temperature plummeted as the wind picked, up blowing around the house and seeming to suck all the warm air out of it, so that extra jumpers were needed.

I managed a short walk with the dog, the first time I've worn wellies for ages and overnight the change in the scenery was quite dramatic. The paths were all littered with masses of leaves in all different browns, golds and greens. Even as I write this the noise of the rain that has started again ... is loud on the window panes.  Autumn has truly arrived.