DALIWCH I GREDU - August 2013

Blogger's curse . . . I mentioned the sun!

For the 48 hours following my previous blog, the heavens opened and poured out its contents right over us!

It rained like never before! There were 8 waterfalls tumbling down the mountain. The most we've seen before is 5. 

Our little dried up stream took up where it left off in 2012's wash out. 

Puddles appeared inside the house (the part which has new tanking plaster up the walls and floor!) A nearby brook overflowed and caused a flash flood on our road. The farmer said he had only known this happen once before in 30 years. 

So why didn't it ever appear during the very soggy 2012?

Somehow our own waterfall which appeared during last year's rain, 

stayed dry . . . 

 . . .  and so did the bog!!


It seems to have rained ever since and it has cooled down somewhat too, so sadly the tomatoes have been brought inside to mature.

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Our new existence means learning new skills which would have had little use in our previous life, but are deemed essential now.

We have managed to stockpile wood taken from donations and fallen trees in the garden. The farmer has also given us access to his woods to collect further fallen branches. To make use of this, Will has been on a chainsaw course and is in the process of creating wood-burner size logs from our supplies. 

These logs have proved excellent for keeping warm during evening barbecues.

And with an unexpected deterioration in the weather, they have come in useful indoors earlier than anticipated!

Meanwhile, I found a metalwork/art course - not very essential, but great fun! 

 The finished product to be displayed in the National Library of Wales!


A high proportion of people here speak Welsh as a first language. So to support a language under potential threat, we embarked on a week long intensive Welsh speaking course. It was a mind-boggling experience. Most of what I was taught went straight over my head, and I am now trying to digest and process it. The views from the window probably didn't help my concentration ...

I never had views like this from training venues where I used to work!

As we practise our new found skills (language - not chainsaw!) on the locals, they put us right, ensuring we use 'proper local' Welsh - not the posh stuff we learn on courses!

The one important phrase I did learn is "daliwch i gredu". It translates to "keep believing". Our new motto!



Next blog - Pests

THE NORTH WALES WEATHER - July-Aug 2013

Phew! It's hot!! or at least it has been for probably about 6 weeks now with endless blue skies and sun, in views resembling The Med! We had the first rain for weeks, last week. So much for all those non-believers who think it rains constantly in Wales!!

We've had barbecues galore, and admittedly it does cool down in the evenings under the trees here, but hey, with views like ours who's complaining? 


We've had sunset walks along the beaches ...

Fantastic skies ...

Wimbledon and Pimms in the garden  ...

And when the evening midges became too much, we continued watching from inside ...

We've put a picnic table at the top of our field where we have refreshments throughout the day (and evening - the sun shines here until sunset). 

The views from this spot are spectacular ...

Is there any wonder work on the house doesn't get done quickly?


Our new parking spot resembles a Fiat advert!

Bracken has taken over from the nettles and invaded the field. It has proved too much for the strimmer and the sheep!

The goats have cleared off, up the mountain.


The cats have had a field day, catching anything that moves including a number of rabbits, voles, mice and 6 moles! We managed to save this mole which was running around the house bashing blindly into walls!

Unfortunately, they've yet to master the art of catching squirrels. The pesky squirrels eat all the bird food. They nibbled through the plastic hanging bird feeders, so we bought squirrel-proof metal ones. They have chewed through those too. We tried this squirrel baffler which doesn't seem to baffle them in any way whatsoever!

Next plan? 'The Big Cheese Tilt'n'Spin Squirrel Repeller' which Kieran very kindly bought for my birthday. Supposedly it tilts and spins when squirrels land on it, throwing them off into outer space! I feel a game coming on around taking bets as to how long they will cling on for, or where they will land! 
That's going up in the garden tomorrow.


Following the 2012 washout, we decided to make a feature of our soggy garden and create a bog garden. The builders kindly dug out the hole for us. We lay down a liner and began filling it in. That was back in April. Since then, the ground has dried up and any bit of rain we have had has made no difference. We now have the makings of a dry bog!!!

So how do we turn it into a bog garden???? There's only one way really ...

Stick a bog in it!!!



I've never had a great deal of success growing tomatoes outside, but now I have 5 plants outside bearing tasty fruit. The sheep, squirrels. goats and slugs haven't found them yet! Ssshhhhh!

Our office has moved outside ...

There was one morning without sun - the one morning we planned lunch at our local pub, voted "The 3rd Best Beach Pub in the World"!! The mists came down, we could just about find our way along the beach

By the time we reached the pub, the mists started to clear and 'our' mountain appeared before us above the mist ...

By lunch time, we were sitting in full sun!

All this, and we're not even on holiday!!!

Next blog - "Daliwch i gredu"