Wednesday 16 December 2020

Passing the Baton

 

At last ... a bit of blue sky and the rain has stopped!!


It's been dire since I set off from home to head home for Wales, don't worry my journey was totally allowable even considering lockdown restrictions as it is all work related, due to Alan being involved in something in London.  So I came back to Wales, picked him up and dropped him off at the train station and he headed down South.  Handing the baton of animal care over in one fell swoop and meeting no other living person in the process.

Being back and the non-stop rain was making me feel a bit blah ... hence I think my splurge pictured on yesterday's post.  God we all need a treat now and then ... and this was mine.

Now, as well as having enough treats to sink a battleship, the rain has stopped and there is blue sky.  I didn't know how long it would last so I dashed out with my camera to get photographic evidence.  Oh, how I would love a frosty, cold, white Christmas, it would see out our time here in Wales in style.  But I doubt it will happen.


The view this morning.  

The fields are still water-logged but there is grass visible and the works along the railway line, that took over a year to complete seem to have held out ... although to be honest I can't recall seeing a single train on the track since I have been back, so who knows!!

Our paddock is saturated but as we drain downhill the water runs off even though the ground is a boggy mire.  Suky hates it, little Puggy feet don't like getting wet and a walk around the edges of the field needs treats of enticement ... maybe it's all a ploy for treats and she secretly loves a good wallow in mud, who am I to know the answer!

The sheep have gone from our land, picked up on Sunday afternoon by Will, the shepherd and his son Taryan.  Five chubby this-years lambs off to over-Winter nearer to Will's home base and be fed on short grass and sheep nuts for the rest of the year.  Our fields will be rested until hopefully any new owner of this land will allow Will to graze his oddments on the grass that grows so plentifully because of all the rain.

It's a good arrangement that keeps the grass down and the land manured in a natural way.



In other news my signed copy of Miguel Barclay's new book arrived the other day.  

It's not a bad book, but to be honest I was disappointed that the recipes are now for FOUR people not the ONE that the other five books catered for, and the 'store-cupboard' banner is slightly misleading in that each recipe uses one or two store-cupboard items but then adds lots of other fresh things too.

So in my opinion it does not have the USP that the others have and like all my other recipe books I either have to do the maths and reduce my ingredients or find the space to store three more portions for future eating ... not easy to do when you have the freezer capacity of a biscuit tin.

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Edited to add:  The rain came back WITH A VENGEANCE.  The skies turned dark and the chickens ran back into the house.  Gloomy North Wales at it's best.  I think I HAVE to go to the shops to be in bright lights and Christmas music ... but first I'm booked in for a much needed haircut.


Sue xx


21 comments:

  1. I was disappointed in the Miguel Barclay book for exactly the same reasons as you. Mine is going back. I had hoped it would help with very infrequent shopping trips but it won't and I wanted recipes I could do without having to think what to do with the rest of an egg.

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    1. I'm keeping mine, I like full sets and there are a couple of recipes I will try, but it WAS disappointing wasn't it. I could have forgiven the quantities more if it had been full of true store-cupboard recipes!

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  2. Your yesterday photo of your splurge made me feel a whole lot better about my ONE tub of Lindt Lindor and my ONE pack of chocolate liquers.......See the halo!!

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    1. Just had a thought - the fat wartime diary book has gone to Garstang and you are in Wales! Hope it gets delivered OK asI'm not sure it fits a letterbox

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    2. If it doesn't fit the letterbox it will just be taken back across the road to the sorting office and I will be able to pick it up when I'm back at the weekend, don't worry ... and thank you. xx

      Oh and give that halo a polish while you have it, you know it won't last long ;-)

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  3. I've spent over a year of my life in Wales. I wish it had been more - despite the fact that a good part of that time was spent sheltering from non-stop rain.

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    1. The rain is that bad at the moment my waterproof jacket is refusing to be waterproof anymore :-(

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  4. Ah yes, Welsh rain! When my daughters were young, we spent a very wet fortnight visiting a friend in Cardiff. As it was so wet we took the girls swimming every day. By the end of the fortnight, my younger daughter no longer needed arm bands. Result! I do love Wales despite the wet! xx Morag

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    1. Good memories, swimming is one of the few pastimes here in Wales that is truly weatherproof. It's dire now that the rain is back :-(

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  5. Raining here again too and so dark and gloomy :( A great Vegan box you showed on yesterday's post, Sue, you made my mouth water!
    That's a wonderful view in the photo from the house, won't you miss it?

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    1. It's a good view and I've been lucky enough to enjoy it for over seven years now, but as you can see from my header photograph I have good views where I'm moving to ... and people to enjoy them with and facilities, shops and life all a few steps from my door. I have always been able to make the very best of everywhere that I have lived, and lucky enough to meet some great people along the way.

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  6. Oh what a simply GORGEOUS view! I believe I would love that view rain or shine... but shine is lots better, isn't it. ~Andrea xoxo

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    1. Oh I agree, the view is absolutely beautiful in Spring and Summer 😃

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  7. Oh, I am disappointed. Mine arrived yesterday but I haven't looked at it yet. Not great.
    xx

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    1. No, it's not. I follow Miguel on Instagram and not once has he mentioned that this book would be different ☹️

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  8. I hope you see the sun again soon. In the meantime enjoy your treats as they are always extra good on a rainy day!

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    1. It's just gotten worse and worse over the course of the day 🥴

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  9. Don't quote me, but I've read that the charts are warring about the prospect of some snow at the end of next week! Apparently if they do one thing it will remain wet and windy but if they do another it will get very cold and parts of the UK will get snow. We, in central Scotland seldom get much snow, though we can often be surrounded by it elsewhere! Anyway, fingers crossed for some cold, clear crisp days. x

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    1. It's hard to imagine it snowing when it's this wet isn't it, but I'm always hopeful 😀

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  10. Skim reading..........passing the bacon. ;)

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    1. Ooh gosh never ... poor little piggy 🤣😅🤣

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