Human Lifestyle

I was woken by thunder. The view across the bay was spectacular... ie no view, just dense rain.

When it calmed down a bit I went into Mumbles to buy some pasties, broccoli, rolls and soya milk, and got some sweetcorn as well. But I did come back quite damp.

In the afternoon I took the family exploring the path behind the house; it led into a housing estate and we asked a local person which way to go at one junction, and we decided to go to Langlands Corner. But a minute later, the boys decided they were tired so they and Gill went back, and I walked to Langlands Corner and from there, down to Rotherslade Bay.

I bought an ice cream and when I'd finished this, climbed up the rock in the middle of the bay and watched the tide come in. Then I moved to the east side of the bay where I could see the waves crash against the rocks a bit better, and stayed here til about 4pm, which was high tide. Then I walked slowly back to Bryn Terrace, collecting blackberries on the way.

Gill and the boys had come back and Gill had boiled the rest of the potatoes and then cooked the sweetcorn in that water. The potatoes she roasted and then heated the pasties in the oven, and this plus the broccoli made a good last meal here.

After this, I went on a walk with our eldest down to the promenade, and along to the pier, and as the tide was going out, we tried to get to the lighthouse. However, the channel between the first and second island had still got deep water in it, and it had started raining again, so we turned tail and walked home, past Bracelet Bay and up the hill and back to Bryn Terrace. We got back soaked but happy we'd had a nice walk together.

I lit the stove to dry off our wet clothing. At intervals through the evening we were getting our bits together.... I stewed the balckberries on the stove and filled two peanut butter jars with it, which will go back to York with us.

Whilst we were cleaning under one of the sofa we found a pair of socks left by the last visitors... or maybe the ones before that, who knows?

Quite a slow start to the day, I came down before 9 and did the washing up as there was lots to do from yesterday's cooking, and we'd run out of bran flake cereal so Gill went into Mumbles to get that plus some other bits, and I had breakfast at 10 when she came back.

Then I read NewScientist and dozed until middayish when I went to explore the Langlands Bay road, and then I retraced my steps with a folding chair to go and pick some blackberries. They were mostly a bit higher than I could reach without the chair, and I got a colander full. Back at 1 for lunch and at about 2pm I suggested to the troops that we might actually want to go and find Langlands Bay as it had a nice beach.

There was a hell of a kerfuffle about getting out but I was firm and we did eventually all get going to Langlands. When we got there, actually Rotherslade Bay, we had a lovely time... balancing rocks, digging a sandhole and building a sandcastle, paddling, lots of sunny fun. I just wish I hadn't been forced to play a game of brinkmanship or risk in order to get the children out of the house.

So, we were on the beach til 5pm and I picked more blackberries on the way back.

A nice tea... courgette and beans from Uncle George, broccoli, pasta shells and cheese sauce.

Enjoyed watching Richard Dawkins offering his view on faith schools. I'm totally in agreement with him. Children need protecting from indoctrination and I was shocked to see the science teacher in one school not being able to explain evolution, and the children all saying that their holy book was a good source of scientific information. I have no problem with adults choosing to believe whatever they want, but I'd like churches and schools to have less of a connection. Churches and faith organisations do have an important part to play in society, and I have friends of several faiths and belief systems, and I don't think organisations such as the Credit Union would have got started without the support of people with a strong faith, some of whom were, I'm sure, doing the volunteering as an act of worship and 'good works'. For which I'm grateful, as I basically don't care what people believe, I'm more concerned about what people DO!!!

Gill and I then had a game of magnetic travel Scrabble. Gill won by 2 points, overtaking me right at the end. Very satisfying for her.