Woken early as the morning sunshine came straight through the unlined curtains and was very bright. I had breakfast and then as Gill had a bath, I got in after her to reuse the water; the bath was so short that I couldn't sit in it with my legs out straight. It was nice and hot though and I had a good scrub. I went to dry off in the bedroom, and as the sun had moved round it had become less bright and I went to sleep for a couple of hours, getting up again at 10.30ish. Luxury!
I had noted that there was the raft race this morning at 11, and from the house we could see boats converging from all around the bay. But no-one else wanted to come to see the race, so I went down by myself. The race had just started so I went to the finish and got a good spot to see all the rafts come in... they took almost an hour to come in, and it was a lot of fun. There was a probable father and son in a sea-going canoe, the child was collecting water bomb balloons which had been thrown at incoming rafts but hadn't burst, and threw some of them back into the spectators. At least three rafts were unable to get to the finish by themselves and got a tow in. Several rafts broke up on the way, although a couple of these did still make the finish line. This event raised thousands of pounds for the RNLI... at least £250 entrance fee per raft, and then street collections (there were apparently 25000 spectators) and other fundraising. They were hoping for £70k today.
When the last raft had come in, I walked along to the Co-op and got bread and soya milk. Then back to the house for 1pm and lunch.
I had my sandwiches whilst watching Monster Moves, and had some laughs with the boys, play fighting/horseplay... we call it 'bundling'... but at 2pm I wanted to have some quiet as I wanted to listen to Gardeners Question Time. Immediately after this, the rest of the family were ready to go out so I took them to the beach at Bracelet Bay... much complaining about having to walk down a steep hill and then up one to get somewhere they weren't sure about.... but once on the beach the complaints disappeared and we played in some soft sand, letting our feet sink in up to our ankles... and then we made a long sand barrier to divert a stream, and made the pretty sand-dribble turrets all along it, and enjoyed watching the erosion that happens when the stream is forced to turn a corner.
After at least an hour, probably two, we washed off the sand in the sea and went to the top of the beach where Gill was chatting to a nice chap called Steve who is a singer, who'd recently been working with Jon Lord of Deep Purple fame, and I had a nice chat with him. Then we left to go and find a place to eat, and I showed them the pier and we went to the Mumbles Pier Cafe. I had pizza and chips, Gill beans, chips and salad, and our boys had pasta Napoli and a veggie breakfast! And onion rings on the side. And a J2O each.... It was a nice meal and we needed the walk afterwards from the pier to Village Lane which leads up to Bryn Terrace.
I had wanted to go and explore the area behind the house, as there's a footpath up into the woods, but I just cuddled up on the sofa with Gilly and watched Antiques Roadshow, which Gill especially likes. She's got several antiques books and has pretty good guesses at what things are and what they are worth. Then I got trapped by Secret Britain and when this finished it was too dark to go exploring.
Showing posts with label eating out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating out. Show all posts
An excellent day, hired bikes after lunch and cycled up through the forest to Dalby, stopped at the visitor centre where the boys played for an hour, and then came back down some lovely quiet lanes and tracks on the other side of the valley. This was the highlight of my short holiday.
I had mentioned to Paul and Sue about the cock crowing and apparently, another group of campers had complained as well. So they got one of their friends who has strong hands to come and visit... he always comes when a chicken is ill or getting towards the end of it's life. The cockerel had started as a fairly normal one, with a bit of crowing in the morning, but more recently had been doing it in the night and very persistently in the morning. This change in behaviour and complaints/comments from campers was enough to seal it's fate.
In the evening I took my lads to a pub where they had a good meal which filled them up. However, the chef was overworked and thought that our order of tomato soup and chips plus veg lasagne and chips was just one order for one person, so the soup came first and we had to wait AGES for the lasagne. But when it did come it was appreciated by the now hungry little chap! I just wanted bread and hummus so I didn't have anything until I got back to the tent at 8pm.
When it was dark we went back into the forest to show the glowing wood to Mark, Jamie, Adam and Sophie. We then stayed up til quite late, playing on the rope swing and playing around. Then I had nice chats with some other campers round their fire, the boys put themselves to bed and I slipped into the tent at about 1am.
I had mentioned to Paul and Sue about the cock crowing and apparently, another group of campers had complained as well. So they got one of their friends who has strong hands to come and visit... he always comes when a chicken is ill or getting towards the end of it's life. The cockerel had started as a fairly normal one, with a bit of crowing in the morning, but more recently had been doing it in the night and very persistently in the morning. This change in behaviour and complaints/comments from campers was enough to seal it's fate.
In the evening I took my lads to a pub where they had a good meal which filled them up. However, the chef was overworked and thought that our order of tomato soup and chips plus veg lasagne and chips was just one order for one person, so the soup came first and we had to wait AGES for the lasagne. But when it did come it was appreciated by the now hungry little chap! I just wanted bread and hummus so I didn't have anything until I got back to the tent at 8pm.
When it was dark we went back into the forest to show the glowing wood to Mark, Jamie, Adam and Sophie. We then stayed up til quite late, playing on the rope swing and playing around. Then I had nice chats with some other campers round their fire, the boys put themselves to bed and I slipped into the tent at about 1am.
Got up early and after breakfast I did an hour of work in the front garden.
I had arranged to meet Tomoko at 11.30 at the station so I bombed down there and we spent the rest of the day exploring York... it's great showing somebody around as you learn lots about your own City.
We had a small lunch at El Piano, and a coffee somewhere else. We went round the Minster, and for the first time I went down to the Undercroft and Crypt... absolutely brilliant, learning about the previous buildings on the site, from a secular Roman one to a Norman (I think) large church, replaced by the Medieval Minster. We went to Barley Hall, Clifford's Tower, Shambles, watched street entertainers.. all sorts.
At 6 I cycled home and found the family happy after playing in the garden (Gill had worked hard clearing up some of my mess too) and so she was happy for me to accept Tomoko's offer of taking me for a meal at 7.30.
We went to a pizza place and I had a really nice mushroom and olive pizza, we shared a salad and had a desert course too. What a treat.
Home soon after 10pm... bearing a couple of pallets I found on the way home!
I had arranged to meet Tomoko at 11.30 at the station so I bombed down there and we spent the rest of the day exploring York... it's great showing somebody around as you learn lots about your own City.
We had a small lunch at El Piano, and a coffee somewhere else. We went round the Minster, and for the first time I went down to the Undercroft and Crypt... absolutely brilliant, learning about the previous buildings on the site, from a secular Roman one to a Norman (I think) large church, replaced by the Medieval Minster. We went to Barley Hall, Clifford's Tower, Shambles, watched street entertainers.. all sorts.
At 6 I cycled home and found the family happy after playing in the garden (Gill had worked hard clearing up some of my mess too) and so she was happy for me to accept Tomoko's offer of taking me for a meal at 7.30.
We went to a pizza place and I had a really nice mushroom and olive pizza, we shared a salad and had a desert course too. What a treat.
Home soon after 10pm... bearing a couple of pallets I found on the way home!
Up early (8.30am) and got going... breakfast, emails, bit of facebook stuff, bit of sensible simplicity forum stuff (compost toilet advice) and then got dressed and outside, as it's a lovely day, and I've got to leave for Sheffield at about midday.
I got the 12 something from York which went via Leeds and Wakefield to Sheffield... I had my laptop and managed to delete loads of inbox stuff.
Got into Sheffield just before 2pm and Ali and her carer were there... and my job was to be Ali's official PA during her University course. I really enjoyed this, as the class was interesting... about literature from people who migrated, either forced (slaves) or voluntarily, historically and current (refugees) and it was really good. I had to try and remember that I was there to help Ali and wasn't a student!
We went to a Pizza Hut after this and had a cheap deal which was good, but we had a plate of salads with it which meant that we ate too much. But a nice evening.
I got the 12 something from York which went via Leeds and Wakefield to Sheffield... I had my laptop and managed to delete loads of inbox stuff.
Got into Sheffield just before 2pm and Ali and her carer were there... and my job was to be Ali's official PA during her University course. I really enjoyed this, as the class was interesting... about literature from people who migrated, either forced (slaves) or voluntarily, historically and current (refugees) and it was really good. I had to try and remember that I was there to help Ali and wasn't a student!
We went to a Pizza Hut after this and had a cheap deal which was good, but we had a plate of salads with it which meant that we ate too much. But a nice evening.
A good morning because all the children were playing happily together. However we were planning a trip into town so we set a time to stop playing and get ready to go out.
So, into town and we ended up having pizza in Museum Gardens, which was fun and very unusual for us as we hardly ever eat out.
All back home and at about 6pm our lovely relatives went home. We will miss them as we all get on so well.
Over the past few weeks we've become aware of a wasps nest quite near our back door, in the ground in amongst the plants in the border. Initially we decided to ignore it, as we are not anti-wasp particularly, and know they perform a useful ecosystem role of eating caterpillars and fruit flies etc. However, the numbers had increased to levels which started to ring alarm bells when hearing about a chap recently who disturbed a nest and was stung so many times he died. Also, quite recently, both Gill and our youngest got stung (one at a friend's house, one whilst on the train) and it was unpleasant so I decided to destroy the nest.
I wondered about just covering it up with a large pile of compost, during the night when they were less active. I cut the plants back a bit to reveal the hole and soil, and then at midnight a few nights ago, I poured a large bag of compost onto the hole and surrounding area, and watered it in.
The following morning, they had re-excavated the hole and were just as busy as before. I considered pouring a large volume of boiling water into the hole, again whilst they were mostly asleep. But Gill suggested they might go berserk and to check on the net how to do it properly.
There were lots of suggestions about using chemicals, and petrol etc, but the one which took my fancy was the glass bowl method. This looked like a better way than just covering up the nest entrance with soil, as the darkness means they just dig their way out. The glass bowl trick means they think the hole is open to the air but of course, cannot actually get out to collect food for the grubs in the nest. The bowl is left in place for several weeks and they gradually all die.
So we found a big mixing bowl and the composty area I'd so carefully put on gave a really good base to push the basin into, again, whilst it was dark. I put a bit more compost round the edge and watered it in for a good tight fit. All of today there was a lot of activity inside the dome, and only a little bit outside it, from insects which hadn't been in the nest when I capped it. However, another suggestion off the 'net was to put an industrial vacuum cleaner next to the nest entrance and suck them into the vacuum cleaner... So I used our old Dyson and spent several short sessions sucking in stragglers, just a minute or two about 5 times. This definitely reduced the numbers of confused wasps outside the dome.
I feel this method, chemical free and not dangerous (I haven't received one sting) is a good one. I'll report on it's longer term success as the weeks roll on. If the nest had been elsewhere in the garden, I'd have left it, but right outside the back door was a poor choice of position for the little darlings.
So, into town and we ended up having pizza in Museum Gardens, which was fun and very unusual for us as we hardly ever eat out.
All back home and at about 6pm our lovely relatives went home. We will miss them as we all get on so well.
Over the past few weeks we've become aware of a wasps nest quite near our back door, in the ground in amongst the plants in the border. Initially we decided to ignore it, as we are not anti-wasp particularly, and know they perform a useful ecosystem role of eating caterpillars and fruit flies etc. However, the numbers had increased to levels which started to ring alarm bells when hearing about a chap recently who disturbed a nest and was stung so many times he died. Also, quite recently, both Gill and our youngest got stung (one at a friend's house, one whilst on the train) and it was unpleasant so I decided to destroy the nest.
I wondered about just covering it up with a large pile of compost, during the night when they were less active. I cut the plants back a bit to reveal the hole and soil, and then at midnight a few nights ago, I poured a large bag of compost onto the hole and surrounding area, and watered it in.
The following morning, they had re-excavated the hole and were just as busy as before. I considered pouring a large volume of boiling water into the hole, again whilst they were mostly asleep. But Gill suggested they might go berserk and to check on the net how to do it properly.
There were lots of suggestions about using chemicals, and petrol etc, but the one which took my fancy was the glass bowl method. This looked like a better way than just covering up the nest entrance with soil, as the darkness means they just dig their way out. The glass bowl trick means they think the hole is open to the air but of course, cannot actually get out to collect food for the grubs in the nest. The bowl is left in place for several weeks and they gradually all die.
So we found a big mixing bowl and the composty area I'd so carefully put on gave a really good base to push the basin into, again, whilst it was dark. I put a bit more compost round the edge and watered it in for a good tight fit. All of today there was a lot of activity inside the dome, and only a little bit outside it, from insects which hadn't been in the nest when I capped it. However, another suggestion off the 'net was to put an industrial vacuum cleaner next to the nest entrance and suck them into the vacuum cleaner... So I used our old Dyson and spent several short sessions sucking in stragglers, just a minute or two about 5 times. This definitely reduced the numbers of confused wasps outside the dome.
I feel this method, chemical free and not dangerous (I haven't received one sting) is a good one. I'll report on it's longer term success as the weeks roll on. If the nest had been elsewhere in the garden, I'd have left it, but right outside the back door was a poor choice of position for the little darlings.
