Out The Backdoor

Blue skies and sunshine, a walk was had. Right out the backdoor, well ok, up the hill, past our fluffy friends all the way to the end of the road, turn right and cross over the stone slab bridge, yeah, the one next to the statue of a butt. Head across that next field and follow the trail markings into the Hafod Estate. Our target was the cave with the waterfall. It's an amazing location, you take the gentlemen's path (I think it's the red one, might be yellow though), if you have less time you can double back on the trail instead of making the loop. That gives you time to meander the fields and make your way to the picnic table on the riverbank then follow the river back up into the village. Early on we passed two forestry workers. The first had stopped the chainsaw as we passed by. We said hello then I told him he worked in a very beautiful office. He grinned and said Yes, I know! When your 'office' gives you these views. Board meetings must center around a fire pit or bbq. When a feasible 'workday' for me includes taking advantage of the sun to hit the trails and gather wool... big fluffy masses of wild wool floating about a field where lamb and mom watched our antics. Same field I must back track to in hopes of fetching my gloves. I'd set them on the stile as I was stepping over and pulling the camera out of my pocket to get a shot of the lamb. Immediately after shooting I heard "LOOOOOKKKKKIEEEEE" and hands were then needed to stuff wool in the backpack. Poo Free Wool! Just a lot of dry crackly leaves to shake out of it. Nice enough a little fluffing and a bit of floofing, no carding needed can spin it as is right in the grease. I'm guessing at least 1lb post VM. Yippie! Just in time for the dyeing experiments!

Melikawoods & Beyond

Some Spin Some Knit

Some knitting. Some knitting makes it out the door before I get to take a picture. Sometimes I go out the door to take pictures but it's toooo cold. Today, instead of the roof of the duckhouse as the back drop, I moved back inside to do some shots.



Oh the joy of hand carders! I love the tissues it produces.



I like the pretty colors the tissues produce.



Plied with the dark brown Viking wool. Colorful bits wool waste from the mill.



And finally spun up the very short, brittle fence wool [which is different than the light fluffy clean Gorse wool mind you] with a bit of Seasilk for color. Spun and BCoDed it using rocks collected the last trip to the beach in a tin, hot water from the kettle and a bit of hand soap. Green, smells really nice.

No Lambs Today

There was more blue than white in the sky and no snow on the ground out front so layers were layered, knits were put on and boot strings tightened. Speaking of which, I have learned how to properly tie my shoes. A balanced knot that does not loosen up with round shoelaces. Boots don't get loose on long walks, always annoying to have to take off the gloves to tie them when it is cold.



Word has it the fields are full of lambs, tis the time of the year. I thought a short walk up our favorite stream to the fields was called for. The upper valley, it is where the morning sun hides. A fresh breeze rushed off the far ridge adding that sparkle to the scene and gave the red kites something to play in.



We exited the woods into a field in time to watch a sheep dog working the flock in the adjacent field. Watched the shepherd signaling the dog. Watched the sheep flock thru wide gates into the feeding area. Giggled as more than one would be walking along and just walk right into another sheep. Whoops, didn't see you there, pardon, so sorry.



Alas, no lambs sighted in the flock we visited but lots of interesting things to see. It was a very fine walk.

65mph

That is what you need to run, to walk on water.



65 would get rid of the clouds hiding the sun. Try as it could, was no chance against the dark grey clouds promising overnight snow.



Woke up to that morning snow stuff, but it wasn't snowing, just very sporadic bursts that end thirty seconds later. The back road and the road up to the sheep on the corner it was.



Sprouting left and right despite the white cold stuff.



Looks to be what you'd suspected, Peri! "Mommy get the flower for me please, the thistles will 'get me''. Ok! Camera, got it. A few minutes later, So?? Where is the flower, we read on wikipedia we could really eat it!

Angels Singing All Around My Door

I mused to a friend why certain songs always came to mind while walking about the valley. Turns out this is the location, well, actual one is about 15 miles down the road, where the songs were written. Made perfect sense. Sitting atop the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales, how could one not be inspired. Every direction offers another spectacular view, something that draws you closer inviting exploration and contemplation.


Kiddo's shrub. Definitely slows one down while walking thru the thistles. Large bunches of it grow near the treelines bordering on sheep fields. Makes me smile to find windblown bits of fluff on them (which are happily added to the back pockets bum warmer).


There are a notable number of unusable fields. Just too rocky to offer sure footing to man or sheep.


Not much in the way of blue sky today but no rain either so out we went. To Kiddo and I, the days just don't feel complete now without a walk. What I'd though would be a one hour excursion turned in to a 3.5 hour hike. Once off the road, thru the gate and feet hit the trail, all that is behind you is a world away.


It is startling, the difference in effort twixt the UK, US and moreso Italy is doing in regards to reducing their carbon footprint. The awareness here, I see, is more than just talk. Conservation is part of the daily life. You look around you a bit differently after finding the land you are in was once 90% covered by ancient forests.


I had the pleasure of meeting artist Sue Clow. She recycles in a most beautiful way. I gasped when I saw her wool rugs. So lovely! You couldn't imagine putting your feet on them yet at the same time you want to do nothing more than take off your shoes and enjoy the soft wooly warmth. She will be teaching a rug making class at the Wonderwool Wales festival in April.


On we continued, after exploring along the river, up thru fields so we could check out a lane we noted on our last walk up there. Around a bend we found another stile, another field, another long fence covered in fluff. I think tomorrow will be a stay in and play with fluff day if I can swing it. The kids are all out for mid-term break so they'll be busy doing kidstuff hopefully so I can do fluff stuff!


As the sun dipped below the valley ridge we thought it time to head home. No way we wanted to be galavanting thru the woods in the dark. We meeeehed our goodbyes to our wooly friends and headed back for a perfectly tempered potato, leek soup with basmati rice and crumbled aged sharp cheddar.


Looks like a butterfly, doesn't it.

Gathering