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.