Archives for May 2024

Waiting for Summer

Welcome summer

It's slow coming.

May in the Garden (The Return)

Rainbow

The Garden

The Garden

Sunburst

Some bonus "May in the Garden".

(There's always, always, more.)

Ewok

Ewok

The Weir

The weir at Benson Lock

Still shut to foot-traffic across the weir, but waiting patiently for repairs to begin.

Morning Walk

Morning Dog Walk

Morning Dog Walk

A wet and windy walk that got brighter and dryer.

Morning Dog Walk

We got to swing past the less-lonely tree too.

A good year for caterpillars

Good year for caterpillars

Not content with eating all the box, another type of caterpillar are now covering things that aren't box. Haven't seen this for a while

Are you ok?

Waiting

Another way to wait for the train. Windows open, engine running.

Yogi Posing

Yogi

Yogi

Yogi

Yogi, learning to pose.

Listening

Listening Lounge

Listening Lounge

Listening is everything.

Stickers

Morning London Run

London Run

Morning London Run

Morning London Run

Morning London Run

Morning London Run

In every day this week (not done that since before the pandemic), and my body tired of the commute so I stayed over on Thursday to get some decent sleep. That didn't work out great, so I found myself on a beautiful morning run rather early.

Morning London Run

Слава Україні! as they say in the Cabinet Office.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday

Happy Friday

Old Haunts

University of Westminster

University of Westminster

The amazing B has tracked down somewhere around 85% of PEIS. Astounding and commendable. At this rate we might even meet up. Inspired by M (who did similarly a day earlier) I took a (very short) detour on the ride in to grab a reminder of the place where we met.

Cuddle Time with Little E

F & Ewok

F paints

F in the garden

F in the garden

F in the garden

F in the garden

Parasol

Garden inspiration.

Yogi on Patrol

Yogi

Self

Self

Slow

Slow Productivity, Cal Newport

I have this "waiting for trains" thing down. Book. Coffee. Vegan Carrot Cake from Mokoko Bath. Sorted.

But first coffee

Coffee first then the world. Jenny Graham

One down from 積ん読. A great read by Jenny Graham on her world record round the world ride: Coffee First, Then the world.

Seen from the door of the tent at Pencelli.

How to dry a tent

Tent drying

Cheat cream

Ice cream

Yes, it's ok to snag an ice cream before the end of the hike (you just can't bet on one being available at the end!).

This one from a lovely chap at Torpantau.

camping

Smoking bin

Mart booked us a slot in the lovely Pencelli Castle campsite (note to self, castle???). Last time we were here was with the boys. Smoking!

Post hike beer

Post hike pints

After the walk. Didn't last long.

Brecon Loop

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike: the queue for the summit photo

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

Pen-y-fan Loop Hike

IMG_0487.jpg

A beautiful 30k loop with Mart in the Brecon's.

Blaen-y-Glyn down to Torpantau and then the track up to what was the Upper Neuadd Reservoir (still on the OS map 😉). Then a steep up to the ridge along to Cefn Cul, past Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog and Craig-Gwaun-Taf to Corn Du (and the first cheese and salad Croissant).

From Corn Du to Pen y Fan (ignoring the very English queue for the summit photo), a second Croissant, and then across to Cribyn (and a third).

Cribyn down then up to Fan y Big, Croissant number 4, and a chat with the mountain biker (olde school, hard core, no E's).

Decision time: short or longer way back?

Fan y Big down to Craig Cwareli, along the ridge to Bwich y Ddwyallt and then across and down the spur ro Twyn Du and the bottom of the Talybont Reservoir (danger, hidden machinery and strong currents!).

From the reservoir the track (cycle route 8) all along the eastern shore and a slog back up to Blaen-y-Glyn.

Awesome. Thanks mate!

Here's the route (via openrouteservice):

GPX route.

Padstow, Briefly

Padstow, briefly

Padstow, briefly. Catching up with N and P and seeing the progress. Big thanks to F for looking out for the boys.

Sketching the Garden

Sketching

Sketching

F, doing a much nicer version of May in the Garden.

Ewok, Frazzled

Frazzled

Still not 100% with his trim. But posting by the laundry helped. Apparently, it's a competition with Pip.

Little E. My Buddy

Ewok

Chilling out with Little E.

Pill Box Evening

The box

The view across the field to the pill box and the tower of Benson Church. Beautiful Light.

Trolley

The Trolley

Shopping in style!

Post run Yogi rest

Yogi. Seriously unimpressed that when I said

Yogi. Seriously unimpressed that when I said "let’s go for a run" I meant it literally.

A little spot in the sun

Ewok catching some sun

Little E finding a spot in the sun to start the post walk recovery.

A stroll along the river bank

River walk

At last, some half decent weather. We walked into town. It was beautiful, but a little too far for little E.

Ewok trying to hide

Ewok trying to hide

Trying to blend in with the pile of straw at the bottom of the field. Not too successfully.

Dinner is Served

Dinner

May in the garden

May in the garden

May in the garden

May in the garden

May in the garden

It's back, May in the Garden. Early May at least.

More May in the Garden.

2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 (May-ish) | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Waiting...

yogi

...for the foot spa and paw wash to open.

Backup

Backup

Somewhere near Toulouse

Somewhere near Toulouse

Artist's retreat.

I think I can see her from here

where is she?

Maintaining Power

Power Cut (planned)

Trees hair cut

Power off so some awesome tree surgeons could give the woods a hair cut. I did offer to help, but they'd met Ewok.

Power Cut (planned)

Power packs to the rescue. We have experience of this.