Sod's Law

As I walked out the door I felt a few spots of rain, and saw a shower coming across the valley; by the time I'd reached the corner it was raining heavily, and only abated as I returned from my walk 40 minutes later. Typical.

Glimpse of sun

Blood test first thing, then some shopping, then a walk, and back before it started raining.

Yesterdays glimpse of sun didn't last long then.

Listening to The Magic Numbers.

Sun and Air

The sun came out today, after about ten days of rain, drizzle, mist, low cloud and cold winds. Outside, it was almost mild, and the air was loosing its winter chill.

Heron

Another week.

Out walking this morning I got buffetted by the wind which seemed to spring up with the express purpose of turning my umbrella inside out. A couple of heavy squalls left my lower half wet. When I got back to the house, a heron cruised overhead, struggling slightly against the wind. Herons often seem to use our shoulder of the hill as a short cut, avoiding the town, and enabling them to get from one river valley to the next.

Waiting for Guardian

Trying to enter a Guardian Unlimited competition to win tickets to Arsenal-Juventus, but apparently need to log in to the site, which am seemingly unable to do, and am thus waiting for a password reminder from the helpdesk...

And it is raining, although I have been out for a walk, and only got slightly wet...

Thursday

Started off sunny and springlike, but by this afternoon, cold and grey again.

Not feeling so good today - anxious, uncomfortable and ill-at-ease. Am sick of it.

Noughts and Crosses

Walking back from town (an emergency chocolate biscuit dash) I saw a perfect noughts and crosses grid of vapour trails, the slow jets still easing across the sky.

Further to my musings on concrete ads at the Test Matches in India, I came across this excellent site today: http://www.indianconcreteinstitute.org/

Bog Snorkelling News

According to the Western Mail, online betting firm goldenplace.com, has snapped up the sponsorship rights to the World Bog Snorkelling Chamionships, which we usually attend, and, standing in the rain, watch plucky competitiors navigate a 60 ft strip of peat bog, wearing flippers, mask and snorkel.

Sadly the loss of the previous sponsors, Ben & Jerry's, means no more free ice cream, a big loss, and a betting firm somehow doesn't seem quite right for the event.

The annual August Bank Holiday championship takes place at Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys.

Heat and Dust

Just watched England beat India to draw the series, after a slightly bizarre afternoon session, when India seemed determined to get out, and a conclusion in which Monty managed not to see a catch, but was then given another chance a couple of balls later. Andrew Flintoff won a motorbike as his Man of the Match prize, and David Lloyd managed to mention that it was a good job he'd signed Flintoff...

There is a light that never goes out

Bitterly cold wind today, and whilst out walking, I was subjected to the full gamut of different types of precipitation, predominently small sleety stuff.

Mornings are getting gradually lighter, earlier, and when I looked out across the valley, with the town spread out below,I noticed that our street light appeared to be the last one still on; does that mean it's darker outside our house than elsewhere?

Spring

S is off work this week, so we have been out quite a bit the last couple of days, doing various errands, and walking.

Went to a deserted and misty country park yesterday, and walked for an hour or so. Parc Cwm Darran is a peaceful spot, tucked away in the Darran Valley, two miles north of Bargoed. It's an offshoot of the Rhymney valley.

Parc Cwm Darran is set on the site of the former Ogilvie Colliery that closed in 1975.

Apparently the old mine was famous for its appearance in the Dr Who series 'Dr Who and the Green Death'.

Today, S has gone down to her Mum's to help with some packing, ready for her move.

Hurrah, it's sunny.

The birds seem to think it's spring, with much singing and general activity in the trees round the back of our house.

In other news, the Queen has declared the Commonwealth Games open in a 'glittering' ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The teams arriving in the stadium, were 'serenaded' by singer Delta Goodrem. The former Neighbours star sang Together We Are One, co-written with boyfriend and former Westlife singer Brian McFadden. Classy.

Hail the weather

Not feeling so good this morning - anxious and finding it hard to get things done - even simple stuff - procrastination is really bad at the moment.

Cricket in India disrupted by bad light and rain, which seems somehow wrong...

Walked into town for a bit of shopping, then did a quick once round the park, as the rain held off.
Back now, and it's just starting to hail, cat not keen...

Welsh Government Leaks

The newly opened Welsh assembly building - the Senedd - will have to undergo repairs after the roof began leaking in heavy rain. After several days of rain in Cardiff, puddles have appeared inside the £67m Richard Rogers-designed building, which was opened by the Queen on 1 March.
It's all good though, because it is the greenest government building in the world, and so will presumably be able to recycle the leaks in quiches and suchlike...

Last week, the Scottish Parliament was evacuated after a beam slipped and was left hanging from the roof.

Excellent.

Concrete and Clay

Watching bits of England's Test series in India, have noticed that there seems to be a lot of advertising for concrete companies round Indian cricket grounds, and as England went off for bad light this morning, I found myself wondering why this was...

Heard some stuff by The Concretes yesterday, which sounded quite good - perhaps they could get some sort of sponsorship deal with the Indian cricket authorities...

Listening to Johnny Cash - Hurt. Saddest song ever. Probably. Specially if you watch the video.

Running Lady

Raining hard when I walked into town, so took umbrella, but being crap, another strut broke, although it still functions.

Returned home after shorter walk than usual, due to inclement weather.

Running Lady has just passed the house, heading down the hill into town.

It is still tipping down, and the hills round town are smothered in low cloud.

Patron Saint of Fruit Trees

In an exciting development, St Fagans, the National History Museum of Wales, on the outskirts of Cardiff, is rebuilding St Teilo's Church, replete with decorative rood screen.

The church, which originally stood at Llandeilo, near Pontardulais in west Wales, is being faithfully rebuilt to recreate its appearance in the year 1520.

The rood screen will depict the legend of how St Teilo, the patron saint of fruit trees and horses, fled to Brittany to escape yellow fever in 545 AD.

Not sure how St Teilo managed to combine the two contrasting responsibilities of fruit trees and horses, but, he/she is certainly the leader in the most intriguing patron saint stakes...

Am a bit disapointed at St Teilo abandoning his/her duties, merely to escape yellow fever, unless it's possible to administer patronage from France...

Further research also revealed that in due course, St Teilo returned to Wales, and helped the locals defeat a tricky dragon, which he tied to a rock at the seaside...

Lady Luck

Now I've seen everything - last night, Ferguson apparently admitted that Man U were lucky to beat Wigan, and for once he's right - an outrageous own goal, which hit a Wigan player via the crossbar, in the last minute, and this after a typically lucky equalizing goal via a mishit shot, which turned into a pass. Pure jam.

This morning it's tipping it down, so am looking for a window to go out.

Been out, got soaked, now drying off.

Grey all day, drizzle and mist on the mountains, which are probably, strictly speaking, hills.

Daisy Chain

Walking back up from town today, I noticed that some daisies were out on the grassy bank at the side of the path, so this must mean that winter is almost a spent force. Brought a daisy home, to remind me to mention it...

Cricket and Spring

Watched a bit of England unsuccessfully attempting to get India out, and then went for a walk and some shopping - needless to say they took a couple of wickets as soon as I'd gone out.

Cold and sunny. Snow gone, apart from patches in corners and shadows.

Listening to The Cribs.

Apparently there is an arguament going on in the media about when Spring starts...

Light

Very cold and icy this morning, over the remains of yesterdays snow.

Children disapointed that we weren't snowed in, and that they had to go to school.

Man from British Gas came to fix light fitting in hall, which had quietly exploded and taken to rejecting light bulbs.

Still very cold. More snow predicted...

St Davids Day

New Welsh parliament building finally opened today. Most exciting...

We had some snow - not loads, but enough to close the schools, and give the kids a day off...