Swans and Giant Rhubarb

The swans in the pill are nesting again. They have moved a bit further towards the bridge this year and hopefully they are a bit higher up the waterline. I hope they have more success this year. Despite successfully hatching two cygnets last year both disappeared after only 2 days, I don't know what happened to them but I presume a fox or something had them. So far they have 2 eggs and I shall keep you posted on developments.


Mrs Swan sitting on her nest

Keeping a wary eye on the intruders.

As it was such a lovely day today we decided to do a bit in the garden. My day gave me a cutting from his Gunnera the other day so we planted that in a suitable spot. I really hope it takes as I have always wanted a Gunnera plant. It is the stuff that is like giant rhubarb and if it grows well gets so big you can stand under it.

At the moment it is only little though as you can see from the pics, but if it does grow well I shall take some more pics later.

Noel also mowed the lawn and I had a fight with my weeping willow while I tried to get rid of some of the dead wood from the centre. This has resulted in my arms getting all scratched to bits but it does look a lot better now.

Hillsborough

I'm not a football fan, never have been, never will be, its egg chasing for me every time. But the Hillsborough disaster, like Aberfan is one of those moments in time when you know where you were and what you were doing when it happend.

20 years ago yesterday, I know where I was, I was in London with Noel, celebrating his 30th Birthday with a weekend away, a rare treat for us in those pre-children, still skint days. It was a big adventure for us country folk to venture to the big city and we were having a wonderful time, until we came back to the hotel on the Saturday evening and watched the dreadful events that had unfolded on that afternoon in Sheffield. Noel was worried because his cousins were avid Nottingham Forest fans and were at the match, we know now that no Forest fans were affected but at the time it was awful not knowing. But they were affected because they were there and they still don't like to talk about it now 20 years later.

I have watched the news coverage of yesterday's memorial with a lump in my throat and a tear very close to my eye (its my age and I get like that over stuff these days), and still can't understand how something like that could have been allowed to happen in a "civilised" country. I confess I didn't realise the controversey which still surrounds that day and I was shocked when I followed a link to a memorial site, at how young many of the victims were, the youngest only 10 years old. I was even more surprised when watching the news that Erin had no idea of what had happened, you forget that the youngsters don't seem to have the social history that you acquire with age.

RIP the 96.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone, hope you haven't eaten too much chocolate (especially you Julie... I saw the size of that egg!!!).

My Easter has been pretty quiet really. I have been working Easter Sunday and today (Easter Monday), so no long weekend for me unfortunately.. but hey I get a long weekend every week so it dosn't really matter!!

Good Friday was a lovely day so after Noel had finished off some jobs he needed to do, we got out the little green machine and headed off into the country. We decided to stop at Hayscastle Cross for a pub lunch which was very nice, despite us being the only ones in pub apart from a couple of locals. We then went cross country to Solva where we had a drink outside the Harbour House and and watched the chaos that is Solva car park on a Bank Holiday. Despite the sun shining there was still a very cold wind and we were glad of our jackets I can tell you.

We then strolled down to the quay where we met the Harbourmaster (Noel's cousin Anthony) and had a chat with him before bumping into his Uncle Selwyn and Aunti Vi who were out for a walk with his cousin's wife and baby (Sarah and Thomas Llewellyn). We all decided to have a cup of coffee in the cafe on the quay (see pic) and spend a very pleasant hour catching up on all the family news and gossip.

As we were in the area we then decided to call on Chris and Julie in St. Davids. Chris was just heading off to their house which is being built, so we went with them and had a good nosey around. I've not been there since it was just the slab so I saw big changes, it is very nice and hopefully they will be in soon. We then went back for a coffee, which turned into a drink, which turned into a invitation to stay for dinner, which turned into a few more drinks, which ended up with us staying the night!!

Next day we left about 9am and headed home. Noel had some more jobs to do then we took a spin to Pembroke Dock and a quick look around Do It All.... exciting Bank Holiday stuff eh! The rest of Saturday was spent very lazily doing not much at all except watching tv and drinking wine.

Yesterday as I said was back to work, as is today. Although you couldn't get two such different days. Yesterday was glorious sunshine with lots of small boats out enjoying themselves. Today is wind and rain (typical Bank Holiday really!!)

Tomorrow is Noel's 50th Birthday, but we have nothing planned as I am working tomorrow night and I think he is trying to forget the fact he is half a century old!!

Wild and Windy

When I first started this job I didn't mind the night watches too much, but as the time goes on they are getting harder and harder. Last night was pretty busy, sort of steady all the way through with a mixture of pilot jobs and other things to keep us occupied, such as making sure fishing vessel's didn't get in the way of tankers etc.

Tonight it is wild, wet and windy.... and because of that QUIET!.. in lots of respects. Currently I am more bored, that a bored thing being bored to death by a boring person from boring city..... and its only quarter past nine, only nine and half hours to go...yippeee!!

Today was my Dad's birthday. 67 I think, but I'm not sure. When I finally emerged from bed at about 2pm I popped over to see him and give him a present (bottle of Pernod) and a card. We had a cup of coffee and a chat and caught up on all the family gossip. My first counsin Dyfed (yes that really is his name... and yes its the same as the County), has been suffering from skin cancer and has been undergoing treatment, but is on the mend now (thank god). His father died from cancer and both his mother and sister have had breast cancer... not the luckiest branch of the family I'm afraid. Anyway he seems to be ok and he and his wife Sarah are expecting their second baby anytime.

By the time I got back from Dad's there was little time to do anything except clear up the mess in the kitchen, something I was really mad at having to do because it is Easter Holidays and Erin and Martin had been lazing around watching TV all day and could have done it, before I had to get ready for work.

So here I am, sitting in the semi dark, starring at an empty radar screen, listening the the howling wind and lashing rain and counting down the hours till I can be all tucked up snuggly in bed... hope you are all thinking of me!!

A Nice Surprise

My four days off go far too quickly for my liking. No sooner am I getting used to being in relax mode when there goes my alarm again at the ungodly hour of 5.45am and when that is a Saturday or a Sunday it just seems to add insult to injury.

Friday was basically a "potter about" day. The plumber came to fit the new shower door in the main bathroom only to discover that when it broke on its hinges it cracked the shower tray. This means that we will have to get yet another new shower tray, the second in 6 months... this is getting expensive!! I just hope that Noel manages to take this one out without damaging any of the tiles which is what happened last time and meant we had to re-tile the whole shower area!

The new cleaners also turned up on Friday and seem to be doing an excellent job (and for less money than the old cleaner). Friday evening I made a fish pie for supper which was very yummy, then Meurig came over for a few glasses of wine. The boys retired to the hot tub about 11pm which was far too late for me as I had work in the morning so I went to bed about 11.45pm.

Yesterday was a very very quiet day at work which in itself is a good thing, but when the sun is shining outside and you are stuck in the Ivory Tower it can be very frustrating. When I got home Noel suggested that we go to Druidston for a meal so I wouldn't have to cook. As it was a beautiful evening this seemed like a really good idea, so we headed off cross country in the little green machine (one of it's first outings this year).


We had a lovely bar meal at Druidston, mediterranean stuffed aubergines and salad for me and tandoori chicken and rice for him, followed by sticky toffee pudding and fresh cream for both of us. Unfortunately it was too chilly to sit outside but we did catch glimpses of the stunning sunset through the patio doors.

Today I am in work again, and it is relatively quiet. The TEMBEK will be leaving this afternoon, with much less fuss and nonsense than when she arrived. I have no plans for this evening apart from a nice rib-eye steak for tea and a catch up with all my Facebook thingies.

Mmmmm Cream Tea

I have been a good and dutiful daughter today and taken my invalid mother out for the afternoon. She is apparently going stir crazy being stuck in the house and not able to drive, so I picked her up at 1.30pm and headed for the coast. It was a beautiful afternoon so I thought that a nice cream tea in the garden at Druidston would be just what the doctor ordered.

As you can see it was lovely, fresh scones warm from the oven, topped with strawberry jam and lashings of fresh cream, eaten sat outside in the walled garden away from the cold wind but still with the sound of the sea just over the cliff.

As you can tell, Mother enjoyed hers!! You can see how bruised her hand is after the operation to remove her ganglion, her foot is equally as bruised.

After tea we drove back along the coast road via Newgale and Simpson Cross getting home about 3.15pm. I have promised to take her out again next week when I am off.

Oh and by the way well done Ellie and Julie for spotting my April Fools. Poor Jess had to ask if it was true so failed miserably. Sorry Jess but there will be no Blowynetta in the near future.

An Artist in the Family

Erin and her art group have been involved in a community programme this week to paint a mural on a bit of wall on the Mount Estate. They were at it Monday and Tuesday and she came home covered in paint on Tuesday. The result is this

I think its great, Erin did the group of figures holding hands in the bottom right and this bit of an oil refinery in the top left corner.
I just hope that it dosn't get vandalised as they put an awful lot of time and effort into it.

Today there has been great excitement next door and I missed it all when I was shopping at Tescos. The house across the road from us was raided by Police. They were all dressed up in vests and had dogs with them and everything. Not sure what they were looking for but my guess is drugs. Noel and the girls watched it all from the bedroom window and must have been spotted because the police waved to them!!

Ffion and I went to the Ferry for lunch today and had a very nice steak and onion baguette with chips. I shall be back down there again tonight for real life Pub Quiz.. that's three weeks in a row, I just hope we can make it three wins in a row.

Oh yes nearly forgot..... I'm pregnant!