What A Twit

I've decided to give Twitter another go.

It's been over a year since I stopped being ignored on there and the lovely Kate left a message on this post confirming what I'd suspected just might be true.

Sometimes, I AM a little bit funny!!

I do wonder sometimes.  I mean, I OFTEN say stuff that I think is hilarious but there are times that I feel slightly unappreciated.

I'll say something really witty to SD and then pause ....  No reaction, he just carries on with whatever 'very important' job he's doing.  I'll give him a moment just in case he's ruminating my total genius and then I'll repeat it ...  Still nothing or, even worse, he'll hurrumph and then just carry on ...

'Did you hear what I said?'

'Mmmm ...'

'Don't you think it was funny??'

'Hurrumph ....'

'WTF does HURRUMPH mean .... ???'

'Was I funny ... did you do a SILENT chortle ... I need you to laugh out loud ... show some facial expression ... collapse in a writhing heap of hysterical mirth or SOMETHING!!!'

SD sighs and carries on with the 'very important' job.

I am deflated ... distraught and downcast ...

I am reminded of the time when I convinced myself that I was slightly mad and 6 out of 8 of my friends agreed except in this case it seems that SD does NOT agree with me and in fact I'm not a bit funny (although he may think I'm slightly mad ...).

I ask him what he DOES see in me then.

'Well' he said, 'you make a fantastic crumble ....'

'AND?'

'Your cakes are great too'

'AND??'

'You've got ....  pretty good legs ...??'

I point out that that sounds more like a question than a statement from a man who knows he's sinking fast not to mention that apparently my crumble is fantastic, my cakes are great but my legs only score a 'pretty good' and my personality doesn't even get a mention!

So anyway, I'm going to go and be unappreciated by a more discerning audience for a while, if you want to see what SD's missing then you can find me here.

Holly Days

This time last week I was in one of the most beautiful places in England and, in my opinion, possibly one of the most beautiful places in the world.

I'm so fortunate living in Somerset, I'm surrounded by gorgeous countryside and stunning coastlines but my heart lifts just a little every time I cross the border into Cornwall.

This post is about our holiday but it's also for Holly who, although she now lives in Canada, spent much of her childhood not far from where we were.

Here's a little reminder for you Holly:

Originally we had planned to start our holiday on the Bank Holiday Monday, travelling down mid afternoon in the hope that most of the traffic would be north bound but, as in the way of the English Bank Holiday the forecast was dire so we postponed for a day and set off late morning on Tuesday.

The weather was GLORIOUS and the closer we got to Cornwall the better it was.

We stayed on the same campsite as last year.  If you want to read about last years holiday, how Miss Mac broke my nose, how I got my revenge by dying her blue, vegetarian road kill and learn a little Cornish dialect then take a look here and here.

This year Miss Mac brought a friend with her.  The part of Cornwall we stayed in is fairly remote and the campsite, although beautifully maintained and in a gorgeous setting is basic (which is why we chose it).  There is no club house, pool, evening entertainment and there is no WiFi so it only seemed fair that she had some company other than us.

We set up camp fairly quickly wanting to make the most of the day and then headed down to Porth Curnow beach.  The walk from the carpark to the beach takes you down a winding lane past beautiful houses and this:

Gunnera manicata or giant rhubarb

This is one freaky looking plant!  Bear in mind that I'm 6ft tall and this stuff towered above me.  Some of the leaves are 4ft across and the giant spiky flowers that look like something out of a twisted fairytale are 2/3ft long.

Part way down the path SD and I detoured to the right and, rather than taking the path to the beach we headed for the cliff path and the Minack Theatre.

The Minack is an open air theatre set in the cliff, you can read a little of it's fascinating history here.  There was a performance on that evening with several hundred people queueing at the top to get in so unfortunately we couldn't go for a wander around this time but here are some photos taken on the way up:

Me trying not to look terrified (although I am a complete woose when it comes to heights!)

And again with Porth Curnow beach in the background

It was a beautiful evening and we ended it eating dinner outside at the Cable Station.  Porth Curnow itself also has a fascinating history, as a major submarine communications station (hence the name of the pub). You can read about it here if you are interested.

Our second day was spent in Penzance, preplanned as the forecast had been for cloud and showers.  In the end the weather wasn't too bad and we had a lovely day wandering the streets and drinking coffee in a great little cafe that couldn't seem to decide if it were Hungarian, French, Dutch or Cornish.  On the menu was traditional Cornish cream teas, breakfasts of croissants, goulash soup and the most amazing looking French pastries run by a lovely Dutch couple.

I'd given Miss Mac some spending money and sent her off with her friend to do their own thing.  Miss Mac's favourite purchase of the day?

A loaf of white bread!

She's always complaining that I only buy wholemeal or seeded bread so she bought her own.

The following day we woke up to wall to wall sunshine.  SD and I headed left on the cliff path to Lamorna while Miss Mac and friend headed right back to Porth Curnow.  To be honest, I really didn't expect them to make it the whole way there.  It's only about 4 miles but anyone who's ever walked the cliff paths of Cornwall knows that distance means nothing on that kind of terrain.  Miss Mac had walked it with us last year but I was worried that she had forgotten just how hard it was.  In the event I had misjudged them and they DID make it all the way calling in at several coves on the way and then they got the open top bus back to the top road and walked the last mile back to camp.

I've been to Lamorna before but I've never walked the cliff path there, it was BREATHTAKING!

Look!:

High up on the cliff - we had walked from the second furthest point you can see and still had a way to go.

One side of Lamorna - it's impossible to photograph the whole thing in one shot as the bay is almost U shaped.

We sat and drank coffee for a while and then headed back via the road and bridle path, a much shorter and easier route.

The path took us past the Merry Maidens, a circle of standing stones that are almost as well known as Stonehenge and, just past them we came across this new and very odd garden.  It's a beautiful walled garden in the middle of nowhere with no house attached to it.  I've no idea why it's there, it wasn't last year and there is no sign of any building work but someone has spent a lot of time making this garden.

Friday was our last day and we packed up camp and headed for Sennen.  This beach is MASSIVE and well known for surfing.

But there's so much more to see at Sennen:

It's still has a small but active fishing community

The Roundhouse and Capstan gallery

Lovely old cottages many of which are holiday lets.

Possibly the only downside to Sennen is the very steep walk back up to the carpark:

The perspective isn't great in this photo but those tiny dots on the right are people on the beach and the black square is actually quite a large building.

It all proved a little too much for these two and they finished the climb on their hands and knees!

We had, as ever, SUCH a good time in Cornwall.  If the weather holds (and I here tell of an Indian Summer!) then we will try to get one more weekend down there camping this year or, failing that, head for Newquay in the October half term and stay in a B&B.

So, that was just a part of my Summer, so much else has been going on and hopefully I will find some time to tell you about it.

Hoping your summer was as great as mine!

Rubbish Tuesday

I'm going for oldish and interesting this week for Roans Rubbish Tuesday.

As before, my photos have come from the farm.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Somerset and SD and I decided it was time to pick some of the plums on the ancient plum tree before they all fall off and the chickens eat them.

SD pulled out this fantastic stepladder. I'm not sure it's particularly old being as its made of aluminium but it's been around a while and it's seen plenty of use.

Every time I see it I think I must photograph it so yesterday that's what I did.

Add caption

I love the build up of different colours, It's almost like a work of art.

Hair Of The Dog

Or, to be more precise ...

The Not So Hairy Arse Of The Shaggy Dog!

Poor old Gussy has an embarrassing problem - actually, he has an embarrassing EXPENSIVE problem!

Gus has an allergy to fleas - I know, SERIOUSLY???  Aren't fleas a right of passage or something for dogs?

Taking of passages, I think he possibly needs his anal glands evacuating again too, deep joy!  Last time the vet did it he kindly showed me all the 'crap' he'd managed to extract - as I urged and nearly threw up on him I'm hoping it's not something he'll ever try to repeat!

Anyway, I've been on holiday!!!  That's another post or two but before I went I bathed and deflead Gus and then sent him off on his own little hols with Grandma and Grampa (aka SD parents).  Gus spends a couple of days a week with them, kind of like canine timeshare and he LOVES it!!

Grandma cooks him fish fingers and shares a rich tea biscuits with him for elevenses and Grandpa takes him hunting and wood chopping and all kinds of exciting boy stuff.

When I picked him up he was feeling a bit sorry for himself (and several pounds heavier too!).  Despite my best efforts he had fleas and has gnawed his bum raw pulling out quite a lot of hair in the process so we are taking a trip to the vets this evening where they will probably give him a flea jab and a course of anti inflammatorys to settle things down and I'll get a huge bill ... lovely ...

I've got SUCH a lot of catching up to do!  It feels like I've hardly been here for weeks blogging or commenting (which is possibly because I haven't!).

Earlier in the holidays SD took me to Welsh Wales - I don't know why I always feel the need to specify that Wales is Welsh but I do.  I mean, it's like a whole other country isn't it (ok, technically it IS a whole other country I KNOW that) but it's like they don't talk English or something ...

Even the ones who DO talk English are completely unfathomable, I seriously can't get my head around the accent and understand what they are saying to me, I just look at them blankly and then look at SD for translation.  I have NO IDEA if they ARE actually taking English or if it's Welsh.

To add to my misery SD insisted that I map read.  SD refuses to have a Sat Nav along with not having a mobile phone ('why can't people just make arrangements and keep to them ...') and prefers to print out directions and maps of where he is going.

Well that's fine except that I'm CRAP at map reading and he KNOWS that.

I warn him that it'll all end in tears, tantrums and maps being thrown on the floor.  He KNOWS that he will have to pull over every few miles, turn the map up the right way and work out where I've sent him and yet he PERSISTS in this torture!!

I'm also hopeless at spotting road signs until after we have sailed past them.

'Look for the A4567' he says, 'we need to turn left there, take the 3rd exit off the roundabout and bear right onto the B1234 for 1/2 a mile before taking the A9384 for 2 miles heading east and then right at the junction of the B4847 and B9474'.

'What?  WHAT???'

I have No bloody idea WHAT he is talking about!

To cap it all they have gone Welsh bloody mad in Welsh Wales and everything is written in both English and Welsh.

Is it any wonder I'm confused?

So now I get Lost in TWO different languages!!

And seriously, it give me the Twmpathau!!!!

Because

No matter how many times I tell her, she doesn't believe me.


So I wrote it on her bedroom wall:

And she really is

Rubbish Tuesday

It's been a while since I took part in Roan's Rubbish Tuesday although I mean to every week time just seems to get away with me.


So, what's Rubbish Tuesday about?

Well, as Roan says:

'My idea was to have a place to post 'old things'.  Anything old and/or deteriorating such as old houses, barns, outbuildings, old cars, rusty things, antiques, interesting junk, or it can be something in pristine condition, but just old. 

1. Link to a post featuring photos of something old.

2. Link back to Rubbish by Roan in your post.

3. As time allows, visit other participants and comment on their posts.'

Most of my post have been on a small scale compared to many who take part and many of them have been of things on and around the farm where I spend much of my time.

There is an old enamel bath which I featured in one of my previous posts, it sits half hidden at the end of the barn catching rain water for use in the vegetable garden and years of exposure have left a myriad of beautiful colours and rust patterns on it's surface.

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago of a tin with some paint brushes in it left on the side of the bath because to me the colours and textures seemed to compliment each other perfectly.

I have played with the photo just a little giving it a slight bloom. It doesn't change the basic colours but I think enhances the depth slightly, I hope you like it as much as I do.

You May Have been Wondering ...

Where on earth I've been ...

Or, you may not ....

God, I must have at least 20 blog posts about the last few weeks but it's just all TOO much so here are some photos instead:

Lulworth Cove Dorset

The path to Durdle Door

My morning view at Burton Bradstock

Sunset over Hive beach

Dinner at Burton Bradstock

Seafront at Swanage

Hot day - freezing sea at Hive

Evening walk with Gus at Longrun Meddow

Sunbathing at Swanage

Lining up for the carnival parade at Swanage

Off for a swim at a much warmer Lulworth Cove

And there has been SO MUCH MORE!!

I haven't even posted any of Woodstoke - a great local music festival OR the party in the orchard BUT, as you can see - I've been busy!!!

I'll try and find some time soon for some words ...