Ymwelwyr

My Dad & Step-Mom have been visiting so we have been taking advantage of the opportunity to do touristy things. Today we went to the National Botanic Garden of Wales which is really lovely...

Yesterday we went to Newton House/Dinefwr Castle:

And then Greg and I went for a little walk up to the bandstand at the top of Penlan Park where I took this lovely view of Llandeilo!

Siwgr

Other things I am doing with the vast quantity of sugar I am now in possession of -- pear wine!

AND, I am waiting for Paul to phone me back to arrange when, but I've been told that the rhubarb wine I started AGES ago is now ready to be bottled!

Eirin

This has been the week of plums. Bart & Mandy who live across the road said I could have all the plums off one of their plum trees which is lovely as the six plums on our tree all vanished before ripening!

I got some sugar from a friend of a friend of mine who owns a bakery:

...and using the new preserving pan that I got for Xmas...

...I made a vast quantity of plum preserves!

Breakfast -- eggs from our hens and homemade bread with homemade plum preserves!

The weather outside continues to be miserable, but inside the greenhouse, things are growing...

Dw i wedi enill eto!

It's been a very exciting last few days for me as I have won a prize at the Eisteddfod again! I actually got the letter telling me I'd won a month ago, but they ask that you not tell anybody in advance so that it's a surprise on the day -- and it's been really hard for me to keep my mouth shut for that long!

I went up by train on Wednesday from Llangadog station and was amazed how full the car park was -- there was practically nowhere to park -- of course, when I got back today, the car park was completely empty, and poor Beryl looked very odd parked all the way down at the bottom by the road!



There was an interesting information point thing at Llangadog station where you can hear info about the history of Llangadog and walking tours and where to get taxis and buses -- and it's human powered -- you have to generate electricity by turning the crank to hear the messages! I was quite amused to learn that St Cadog's Church is home to a symphony orchestra and choir...

On the train on the way up I noticed that somebody has removed the English spelling of Llanymddyfri from the station sign...

This man is in no danger of losing his train ticket:

Anyhow, I eventually arrived at my destination, which was Flint, where I stayed with my friend Jeanette's brother and his wife. I hadn't quite realised the geography of the area until I got there -- you can see England just across the water from just about everywhere in Flint...

The next morning they drove me down to the Eisteddfod where I spent the day discovering that I can understand people speaking "North-Walian" Welsh just fine!

Here's me with the Archdruid, Selwyn Iolen:

And this is Mair Spencer, the judge who decided that I was the winner of CYSTADLAETH 130. Darn i'r papur bro yn disgrifio digwyddiad (150 o eiriau) Lefel: Sylfaen:

After all that seriousness, I needed to relax a bit, and what could be more enjoyable than a fastest milk drinking completion! :)

This morning I went for a walk with Jack the dog around Flint and saw Flint Castle as well as lots of other interesting things.

(yes, this is Jack...)

This is England across the water again, so you can see why they built the castle where they did...

Is this where Professor Trelawney lives? :)

On the way back, I had to change trains in Shrewsbury (in England!!!) which has a lovely train station...

...but some horrible modern architecture -- this is the faux-Tudor "Darwin Shopping Centre" -- I think poor Charles is turning in his grave...

Spotted from the window of the train on the return journey -- a little red tractor, hard at work!

In other news, we had a big Sunday lunch last Sunday where we roasted a leg of our own lamb:

Yum! With the exception of the potatoes, everything on this plate was grown here at Bwlchyrhyd...