Day 212 Manor House

Another grey day & a bit damp too. After a leisurely start we headed off to Manor House near Tenby.  This is a small wildlife park & proved to be a good choice for the day.  The highlight was undoubtedly the baby meerkats.  They were so cute! The baby peacocks were cute in an ugly sort of way and the baby gibbon was lovely but difficult to photograph being black on a black mother. The lemurs were easier but had no babies. Here's a small selection of photos.

DAy 211 Gull

It was a quiet day today. To be honest I had a bit of a hangover - too much vino last night! Huw Mel & Mia arrived at lunchtime, the start of their 2 week summer holiday. In the afternoon they went out on the boat with LB while I went in search of some photos.  It was a very grey day and I struggled with the light. I took a couple of photos at St Brides Haven but they were pretty grey too.  The boat trip was very successful particularly for Mia who caught her first ever fish - 3 mackerel, all on the same line. She was thrilled!


Back at the van I spotted my photo for the day - a grey subject that suited the grey day. We don't like seagulls on our roof. From indoors it sounds as if they are stamping up and down in hob nail boots.  This one doesn't have his boots on but I caught him mid stamp!

Day 210 Gwaun Valley

Friday 29 July
Cwm Gwaun, or the Gwaun Valley is a place we've intended walking for some years but for various reasons haven't managed it.  Today was dull but dry and it seemed the ideal walk. It's not particularly long, just 4 miles or so out along the upper edge of the wood above the steep sided valley and back along the valley bottom.  It's broadleaf woodland, mainly beech and hazel with a sprinkling of ash oak and sycamore tree.  It was very peaceful. We only met three other people and the only sound was the Gwaun stream, squabbling sparrows, a few wrens and the haunting whistle of red kites. Magic! I only took two photos, the first is of the Gwaun.  This reaches the sea at Fishguard, in Welsh Abergwaun, or mouth of the Gwaun.

River Gwaun

Dead Tree

Day 209 Daisies

Mel left this morning so we've a couple of days of peace and quiet here.  had a quiet day with some shopping, a snooze and an afternoon sitting around chatting to old friends here and the London cousins.  Didn't have any great photographic inspiration so took some photos of the ox eye daisies in the hedgerow in front of the van. Here's four completely different daisy shots. It was windy so I tried to capture the movement in the wind for the first photo. Not sure how well I've done that or whether it just looks blurry!

Day 208 Cliff Walk

The five of us took a walk through the woods and back down the cliff path this morning.  It was glorious weather & an enjoyable stroll. After lunch G & V said their goodbyes and Mel and I went for a swim along the length of the beach and back. The day finished with a bbq with the London cousins.  A good day but a sad one for Gaz. Broadhaven has been a huge part of his life so difficult to say goodbye to.  Photos are from this mornings walk

Striding out above Broadhaven

Mare, foal & St Bride's Bay

What are you doing up there?

Day 207 Boating

It was a beautiful morning so we decided to take the boat out.  Mel arrived as we were all set to go. We launched into the surf, all getting rather wet in the process.  LB got in to start the engine and realised he'd forgotten the key! Gaz had to go back to get it. The sea was rather lumpy and Mel & Vicky got soaked as they were sitting in the bows. It wasn't the most comfortable boat trip that we've had but the sun came out and we all enjoyed it.   We spent a long time fishing, LB with a rod and me with the old handline my Dad made for us about twenty years ago.  Despite our best efforts we only caught one mackerel. At this time of year there should have been big shoals out there. Where have they gone? That one tasted very good though at the bbq we had on our return ashore

Handline

Day 206 Around North Pembrokeshire

Monday 25 July


We had a road trip around North Pembrokeshire today. Vicky wanted to see the iron age hill fort at Castell Henllys so we headed over the Preseli Hills.  En route we stopped off at the stone age cromlech of Pentre Ifan . Henllys is always interesting.  It's a reconstruction built over the archeological remains that were excavated some years ago.  There are several round houses with beds, tools, looms & cooking implements. Down the road we had a light lunch in the beer garden of the pub in Nevern where we met a large group of jolly German cyclists. They had little English & we knew even less German but managed to admire their bikes, chat about their holiday and share a few jokes. We stopped off at the fort at Fishguard on the way home. After a quick snooze we met up with the London cousins for a meal in the Galleon and a long night of more wine, music song and chat back at their cottage.


I didn't concentrate on photos today so only have rubbish ones. My excuse is that I was teaching Vicky all about my old camera which she & Gaz are having.  This is a photo of a chandelier in Nevern church with a reflection of the pews.

Day 205 Eating

Sunday 24 July

It was a strange sort of day.  LB's cousin's family are renting a cottage here in Broadhaven for the week so we met up with them at about 11.30 over in Little Haven.  As it was raining they had taken to the pub.  Three and a half hours later LB and I left them, still there! We'd had a good nattter, laughed and joked and enjoyed a nice lunch. Back at the caravan the other three had a long snooze while I read.  By the time they woke up it was time to think about the evening meal.  We still haven't done any food shopping here so opted for Haverfordwest's excellent Indian restaurant.  The service was a little slow as they were understaffed but the food was both original and delicious.  It had all the usual curries  but also a good range of dishes I'd not come across before.  My tilapia was outstanding. Here's the table as we were tucking in to some popadums and pickles.

Add caption

Day 204 Broadhaven

The washing machine finally died this morning :( I did a wash while we were packing to go away but when it had finished & I opened the door out came smoke and the smell of burning! It was only momentary but we've unplugged it pulled it out from its cubby hole, checked for no heat or flames and waited to make sure nothing was on fire! It'll be a new machine when we get home.

But now......Hooray! We're back in Broadhaven, Pembrokeshire for a week with Gaz & Vicky. We took the cameras down the beach  this evening. We didn't wait till sunset but managed a shot of the low sun over the sea for today.

Nearly Sunset.

Day 203 Fruity

Back to the usual routine of parent and hospital visiting today.  I always feel a bit down after that so again didn't ick up the camera till late.  I fancied something a bit more colourful  than yesterdy so here is a study of a backlit half slice of lime.

Tomorrow we're off to Pembrokeshire for a week so you can expect some land and seascapes.  I'm hoping for some nice sunsets too.

Day 202 I Spy

A quiet day today - recovering from yesterday! Didn't even think of a photo until late after LB had gone to bed. I've always liked close up photos of eyes so I tried to photograph my own....tricky! I used the compact camera's macro mode so I could get close up but of course I couldn't see what I was doing and with a narrow depth of focus I found half the pictures had my nose in focus and eye blurry.  I managed one reasonably sharp one of my eye but then didn't like my blotchy skin so converted it to black and white.  There's also a rather weird reflection of me in the corner of my eye - a self portrait within a self portrait!

I'm watching you!

Day 201 BBQ for Gaz

Finished the spring clean this morning & spent the afternoon preparing for the nights barbecue. It was a family gathering of 11.  The weather wasn't brilliant but it stayed dry and with the heater we have on our parasol over the table we managed to keep warm enough.  No apologies then for some family photos.


Our Daily  Challenge was Anticipation which I think was fulfilled by the bbq while we were waiting for the smoke to clear!

What no Flames!

Gaz on Uncle Mike's Knee

The Family

Waiting for the guests

LB The Videographer

Mia & Bubbles

Day 200 Two Hundred!!!

Fancy having taken two hundred photos for this project! As ever when I reach a milestone, I've  not had much time for photography today.  As well as shopping for tomorrows bbq I've been having a bit of a spring clean.  I'm ashamed of this house, with so much going on recently I've just been giving it a quick going over with the vacuum and duster in the bits where it's obvious.  The time has come to get into the corners!  One of the things I did was to wash all my glasses.  Although they're in a cabinet they've not been used much and had aquired a grimy coat.  Now they're all nice and shiny!  Anyone for champagne?

Day 199 Wanderlust

Monday 18 July


Only home two days and looking forward to going away again! Got back into normal routine with a visit to the parents.  We're doing a family bbq on Wednesday as a farewell to Gareth & Vikki.  They're setting off to Australia in 3 weeks so we're not quite saying goodbye yet but this was the most convenient date for everyone. My photo is of thoughts of travel!

Where Next?

Day 198 Washing Day

Sunday 17 July


Again a typical post holiday day.  Unpacking and doing the washing.  the washing machine has started making strange noises and refused to spin one load but then spun the next ok.  I've still a few more loads to do so hope it doesn't die on me!  Our Daily challenge was nine so nine pegs seemed an appropriate photo for today.

Day 197 Home Again

Saturday 16 July


We had intended staying until Monday but as the weather forecast was for rain all day Saturday and for most of Sunday there didn't seem much point in hanging around.  We'd taken the awning down and started packing up on Friday night.  We left our lovely little campsite at  9.00 for the long journey home.  We got back at about 5.00.  I was suffering (& still am!) from post holiday lack of inspiration. I've taken a few abstract photos. I think they might be handy to use as backgrounds or textures but not sure they're  much good as they are.  It's all I've got for today though so here they are.

Day 196 Boat Trip

Friday 15 July


Sorry, it's catch up time again!   Friday was as I'd imagined a day on the Broads to be.  The forecast was good and we awoke to a cloudless sky.  We were pleased to see a greater spotted woodpecker in the tree closest to the caravan, only a few feet from us. Disappointingly he flew off before I could get a photo.  Anyway we packed our bags and headed to Wroxham where we hired a day boat.  This was a nice 6 seater diesel engined tub that happily  pottered up and down the River Bure and around Wroxham, Salhouse & Hoveton Little Broad.  We had a great day out although suprisingly I didn't find the photographic opportunities that great.  I did get an interesting angle on a preening swan so that's todays main photo plus a view down river.

Day 195 Rain

Thursday 14 July

We had an exceedingly lazy day today - well you need one occasionally!  It rained nearly all day and although we had thought of a few things to do we ended up staying in the caravan, watching the British Open golf Championships , the Tour de France and catching up on t he News of the World phone hacking scandal.  Around us the swallows were giving a tremendous display of low flying ability.  There were dozens of them swooping over the field.  They were too fast for me to capture them in flight but they landed now and then, close to the caravan.  We also had a brief visit from the partridges and tits and finches were using our bird feeder.  This was the most comfortable bird hide I've been in!

Swallow

Swallows in the pear tree

Red legged partridge

Rain

Day 194 The Coast

Wednesday 13 July

 It was a cold, windy day with the threat of rain in the grey skies.  We had hoped to hire a dayboat and explore some of the Broads but instead decided that exploration by car would be more comfortable.  We headed to Cromer on the coast north of Hickling.  It is famed for its dressed crab and to be honest there wasn't much else there to be impressed by.  It's a dour red brick town that has seen better days.   The large victorian hotels loomed over the narrow streets and all looked in need of a coat of paint and modernisation. We battled the wind as we struggled along the sea front to the pier.  At the end of the pier is the lifeboat station which contains a substantial lifeboat which must be a reassuring sight if you're in trouble on the huge seas here.  Back in town we had lunch in a cafe and I can confirm that the reputation for crab is well deserved as I tried the dressed crab salad.

Further up the coast at Sheringham we visited the town museum where we learnt the history of the Sheringham lifeboats.  The earlier ones were open boats propelled by 16 oarsmen and a lugsail. To set out in one in rough seas to undertake a rescue must have taken the utmost courage.

Our final stop was at Mundesley for a cream tea and some photos of the sea.

Rough Seas

Rough Seas

Cromer Pier

Nets in Sheringham Museum

Day 193 Another Cycle Ride

After a leisurely ride we set off on the bikes again. It was a grey and slightly chilly day day but ok for a cycle. We did a 20 mile circular route with several stops.  Firstly at Sea Palling we diverted off the road to have a look at the beach.  This was huge and sandy with regular short stone breakwaters paralleling the shoreline.  It was quite windy today but must be nice if ever there's a hot sunny day!  A mile or two further on we stopped at Waxham Barn. This was very impressive and had been built in the 1500's.

 It also had a tearoom which supplied us with a pot of tea and scrumptious coffee & walnut cake. A few more miles brought us to Horsey wind Pump.  This looks like a traditional wind mill but was a pump which pumped water from the dykes draining the farmland into the Broads & river system.  My main photo is of the cogwheels in the cap linked to the sails.

  Later we stopped again at a pub in Martham for lunch, had a quick look at the boats at Potter Heigham before returning to the campsite.  In the evening a final pint in the Greyhound pub in Hickling completed the day before settling down back in the van.

Last photo is of yesterday morning's partridges.