Getting Better



My bat is bigger than yours

The Walkng Dead is building up to a crescendo
Tonight's episode had a rather sweet macho posturing between my favourite redneck Daryl and the Latin American hunk Martinez
Which made for compelling viewing
A cracking episode
Only three more to go
Who will survive?

The Screaming Of The Bunnies



Spring is here.
I realised this fact at exactly 6.55am when the screaming started in the living room and the dogs flew off the duvet in unison and belted down the staircase like a furry, hysterical waterfall.
In this house spring means Albert is hunting
And Albert's favourite prey in spring is rabbit.
Baby rabbit.
Recently a few of us have been a little under par.
I remain tired and run down post viral infection, Albert has been off his food and Meg has had a lame back leg, but after the baby bunny had started its high pitch screaming in the living room we were all up and running like Oscar Pistorius after the gunshot.
There is something terribly human and upsetting about a screaming rabbit.
After a brief tug of war, the poor thing was fading fast, so much so that I had to finish it off by clacking it on the head with the copper kettle which is sat on top of the wood burner.
Naked and clutching a bloodied kettle at 7 am in the morning, I didn't quite look at my best
These animals will be the death of me

They were bunnies actually

A Late Entry

Pippa from the old rectory volunteered for the the latest "Trelawnyd" 
Internet Sensation.
Yesterday I did ask another villager who will remain nameless to add his version to the others
He refused with a smile
Saying
" YOU need to get out more"
Perhaps he's right!

TRE-LAWN-YD

Galestorm asked if I could let her know how Trelawnyd is pronounced
Well here goes
Included in this 'research video collection'
1. Auntie glad
5. Islwyn ( the revampof Bosoms)
7. Kit (she of the homemade slippers)
10. Animal helper Pat
12. Affable despot Jason 













 

The Ebenezer Chapel


Originally built by John Wynne, who was the founding father of Trelawnyd ( formally known as Newmarket)' the chapel has stood in the village since 1700. Before that the building was originally a market hall.
illuminated by six oval windows, the chapel itself is bright and welcoming
Bryn Davies is one of the last senior chapel men who is responsible for taking readings when the minister is not present. his grandfather was decon of the chapel as he is today.
The chapel records (below) had to be written in English and not Welsh and date from the 1700s.


The chapel records, which are still added to today by the visiting minister. Below the boxed in pews.
The tiny chapel holds around 100 people, the same as the village church.
Below the ceiling with the ornate ventilation grills. Retain the grandeur of the original 1600s market hall 





d
The ceilings and plasterwork

Morning Jobs

The badgers have run their fat bastard riots last night, and yet again have raided a corn bin which had been weighted down by concrete slabs!....I cannot afford to lose feed on this scale to a family of badgers which has trebled in numbers over two years.

We had snow last night, and the ground is hard and unforgiving. I started clearing "Bosoms" yesterday afternoon and wanted to get stuck in again today, but I am afraid I would be pissing in the wind if I started to throw the spade around.
To support the hoards of cold and hungry hens I have the field population the carcass of a roast chicken, which they dispatched within one minute flat...Birds are in need of some extra protein this awful winter


I have been busy with jobs all morning. Some essential, some not. I delivered some pork to old poultry farmer Bob and his wife, in lieu of some more lessons in poultry dressing , and have arranged with Bryn Davies to photo the inside of the Ebenezer Chapel this afternoon.
The building was converted from a corn store and market hall into a chapel around 1700 and is one of  the most important and historic buildings in the village.
I will post the photos on the blog laters is afternoon.
Jackie, the ever cheerful dog groomer is presently converting scruffy bastard George from THIS
into THIS,!
She is still tempting me with a friend who wants a home later this year for her four year old bulldog bitch.
The bitch is called BLANCHE
Hummmm?

A Welsh Gal Done Good



This was a new one on me
I was fascinated by the story of Princess Lillian of Sweden who died today at the age of 97
Born in the South Wales Valleys in 1915 plain Lillian Davies moved to London to work as a model before getting married to an actor Ivan Craig. After divorcing her husband she embarked on a decades long love affair with Prince Bertil of Sweden before she eventually married him in 1973
According to the press, Princess Lillian was a firm favourite with the Swedish People, popular for her  sense of humour and prank playing.
( though you can't quite capture that in the above photo?)
I liked this story.
I liked it because it underlines how fickle life can become when you follow your heart and "go with the flow"
Who knows where we all will end up?
HAVE THERE BEEN FICKLE MOMENTS OF FATE IN YOUR LIFE.?



Mother's Day

Today is Mothers' day here in the Uk
On the way home from work, I noticed that people were walking about clutching the odd bunch of flowers or a potted plant, presents obviously destined for moms at home and as I was feeding the chickens this lunchtime I couldn't help noticing that there was a steady stream of visitors to the graveyard. Visitors who again were wandering around with bunches of daffs wrapped up in silver foil.
I was orphaned at the age of 40, and so Mothering Sunday has generally passed me by in more recent years. I am not one for grave visiting either, I have no need to do so, for me personally there is no comfort in that sort of pilgrimage.
On that level, I am very lucky.

Anyhow
To all you mothers out there!
Enjoy your bunches of spring flowers and boxes of chocolates...
I am sure you all deserve a great deal more.

My mother was a bit of a character!