We are home, but blink and you will miss us!

We had to come home because we have run out of clean clothes, dog food and I really need to have a bath. Hallett's mountain's accomadation is truly wonderfull but it is lacking a bath. Well there is an outdoor solar heated one , but whilst there was plenty of rain for bath water there was precious little in the way of sunshine.

Water featured large in our visit. On Monday night I collected by complicated scientific research ( well, actually the glass I left outside by accident) three cms of rain. I think there was just as much for every other night we were there.

And although our feet are now webbed, we still had a lovely time.



Possibly the best front garden in the world.




What happens when there is too much rain!





Fruitbat paints.

There will be lots more pictures - but I'm tired now.
And tomorrow I have to go to festival for five whole days ( YAY!)

It's been a rather mad few weeks - I am having a truly wonderful summer holiday , all the planning that has been taking place all year is paying off.

Our first adventure was to the lovely small festival www.thesmallfestival.co.uk. Lots of wonderfully chilled and happy hippy people. Bit like Woodcraft Camp for grown ups. A plan to leave after tea on the Sunday was abandoned and we finally dragged ourselves away at well past midnight. I think we had a nice time!

I have been extremely brave and made my first forray into the music world. At the truly amazing and wonderfull Music for the People Summer school. www.m4p.org.uk
It was a bit like Big Brother but with a musical background! There were so many first for me - playing , singing and performing. As well as making what I hope will be some life long friends. I have been on an insufferable high for the last few days. Sorry Rock God!

And then it was festival time - I joined the regular friends of the Black Pig for the final day of Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival. The weather failed to dampen our spirits, although I have never been so muddy, and the final chorus of Meet on the Ledge as always almost reduced us all to tears.
What follows is a picture record of a windy dismantling of camp.


The bat girl



The gathered clan.


Francis the human tent peg.





Tomrrow a the next leg of our adventure will take us up Hallett's Mountain. Can't wait.

We have harvested the first of this years vegetables. Yesterday we dinned on our own potatoes, salad leaves and radishes . Our beans and squash plants can only be described as rampant and there looks like there will be enough tomatoes to feed the whole village.

We do however have a bit of a problem - an excessive number of courgettes.

Since becoming vegan the Rock God has been very good and has happily eaten his way through all manner of meatless meals, however he has dug his heels in and is claiming that courgettes are the work of a very bored devil.

We have reached a compromise and he has agreed that if Freddie ( the probiotic dog *) will eat them then so will he. I think I won't have a problem, so far Fred has eaten sweetcorn , brocolli and yoghurt this week. He has asked me not to tell the other dogs , but last night he was begging for cherries. I don't think I will have any problems with courgettes!

(* he does get to eat meat as well! )

So, when most people go to a wedding there are plans to be made, hours of trailing round shops chosing the right outfit, shoes , hair and prsents to buy.
Yesterday , The Rock god and Roaring Meg were booked to play at the
wedding of the lovely Richard and Jane - now we have met this couple before at various events, but I couldn't really say they were close friends, they really just wanted a friendly rock band.

I went along in the afternoon to help the boys set up - since their sound man Andy's unexpected illness ( well noone expects to loose both their legs and the use of their right arm) they have been in need of a little extra support. I can set up lights, microphones and carry boxes. It was very hot, very sweaty and we all got a little dirty.

There were a few tense moments when it looked like the bridal party were going to arive early and trip over a kit strewn dance floor, but they were headed off by the very vigilant photographer. At exactly 4pm we were ready and like willo the wisps prepared to dissapear until needed to perform at 9pm. I did sneek a peek through the side of the marquee - just to get a glimpse of the bride.

The venue organisers were keen to keep us out of sight - in our scruffy jeans, dirty tops ( and my pink crocs) we were hardly appropriately dressed. The best man had other ideas, three guests had not turned up, there were three seats on table three , coincidentally with Dave the guitarists. I did feel rather sorry for the other guests who clearly felt that they didn't want to share their looked forward to wedding breakfast with the turn.

I am pleased to say that I did manage to change out of my jeans in the car park, into a vaguely respectable skirt but I did attend a wedding in the top I had slept in the night before and without a scap of make up.At least I had washed my hair in the morning after swimming but I did still smell of chlorine. It is amazing what a spray of deodorant can mask!
The Rock God wore his stage trousers which are so tight he can't eat whilst wearing them - they are purely decorative!

After a lovely meal my evening improved no end, rather than being left to watch the proceedings alone whilst the boys were busy I enjoyed the undivided attention of the best man, the charming,softly spoken,suave, sophisticated, maker of custom jewellery Julian ( what more could a girl ask for and can I think of anymore adjectives!)- well I did until his girlfriend arrived later!

I was not allowed to go to orchestra tonight - I am considered a health risk. In the high maintenance world of performers the meerest sniffle can cause people to dive for cover. The Rock God has taken to standing poised with a spray disinfectant whenever I approach.
I have had a cold.
And I am starting to feel as if noone likes me.

I also think a head full of snot may have had a funny effect on my brain.

This morning I was awake at 4am, my mouth feeling as if something small and furry had slept in it. Whilst in search of water to wash out the furry animal I found myeslf in the spare room, there was a beautifull sunrise. Whilst distracted I dropped my inhaler off the widow ledge, onto the radiator and wedged it between the wall the radiator and the skirting board. I then used a coat hanger to wedge it further down. I contempleted waking the Rock God and asking him t help. I wondered about taking the radiator of the wall , I did after all have several hours before I needed to be at work.

Whilst deciding I knocked over a mirror, a hair brush and some books - they made a very satisfying crash as they hit the floor. Freddie, being a superb guard dog, lept into action and barked loudly at the intruder. Next doors 2 year old Moaning Myrtle woke up and frightened by the barking dog , screamed. Through the wall I heard her parents wake and rush to comfort her.

The Rock God woke up. He was not impressed. But I was a least able to ask him to rescue my inhaler - and I tried very hard not to laugh when it hit him full in the face.

I hope everyone eventually got back to sleep - I can't be certain, after a dose of night nurse I slept until lunchtime.

Can't seem to stop myself ...............

I think I lost my mojo, that and I had too much work to do and consequently little time and head space to blog.

For those in the world of education this time of the year sees a definite change, an untucking of shirts and a loosening of ties - we head towards activity weeks, sports days and trips to theme parks. I have counted the weeks until the summer break begins.

I have made a career changing decision and expect that this will be my last end of summer term in my current role. Having made the decision the practicalities will sort themselves out.

In other news - it must be summer because this.....



happend in the garden. Once again we have rainbow grass , a multi coloured dog and more t shirts than we know what to do with.
All sizes , all colours - orders can be taken.


We are also conducting an experiment as you can see in the background to test just how many vegetables can be grown in the local councils recycling containers. ( Do not be alarmed we have bins filled with jars and cans round the corner. )

The elderly and now sadly departed have served us well recently and we are making great use of a sewing machine and a piano we have inherited - both making a great amount of noise to annoy our rather aloof neighbours. A large patchwork quilt is growing quickly and yesterday I mastered 'Twinkle, twinkle' (with both hands,) the expense of all those piano lessons years ago clearly completely wasted! The flute is making more promising progress and I and it shall be making our musical debut with the Da Capo orchestra in early July.

And now to plan for the weekend ..... I think a bath and washing some of that dye of might be a good place to start.

I filled in a questionnaire today and had to do something I have never done before. You see - yesterday was an important day in the world of the fruitbat. Yesterday I moved into another realm, for yesterday was my 35th birthday. Today I filled in a questionnare and realised that I was no longer eligible to tick the 24-34 , I have moved up a level - I could truthfully only tick the 35 - 50 box.
I contemplated lying but as we all know this is a slippery slope.
I fear there are other things that will reveal themselves in time.

The Rock God amongst many lovely gifts bought me a sat nav - he suggested I tried it on the way to school today - a journey I have done for almost nine years. Recently there were road works and I got lost, no one believed why I was late when I finally got to school, half way through assembly.

I was surprised yesterday evening when The Rock God returned from work, to find him standing in the doorway holding what looked like an item of black lingerie - I wondered what he had planned for our evening and if this was another exciting birthday gift.
It was however not new knickers at all, but in fact the rather soggy bottom part of my swimming costume that when coming in from the car I had dropped in the middle of the road. I had left my knickers on public display.
The slide has begun.....

It is just past 6.30 - I have been awake close to an hour. I am wearing my pyjamas two jumpers, fleecy socks and the finishing fetching touch of my pink crocs. I am wrapped in a blanket, huddled as close to the radiator ( as close as one can ge without scalding oneself).

I woke at 12, at 3 and then finally at 5. On each ocassion I had been convinced it was morning - those with more sense might perpahs have seen the lack of daylight as an indicator that it wasn't! I finally decided that the Rock God had endured enough and have left him to at least an hours un-interrupted sleep, before I bother him again.

We are in Wales , until later today when we shall migrate south for the spring. Wales has fullfilled expectations in being probably the coldest wetest holiday location one could choose. I grew up here, couldn't wait to leave, now we spend our holidays here, and I spend the time away contriving ways to haste our return, and on really tough days I look at the property pages on the net.

We have much to return to Buckinghamshire for, good friends, planned events, careers we enjoy (mostly). I especially enjoy mine when I am in the middle of a pleasingly long holiday!

Tomorrow I shall post photographs and wish I were here.

The mist has risen over the Penrhyn quarry, the gret slag heaps are coming into view and like evreyday we have been here it is all seen through a light fog of drizzle. (The type that makes your hair go really frizzy!)

I think it is time to wake a Rock God.

Just in case anyone was worried I cn confirm that my visit to the dentist was propbably one of the most unpleasnt experiences of my life and rendered me a complete gibbering wreck for about five hours.
The anasethetic has worn off and I am no longer dribbling. Oh and my tooth dosen't hurt anymore!
But I'm never going again....