~ Snippets of Summer ~ Part One ~ Two Walks ~

Early on in the summer, there were two walks on consecutive days along the Coastal Path with my friend Jude, and Tilly's old friend Dilwyn.

Tills, on the left, and Dills

In Solva three years ago

It was the first walk we had done together since Tilly became ill over two years ago, and she was terribly missed. Dilwyn is so lovely; he gives me even more love than he used to, whenever he sees me now. He knows that I miss our darling girl.

Solva harbour...there is a woolen mill in the village, where Jackie Morris often goes to sign her books, which are for sale there...I love giving them as gifts.

What time can do...

There were mysterious caves...

 and seals far below us...

I love that they are as curious about us, as we are about them....

....and this belly roll...

You can hear my friend, Jude, speaking....

There were orchids galore...

and my first introduction to squills...aren't they beautiful...

there were a few Sea Campions that had not yet 'gone over'...

Choughs were paired up and nesting....

These ponies were so quiet and peaceful...I had precious moments of stroking velvet noses, and whispering love words into curious ears.

We visited St Non's Chapel, which is a ruin, and I cannot find the photo I took of it....maybe I only imagined taking it....it had that kind of effect. I did take this image though. The stone is propped up in the corner of the ruin. If you visit the link I've put above, you'll see more about all of it. The modern chapel had swallows flying in and out with great acrobatic speed to feed their babies. They nest there every year, and the Irish nun we spoke to puts newspapers on the floor underneath, and leaves the door open permanently, until the chicks have flown :~)

 We drank from St Non's well....and it did 'do' something for me...lifted a heaviness that has been there for some time.  I noticed that I was happily busy throughout the summer....without effort. I liked it. It is time to visit and drink again.

An unexpected and pleasant surprise, was coming across a little hut along the trail, which provided teas, delicious home~made cakes and ice~cream. We had Earl Grey tea, blueberry oatcakes and toffee fudge ice~cream. Mmmm.

This little one was one of a family of Finches who were quite happy to ask for us the share our goodies....and we were more than happy to do so....he was within easy touching distance here....my camera would not focus well.

A, what was once typical, Welsh cottage. I miss them. I stopped to look at this one and dream of the slower and quieter time I knew 'back then'.

The Blue Lagoon of Abereiddi is rather lovely, and quite well known now. 

Some of the ruins at its entrance...

There were so many of these along the path...I moved most of them away from where feet might have squashed them....

I think they turn into this. Isn't that the cutest :~)))

I liked the interesting gothic looking rock formations....

and the monster profiles...

These two days did me so much good. I cast aside all worries and 'round~and~round' thinking and allowed myself to just be ~ breathing in everything I saw, smelled, touched, tasted, heard and imagined. Another walk is imminent....I can't wait.

On Thursday, a little bee was on our windowsill, obviously exhausted. Whenever we see this we offer honey to hopefully revive them. 

It worked this time :~))) It had been feeding for about ten minutes here, and soon after I stopped the video, it started to buzz, and was soon flying out of the window....smiles all round.

On Saturday, Our Boy had his 20th birthday.

It was a great day. We bottled the Lemon Balm wine....and drank one of them! :~)) We're not used to it, so we got sozzled!

Cheers.
Iechud da.
Cariad mawr.
H x

~ April Crescent Moon ~

My Man and I went down to Newgale.

The moon was brightly crescent

in the wake of a rosy sunset.

I raced up the stones

to see the beach.

There wasn't one.

The tide was swollen and full.

The sea, wild ~ powerful,

with waves furiously chasing each other,

the hunter catching the hunted

with a resounding crash

against the pebbles,

before dragging it helplessly back,

stealing its breath

with a whoosh,

then doing it all again,

over and over

in the rhythm of

deepest time.

With energy high,

I danced weightlessly

over sliding stones

and gathered gifts left from a previous tide,

a higher one,

a Super Perigee Moon tide.

Driftwood and heart~stones filled

arms and pockets

until the dusk turned to night

and details crept and seeped

into one another,

hiding until the dawn.

Other gifts were waiting,

and we watched as

Orion, Taurus,

Cassiopeia (my favourite),

and The Plough

slowly switched on their distant

time~travelled light.

6th April, 2011

Following in Virginia Woolf's Footsteps

On a hot day in June this year, My Man and I went to visit a local beauty spot, a seaside village - Manorbier.

I have long been interested in the Bloomsbury Group and

gleefully picked up Virginia Woolf A Biography for 50p at a car boot sale a few months ago. I was delighted to discover that she was a regular summer visitor to Manorbier from 1904.

The image above is of one of two houses in which she is purported to have stayed. At the time it was called Sea View. It was known as Blue Dolphins when Lesley Kenton lived there a few years ago and now it is named Vigilant House after the present owners' boat. Taking a deep breath and grasping my courage in both hands, I knocked on their door to ask permission to photograph the outside of their house.  They very kindly said yes and were incredibly welcoming and helpful...inviting us inside for a brief tour, even though they were preparing a supper for visitors who would be arriving later on that afternoon.

We walked where she may have gently strolled, leaving the faintest of echoes for me to feel her essence, wondering, did she visit the old 12th Century Norman Church.....

fall in love with the simple designs of the brilliantly coloured windows inside.....

gaze in a dream at this view from a wooden bench in the graveyard......

feel how sacred this quiet, peaceful ancient site is......

find paths of enlightenment along the way.....

where her husband may have made her laugh by flirting playfully with her.....

and would she have gasped in delighted awe at the Neolithic 'earth fast' chambered tomb appropriately called King's Quoit, for where better place for a King to set his bones so his spirit may fly free

From this vantage point, I wonder if gazing down, she saw a wave such as this and was inspired, as has been mentioned in her biography, to write The Waves.

I found 'The Waves' in another car boot sale last weekend and the first paragraph makes me swoon!

'The sun had not yet risen. The sea was indistinguishable from the sky, except that the sea was slightly creased as if a cloth had wrinkles in it. Gradually as the sky whitened a dark line lay on the horizon dividing the sea from the sky and the grey cloth became barred with thick strokes moving, one after another, beneath the surface, following each other, pursuing each other, perpetually.'

We so enjoyed this day and will visit again soon as we did not get to see the castle or the thirteenth century dovecote and I really fancy visiting the little coffee shop for another sparkling Elderflower cordial, and lemon cheesecake.