Hedgerow feast

Just spent the last hour bottling homemade Elderflower Champagne and making Bilberry Jam. Yum, just have to hope that neither go bang!

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Steve, Anne and Katie came for a holiday, so we had to make sure they went to the best local ice cream shop and some of the steepest roads. Queasiness had by all. The Red Kite Centre near Rhayader proved to be a hit, and almost as popular as the home-made scones in Rhandirmwyn tea shop.


 
 Steve made the most of a top wild swimming spot, much to the pleasure of several horseflies and midges. Oh, boy, it's midge hell in our valley just now, itchy red spots from head to toe is not a good look.




The Pettitts checked out The Red Lion near Newbridge on Wye (an excellent foody pub) while we took a trip to Doldowlod Walled Garden; inspiringly weedy.

With Dave and the Gardening Club in Doldowlod

We made up for missing the pub by meeting up with Nicki, Liam, Sue, Andy, Mark, Belinda, Andy and kids at Beer on the Wye, a beer and cider festival on the river in Hereford. Mark Haslam was a star as ever, ensuring we had plenty of drinks tickets and occasionally getting to our side of the bar. We were glad the campsite was only a short stagger from the marquee.
 
 
We caught up with a few friends from Nottingham this week; an overnight natter with Mark Woods, and joined Dick and Anthea for a day of feasting and yarning with Dave, Katie and Tom. We checked out Dave's latest purchases, and were so impressed we borrowed his monster chipper (many thanks), managing to cover a few flowerbeds with chips before the rain came.

Mark and Sue came over for a few days of soggy walks, we at least got a dry afternoon to wander in Dinefwr Park, and spot a pair of Peregrine Falcons on Saturday as we walked home from the shops. We took a drive around Llyn Brianne stopping to admire the view and pick bilberries, hence the jam, and 4 purple tongues!
 

On quiet rainy days Paul's got stuck in to some woodwork and we now have a fabulous table from a plank cut from the tree we had felled, and a Red Kite knife.