Wednesday 30 April 2008

Nos Calan Mai

"Green will be the paths of May,
Succeeding April (birds' chirping is my faith);
On topmost branches of the oak will come
The singing of the new-fledged birds"

Dafydd ap Gwilym, 14th century Welsh poet.

The Mayflowers are in bud on the Hawthorns.

Tuesday 29 April 2008

Icumen in

The apple trees this afternoon, beautiful and covered with opening blossoms.

Spotted this little Red Campion flower on my way out of the garden.

A view of the hills, the rain promised by those clouds falls heavily as I type .....

www.loststones.co.uk

Sunday 27 April 2008

A lost dwelling

A favourite sycamore tree is leafing up fast. At the base of the tree there is an old stone seat. It's in what would have been the garden of a little cottage which once stood here, close to the stream. It was a 'Ty Unnos' or 'One Night House' - these were little dwellings thrown up overnight on order to claim the right to live there and the surrounding land to the distance of a stones throw. Often the initial structure would be replaced with a more substantial dwelling. This one was called 'Gernos' which means 'wrought in a night'. It first appears on the 1861 Census return and was still inhabited in 1901. All that now remains of the dwelling itself are a couple of stones visible on the ground; sometimes we spot pieces of thick, old fashioned roofing slates.

The seat at Gernos.

A solitary stone which would have once formed part of the cottage walls.

This old stone gatepost marks the entrance to the former vegetable garden - the other is missing.

www.loststones.co.uk

Friday 25 April 2008

Mae'n bwrw glaw

All day a fine soaking rain is blown this way and that - the hills seem two dimensional; darker grey shapes under the low cloud. In the polytunnel it's sheltered and warm, the roots of our flower and vegetable seedlings are just starting to push enquiringly at the bottom of their seed trays and there is an abundance of young lettuce.

http://www.loststones.co.uk/

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Ancient stones, new flowers


One of four cairns at Carnedd Meibion Owen. Below this to the north are the magical Ty Canol Woods and Pentre Ifan.



Around a bend in the lane are the Penlan Standing Stones. I don't know whether the stones are named for the farm nearby or vice versa.



Today the very first apple blossom opened.

Monday 21 April 2008

Tiny flowers

Out in the lane, many little flowers open in the shelter of the high hedgebanks.


Wild violets and Stitchwort.


http://www.loststones.co.uk/

Sunday 20 April 2008

Cloudy evening, hidden moon

Had been hoping to post pictures of the full moon, but the sky as it gets dark is made blank by heavy clouds.

Earlier on, having a look at the apple trees.

www.loststones.co.uk

Friday 18 April 2008

The sea, and Carreg Coetan Arthur

Dinas Head from Newport Beach this afternoon.

Rockpool.

Amazing folded rock formation in the cliffs.


The sand is too inviting not to .....



Visiting Carreg Coetan Arthur on the way home.

Wednesday 16 April 2008

Stones, and the sunset this evening

Absorbing a little of the wisdom of the stones .....

Later a beautiful sunset - Carn Ingli is visible behind the trees.


Wednesday 9 April 2008

In the kitchen garden

The apple trees play 'Grandmothers Footsteps' - whilst my back was turned for a moment they have grown nearer .....


http://www.loststones.co.uk/

Tuesday 8 April 2008

Pentre Ifan

Visited today in the early evening.

Carn Ingli from Pentre Ifan.

Monday 7 April 2008

Sunset and moonrise


The sunset this evening, and later the young moon rising in the western sky.



Sunday 6 April 2008

Snow in April



"There is old memory in snow"

Robert Holdstock - Lavondyss

Friday 4 April 2008

Up amongst the hills in the early evening

Walking towards Carn Alw in the low sunshine.

Foel Drygarn and the Frenni Fawr beyond.

Carn Alw.

A fleeting shaft of sunshine lights the clouds.

Carn Goedog looking west from Carn Alw.