Cases packed ...

We are going off for a bit - to get some sun.

Not had a holiday for the last two years.

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Going to our favourite place, El Cotillo in Fuerteventura.

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Out to the lagoons and lighthouse.

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Snorkelling and swimming in warm seas.

Taking a morning coffee and brandy by the harbour.

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Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas.

Best wishes for a Peaceful and Happy New Year.

~

Ann x

It's still autumn AND summer in our garden ...

Our flowering cherry tree is usually the first to drop its leaves about the end of September but here it is, still hanging on and giving us the most wonderful autumn colouring show.

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These berries have been around for weeks and weeks, I hope they ripen enough for the birds very soon.

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Even the figs are still ripening. We have already picked three a couple of weeks ago and these are the last two. I check on them each morning and they are steadily getting browner and ready to eat. They are delicious. We only had one the first year and none at all last year, so have done marvellously well this year.

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Even the roses won't give up yet!

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We have three blueberry bushes, bought this season, which have given us about a dozen fruits. They are just looking spectacular at present. Growing furiously and sporting this wonderful red foliage.

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Another very warm and sunny day today.

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We even had a sun tan session each today to prepare us for our winter holiday.

We don't want to look too white when we go to the Canaries in a few weeks time and the sun here isn't quite hot enough! Not even on our secluded patio!

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Hope you are storing up warmth for the winter.

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I have been following a very inspirational blog recently, written by Ellie. She has such strength and her courage is wonderful. She got a phenomenal following after an article in a daily newspaper. She brings home to me that I really should be thankful for what I have, especially as I have already had my three score years and ten (plus a bit!) and she may never have that chance. We need people like her to bring us up short occasionally.

~

Ann x

The Moon ...

Someone on the radio the other day said "do go out and photograph the moon tonight you will get a good picture". So I did and I was astonished at the results.

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If you click on them you can actually see the round craters!

I couldn't believe that I could take such a shot from our back garden!

~

Ann x

11.11.11.

We Will Remember Them

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Making the Advert .....

"Every little extra helps!" Tenby's legendary Boxing Day Swim is set to become even more famous when it features in a supermarket's Christmas TV advert.

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They were filming on North Beach today with local 'extras' recreating the silly spectacle.

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They're off!

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Note the cameraman on the left!

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Cameraman is going in too! Good job the lifeguards are on watch.

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Cameraman paddling. Dedication to duty I say!

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Return journey - towards Father Christmases holding trays of hot drinks!

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More Lifeguards standing by in case of problems.

Tenby has had more than its fair share of television programmes recently.

Grand Designs, Ironman Wales, Don't Tell the Bride, Mayday Mayday

and Tenby 24/7.

I reckon everyone taking part had a great time.

500-odd people usually take part in the actual Boxing Day swim so the film may be 'tweaked' digitally to make it look as though there are many more people (so we were informed by a photographer standing by looking on).

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Look out for the adverts at Christmas.

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Ann x

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An Extra Hour .....

In which to contemplate recent walks .....

Miners Walk and Kilgetty Woods

It had been very wet and I planned a 'Berry' nice walk in the mist and rain,

But the sun came out and we followed the Begelly/Kilgetty Miner's Walk, starting with the railway bridge over the main line to Carmarthen, Swansea and Cardiff.

Because of the rain it was very lush and green everywhere.

With beautiful views across the valley towards Kilgetty Farm.

Past little waterfalls

Raindrops.

Autumnal bracken

Then we got lost for a bit ...

But found the bridge by the footpath eventually

Which led us through the woods and out in to the village of Kilgetty

~

then we went to ...

Little Haven ...

Little Haven Beach, looking across St Bride's Bay

Spectacular scenery

Wonderful warm, sunny weather

Lunch at the St Brides Inn (formerly St Brides Hotel)

With its own well - inside the bar! ....

The water was crystal clear and was very good.

Being a seaside hostelry, we chose fish soup and 'pint of prawns' for our lunches.

An excellent place to visit if you are ever in Little Haven.

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Hope you have had a lovely weekend and used your extra hour well.

~

Ann x

Strolling Round Tenby - A Few Different Views

What better way to start our Strollers walk than a rainbow behind the car park.

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Nine of us set off from the North Beach car park, getting this stunning,

if overcast, view from the other side of the beach.

This is the beach from which the recent Ironman Wales contestants started their swim from at 7.00 am!

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This is the view from a very lovely gardens which I had not found before.

Lots of seats to sit and contemplate the colourful houses.

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The covers are over some of the Caldey ferry boats that are now laid up for the winter. One of the walkers told me that she lived for six months in that gorgeous blue house in the corner of the harbour. She loved every minute and said that if it was a rough night she would open the window of her dining room (the one above the black doors), so that sea spray would come through on to her dinner guests! She only had to put her wellies on once in order to paddle out of her front door when the tides were at their highest.

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A deserted Town and South Beach, now that all the visitors have gone.

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An interesting door knocker as we went through the town.

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Another walker took us to this 'secret garden and duck pond' which none of the locals knew about. It is fiercely guarded by the nearby residents and we were indeed closely watched all the time that we were there.

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We spied this bird in a nearby tree and none of us could identify it.

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When I managed to enlarge it on the computer I believe it to be a mistle thrush, but never having seen one before I am not sure.

It certainly looks like one from the pictures in our bird book.

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These photos were unfortunately taken against the light and from quite far away.

The enlargement has been done on the computer, hence the lack of detail.

If anyone can identify the bird for us walkers we would be delighted.

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Have a great weekend.

~

Ann x

(Please click on any of the above photos to get a much better view, especially the bird to help me identify it. Thanks )

Autumn Magic

Another of our favourite walks from Stepaside to Wiseman's Bridge was quite magical at the weekend.

Out in the warm sunshine, tramping through the leaves, listening to the birds.

Passing other, cheerful walkers with their dogs.

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Tall pine trees line the lane.

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Bridleway covered in autumn leaves.

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Gently trickling stream with dappled sunlight on the tree trunks.

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Fruits of autumn.

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Blue skies far above the trees.

Repairing our souls in readiness for the winter to come.

~

Ann x