A sudden rush of
busyness this week has meant blogging has had to take a back seat for a bit. The busyness was due partly to the inevitable backlog of
chores after our lovely Christmas break and partly to the sudden need to think
about and research the purchase of a new car after our trusty, almost sixteen-year-old
workhorse comprehensively failed its MOT test (UK annual roadworthiness check)
last week. Add to this the fact that our local vicar is off sick and I’m taking
her services on Sunday, and life has become unusually hectic at the moment.
So when the rain
finally eased off earlier in the week, it was good to get out for a couple of pleasant,
if somewhat soggy walks on succeeding afternoons, and I even remembered to take my ageing camera
with me. I make no apologies for the light levels, as it had been quite
extraordinarily overcast and murky for days. Still, this is Wales and cloud features quite prominently in our weather at
almost any time of the year. Luckily I love cloud as well as sunshine, and the
big skies that are a feature of any view from up here are a source of constant
satisfaction.
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| The old homestead |
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| Enough to ruin any car's suspension? |
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| Big sky, big view...... |
As I squelched
along the edge of the field below the house, I became fascinated by the gnarled
and twisted shapes of the hedgerow bushes that border the field. The hedge is old
and neglected, but at some point in its life it had been properly laid, and its mixture of horizontal and vertical branches, shaped by wind and weather in this exposed spot, caught and held my interest as I walked.
I hope my pictures do it justice…..
I am sorry about the car....one becomes attached to these old warriors and remembers all the good service they have rendered in their time.
ReplyDeleteAnd one advantage of winter...you can see the shapes in the hedgerows...your photographs certainly do your subjects justice.
When did one last see a proper cut and laid hedge! Now it's out with the whacker on the tractor....never mind keeping the field boundaries impervious to stock, just make room to grab the last inch of ground.
Rant over...probably not the case where you are in Wales, but it made me sad to see the damage every year.
Thanks, Fly, and what's the betting that the replacement won't last anywhere near as long? Modern cars are amazingly complex and there is just so much to go wrong. Still, it will be interesting learning what all the buttons do.....:-)
DeleteGlad you liked the photos. This old hedge has long since been replaced by a fence as far as stock containment is concerned, but I'm pleased to be able to report that some neighbouring farmers still know how to lay a proper hedge, even if later trimming is usually done mechanically.
Your skies look like those where I live, in the Pacific Northwest of the US. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. You of course are now basking in Arizona sunshine, far from the clouds and rain of the Pacific North-West and one can see why. :-)
DeleteA lovely glimpse of how I remember winter to be. Your part of Wales could be my part of Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the car. As Fly says, it is possible to become attached to older cars in a way that doesn't seem likely with newer ones. I do hope you enjoy some of the more convenient aspects of a new one though - and finding out what all the buttons do.
I suspect from the forecast that I heard on Radio Four this morning, we might be getting some snow scenes from you soon.
Hope you're enjoying your stand-in vicary services. Axxx
Glad you enjoyed it, Annie. Yes, Wales and the North of England have a lot of scenery in common - as well as a lot of weather.:-)
DeleteDH and I are both sorry to see the old car retired. Frustratingly the diesel engine is still good for twice the mileage, but the bodywork is falling to bits. Sigh... We've had two Ford Escorts and they've given us sterling service, so the new car is another Ford - a B-Max. I just wish I wasn't having to learn to drive it just as the weather looks like turning properly wintry. Help!!!
I always enjoy helping out with services - all the fun and none of the responsibility. :-)
Great photos Perpetua. I love cloudy skies too, so much more interesting than the clear blue ones we are used to...or at the moment just dark grey!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ayak. After the past year's weather I doubt you'd find many UK residents sharing your opinion of clear blue skies as uninteresting, but I know just what you mean. :-) I love the light and shade of varying cloud patterns, but we too have had far too many days of unrelieved grey murk recently.
DeletePerpetua, commiserations on your trusty work horse bucking at the MOT. Hope you find a good replacement soon. Your pictures are lovely and your lane looks very much like ours. Life sounds very hectic at the moment - best wishes for a speedy recovery to your lady vicar.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Molly. It was a real blow to have to accept that she's not worth repairing, but we've been lucky enough to find a replacement very quickly and will in fact be collecting it on Monday. In anticipation we've been busy patching up some of the worst of the potholes in the lane to protect its suspension.:-) Glad you liked the photos - the scenery will seem very familiar to you. I will pass on your good wishes to the vicar.
DeleteDear Perpetua - The Old Homestead sits in a delightful spot - what magnificent views you have.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that things go wrong at the worse time of year? January is known in our family as being the most expensive month - all H's subscriptions are due, the Tax man cometh, and the bills from Christmas roll in. The last thing that you want is the car saying a fond farewell. I see from your answer to Molly that a replacement car has been found, so happy driving, and with a bit of luck another 16 years worth.
We're very fortunate in our location, Rosemary, though the views from the house itself are less extensive, as it was sensibly built in the lee of the hillside. Our ancestors definitely valued shelter above views.
DeleteYou're so right about the inconvenience of having to buy a new car just now. From now on we'll have to make sure we have special contingency funding for January, but we are looking forward to getting to know our new vehicle.
Love those photos, Perpetua. I think all those open spaces more than compensate for the grey skies! Sorry to hear about your car, but I hope your new wheels will be as trusty and reliable as the old ones, and I'm sure that learning the ins and outs of your new transport will be fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks, CB. Mid-Wales certainly does open spaces rather well and though we've been seeing these same views for almost 40 years now, we never tire of them, whatever the weather.
DeleteWe're very sorry to see the old car go, but she doesn't owe us anything and we can only hope that her complex and well-equipped younger sister gives us the same kind of service. Let's hope it doesn't snow when we go to collect her as it will be I who has to drive her home......
Love the pictures Perpetua. The last one in particular. The weird shapes that trees assume when they are leafless always amaze me.
ReplyDeleteIn your final picture they look as though they are performing some strange dance.
I imagine they would look a little sinister in twilight?
Thanks, Ray. They came out much better than I had hoped, given that it was quite late in the afternoon and what light there was was starting to fade. These are overgrown hawthorn bushes and the variety of shapes is amazing. I will admit I've never been down to look at twilight, but I don't think I want to be there then to see them dance. :-)
DeleteYour photos make me want to get out for a walk. I don't mind those muddy-track walks in order to get some fresh air. (Although the weather has been better there is paperwork to do to keep me indoors). The way trees grow, twist and bend is fascinating. Your photos capture the shapes and the silhouettes well. I hope you find a suitable car for your needs. It took a while for us to research a new car when we came to this hilly county that was suitable and would clear a slightly upward-sloping drive without damaging the exhaust pipe.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the photos, Linda, as I too found the shapes extraordinary. If the weather forecast is right, you may find yourself walking on snowy, rather than muddy tracks if you manage to get your walk. The muddy track in the photo is actually the lane down to our house, so ground clearance is always an important factor we have to consider when choosing a car. No low-slung, sporty models for us....
DeleteIt lovely to get out for a breath of fresh air after being cooped up for Christmas. How nice that you are able to take over from your vicar though you do have a lot of skills.
ReplyDeleteI love the old gnarled trees. I take a lot of pictures of trees, mainly dead ones, I find them fascinating.
I really enjoyed my walks, Kerry, as the weather was relatively mild and very still. Today's icy wind is likely to make indoors look far more tempting and certainly I wouldn't want to stand still without my gloves to take photos, however tempting the shot.
DeleteThe vicar in question is actually my successor, as I was vicar here for a few years early last decade. So I know the churches and the people and very much enjoy helping out when needed.
Hello Perpetua:
ReplyDeleteOh dear, what sad [and no doubt, expensive] news of the demise of your vehicle. They do become trusted friends over such a long time and we do so hope that you manage to achieve the same life from the newcomer. Do they make them as they used to, we wonder?
What glorious countryside there is in Wales. We do miss our jaunts out into the Welsh countryside when we lived in Herefordshire. One could so easily achieve the most wonderful of views, such as you show here, with only sheep for company.
Wishing you happy travelling in 2013!
Thanks, Jane and Lance. How nice to see you commenting again. It was indeed expensive news, but not unexpected. the old car had needed work to pass the last 2 or 3 MOT tests, so we knew this day was coming and had been putting money in the piggybank in readiness. Sadly I very much doubt we will get such long and relatively trouble-free service from the new one.
DeleteYou obviously know the Welsh countryside well and it hasn't really changed since the days you lived on the other side of Offa's Dyke. It's still beautiful, peaceful and unspoilt.
One of the reasons I enjoy winter is for just this, Perpetua; one can see the "bones" of a landscape, the years of a limb's life and appreciate them as they lay bare. It looks like you had some wonderful walks. I enjoy these breaks from busyness and the chance to clear my head and still my heart for a spell. I've been in a spell of busy as well lately and not able to post as often. So it goes . . .
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you about seeing the bones of the landscape in winter and so does my DH, for whom winter is almost his favourite time of year for this very reason. Sorry to hear you've been overtaken by nusyness too, but as you say it happens and we have to juggle the different aspects of our lives, including blogging. I hope things quieten down for you soon.
DeleteI loved your pictures, Perpetua! I'm so glad you could take us along on a virtual winter walk despite being so busy with your Sunday services and your search for a new car. We really do get attached to the old ones, don't we? I had a little forest green Honda Civic with gold trim that I had driven for 10 years and was expecting to get another five years out of it when a neighbor begged to buy it for his son and offered a lot above the usual sticker price. We finally gave in and sold it to him. And I felt heartbroken seeing it in the neighbor's driveway -- dusty, dirty and banged up. It was a bit of a relief when they moved away -- just so I wouldn't have to see it. Our new car is wonderful, but complex. It came with FIVE instruction manuals!! We're still in learning mode. I hope you do enjoy your new car and the modern conveniences.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy, I'm glad you enjoyed coming with me on my walks. DH and I have always kept our cars for as long as we could make them run, except for the time we passed on mine to DS when he was at college and bought me a new one. So we did get attached to them and can still remember each one, some with particular fondness. I'm not sure how many instruction manuals the new one comes with, but given the speed at which I master new technology nowadays, I think it's going to take me some time to feel completely at home in it and know which button or lever does what. Wish me luck....
DeleteThe cloudy skies do not conceal the fact that you have very beautiful countryside and views Perpetua! It all looks misty and lovely to me, and the hedgerows are very strange and appealing. I love all your photos. Good luck with the new car.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia, I think we may need it. We collect the car on Monday and of course the forecast is for the first snow of the winter! Our lovely views are partly due to living at an altitude of 1000 feet (300 metres) which is wonderful at m ost times of the year but can be a bit hazardous for driving in winter. The landscape of Wales must look very different from sub-tropical Queensland and I think it's one of the many joys of blogging to be able to discover such different views and surroundings.
DeleteWhat beautiful photos of a grand landscape, Perpetua. Such a peaceful environment! As I write this you are undoubtedly ready for Sunday services. I hope the time was a blessing for all. You are a woman with many roles! :-) Happy Sunday to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra. The landscape in Mid-Wales is beautiful and unspoilt and we loved it from the minute we first set eyes on it 40 years ago. Is great to be able to share it with others through the wonders of blogging. :-)
DeleteThe services are both safely over and as always I enjoyed helping out. I'm now relaxing after lunch with a big mug of coffee, as the first snow of the winter starts to fall outside my study window......
Sorry to hear about the car, but hope you will be delighted with the new one. I hate the hassle involved in buying a new vehicle, but still get quite excited about it. Hopefully you wont be picking it up tomorrow in deep snow. Jx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice, I'm sure we shall. It's 10 years since we had a new vehicle of any kind (our very basic small campervan) and car equipment and controls have moved on a lot since then. We've had a light covering of snow this afternoon, but hopefully that will be the last. If it is tomorrow shouldn't be too much of a problem. Fingers crossed.....
DeleteSunday evening and hopefully the service is long over, walks finished and I'm imagining you sitting by the fire knitting a sock - (hint hint)
ReplyDeleteTwo services (9.30 and 11am) and they both went well, thanks, BtoB. Sadly it wasn't fit for a walk after lunch as we had our first snowfall of the winter this afternoon. Your imagination is working well this evening - I've been watching TV and knitting the first sock of another pair for DH. It's OK - I haven't forgotten my promise......:-)
DeleteWhat lovely photos, despite the January light. I like clouds too. Your 'big sky' photo has the most wonderful streak of golden light in the middle, which is just why I like cloudy skies: they are constantly evolving, revealing new colours and spotlighting different parts of the landscape.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Land Rover that is 17 years old, one of those mucky green ones with a scummy white roof. We all adore it. There are almost no electrics to go wrong, it's as solid as a tractor, and we are almost *never* snowed in thanks to it. New cars are more like computers!
Thanks, DB. I love trying to capture things with my little camera, but am so very much an amateur that I discard far more images than I keep. My motto for 2013 - Keep trying!
DeleteOur old Escort has most of the virtues of your Land Rover other than its colour and has never left us stranded by the roadside in 16 years. Such a shame that its bodywork hasn't the solidity of your LR or we'd be driving it still. Now to get ready to collect the computer on wheels. Wish me luck.....
Oh dear, I know these skies only too well. Endlessly grey and threatening more rain.
ReplyDeleteThat hedge has surely been neglected for a long time. It’s now hardly any use for man or beast. Maybe the birds still make use of it.
We get a lot of these skies on either side of Offa's Dyke, don't we Friko? This morning it's a lot brighter and I can even see a patch of blue over the top field, the snow having moved on and left us in peace.
DeleteThe hedge hasn't been touched for at least 40 years and in fact has become the row of trees in the 'big sky' photo. A fence does stock containment, but the birds still nest in the remains of the hedge and eat its fruit.
I like your pictures showing so much sky – I can feel the oxygen! I used to have an old Renault Fuego which I loved but Renault stopped their business in the US and just to get a battery I had to order it from Canada so I had to sell it – but I missed it a lot. Now we need to sell our 1997 Pontiac, not because it does not work but because I want something newer when we drive long distance – just in case. I have been meaning to sell it since 2011 and have not done it yet…
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them, Vagabonde. There's always plenty of oxygen up in these hills, especially with a brisk north-easterly wind, such as the one we had when it snowed yesterday.
DeleteIt's always hard to have to make the decision to get rid of an old car which has given us such good service, but sometimes we simply have no choice. I hope you manage to sell your Pontiac and find a replacement which you enjoy on your long trips.
Grey skies in north Wales too, but not as big as yours as we don't have the altitude where we are. We have the river instead which with all the rain is a sea of muddy grey. Oh for a bit of light and proper colour, and it must be bad if I'm saying that as I enjoy the winter months.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with sorting the car, and I do hope things settle down for you soon Kathy :D
It has been almost intolerably grey for so long, Annie, with very little respite and I do hope we manage to get some longer breaks in the cloud soon. That said it was brilliantly sunny this morning after last night's snow and frost, but sadly we had to go out, so I couldn't go for a walk to get some contrasting photos. We're supposed to get some glimpses of the sun again tomorrow, but then it's yet more cloud, this time with snow instead of rain.
DeleteThe car is sorted, thanks. We were very fortunate to find a car we liked at a price we could afford and picked it up yesterday!
That road reminds me of the road to my grandparents' farm. Oh, you should've seen it in the spring!
ReplyDeleteBut those trees. Nothing built like that here. So wonderful -- and yet I'm willing to bet that there are Welsh folk tales about the trees...
Pearl
I can imagine, Pearl. In spring there are hazel catkins, primroses (a few) and celandines (lots) and later hawthorn blossom.
DeleteThe gnarled shapes that the wind so often gives to old trees up here always fascinate me and yes, Welsh folklore is full of stories and legends about trees and their inhabitants.
Sorry for not visiting your blog for some time Perpetua. I see I have three posts to read & catch up on.
ReplyDeleteRegarding cars, my Renault Scenic will be 14 years old in March &, following repairs to its brakes 10 days ago, will hopefully sail through its STK (the Czech equivalent of the MOT test) later this year at the end of June. Like you, I'm rather attached to it, including having the steering wheel on the 'wrong side' as far as Czechs are concerned. I trust that your new car gives you many years of faithful service.
Your response to your earlier commenter Annie, about helping out with services - 'all the fun and none of the responsibility. :-)' reminds me of another retired priest who used to help me out in my early days in Shelswell. He used to say something very similar. Some of us still have the responsibility!
No need to apologise, Ricky. I know how busy you are, so am always glad to see you when you can find time to visit.
DeleteGood luck with your STK when it arrives. Your car has given you excellent service, but I'm sure you'll be happy for it to go on doing so for as long as possible. If the corrosion in our old Escort hadn't been so widespread, we would still be driving it very happily. The new car is a pleasure to drive, but we're still trying to discover exactly what all the controls do.
One day you too will know just what we mean about the fun without the responsibility. I love taking services and would have volunteered for more this weekend if it hadn't been for the weather forecast. As it is both services and other meetings are being cancelled in several places nearby because the roads are now not just snowy but extremely icy. The joys of country living....