Planting trees  Growing trees  Felling trees  Chopping tree to lengths  Spilitting to logs  Stacking logs  Lighting the woodburner  Burning logs  And then start again.  Satisfaction guarenteed.

You dont need to go to other side of the world to find good surf,  spent the afternoon om whistling sands bay, on the drive home Sarah and I dreamed of strapping surf boards to the top of the land rover and getting out there. 2010 is the year for taking to the water.

Blue tit x 8

Coal tit x 2

Greater spotted woodpecker x 1

Sparrow x 1

Robin x 3

Great tit x 1

Cup of tea x 1

Biscuits x 2

Ipod x 1

Listened to  LCD soundsystem 45:33 remixes and Four tet “there is love in you”

One hour  and a bit spent watching the birds very good for the mind and body.

Over the weekend of the 30th and 31st January the RSPB are asking you to spend one hour recording the number and species of birds that visit your garden or park, more details at www.rspb.org.uk

It seems fitting that just when we change the name of our cottage to Tyr Adar (house of birds) that we take part, so tomorrow morning I will be spending one hour watching the birds.

results posted tomorrow.

Cadair Idris - imposing enough without snow

Respect to this weekend’s guests in our holiday cottage, Gavin, Anna, Dave, Jen and Mark, who climbed Cadair Idris in arctic conditions yesterday.  Not only that, but they went up the hard way, tackling the scree slopes of the Fox’s Path.  Although the mountain was covered in ice and snow, it was a stunning day here and they were fully prepared with ice axes and crampons.

Cadair Idris rises up to 893 metres right behind Graig Wen - you can walk to the peak  from here or drive to the start of the Pony Track, a relatively easy route, within just a few minutes.  The name means “Chair of Idris” - the giant Idris watches over the area from his mountain perch.  The mountain lakes are rumoured to be bottomless and legend has it that if you sleep overnight on the summit, you will wake either a mad or a poet.

One of our last tent campers of the season, back in November, had spent the previous night  pitched on Cader in the first snow of the winter. Madman or poet…you decide.

After yesterday’s snow we couldn’t resist the urge to get out and enjoy it. Sarah’s sledge, a real vintage model that apparently has been handed down from mother to daughter since the dawn of time, was recovered from the garage and we set off  to the lower fields.

We decided to add a little bit of competetive spirit to our sledgeing and a course was devised that started from Valley view pitch to Coppice Corner (for those who haven’t camped with us basically the full length of our first fields).  Obstacles included snow covered fire pits, a narrow gap in the wall, sheep and a few defrosted sheep poos, and a highly strung terrier.

Sarah’s technique consisted of screaming, whooping and a wealth of sledging experience. I took on a more scientific approach trying to use small adjustments of body weight and deploying the feet as a form of rudder to steer the speeding sledge.

The results, she wiped the floor with me !!

Ruins at Cwmorthin

The best sort of winter day…sparkling white mountains and cloudless blue sky.  We slipped our way up an icy path high above Blaenau Ffestiniog to the ruined houses of Cwmorthin.  The abandoned slate quarry buildings stood black and eerie today against the white landscape. The treacherous skin of ice on Llyn Cwmorthin was causing a cormorant no end of frustration.  My six layers of clothing just about did the trick but could have done with spiked boots on the way back down.  Stunning place, can’t wait to go back to explore some more.

Slate fence at Cwmorthin

I saw some shooting stars last night, I wished on them, they were the Geminids meteor shower.

Massive darkness, millions of stars, Graig Wen is an ace place to watch the skies.

Ruthin Craft Centre courtyard

A November day of being lashed by gales so time for a WWA (wet weather attraction)…

Ruthin Craft Centre has recently  been given a fancy makeover with Arts Council Wales funding and we made our first trip there today.  The picture makes it look a bit like the kind of industrial unit where you’d find a branch of Focus next door,  but it’s actually a really well designed showcase for contemporary craft and design.There’s a big, light exhibition space, arty shop, artists’ studios you can visit and a super nice cafe.

There’s an area where you can watch some beautiful artist-made short films which offer unusual ways of experiencing the landscape, architecture and culture of North Wales.  This bit is rather grandly called a “Cultural Gateway” but it’s just a quiet place to sit and enjoy looking at stuff you might explore as you head deeper into Wales.  The “Cultural Gateway” has also got good old fashioned pamphlets.  Good word, pamphlets.

Ruthin Craft Centre is about an hour’s drive from Graig Wen, and would make a good pit stop if you are driving here from North West England.   It’s free to park and get in, very easy to find and right on route by a roundabout.

The other great thing about the drive between here and Ruthin is that you get to see a herd of American bison (really) and go to the award-winning Rhug Farm Shop.

Today’s new arrivals on the camp site - in pouring rain - are three women raising money for the Ellen MacArthur Trust by cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats via the 3 biggest peaks in mainland Britain.  Cathy Vise, Karen Fraser and Mel Charles (and Carie supporting in the Land Rover) left Lands End at 2pm on Monday 12 October at the start of their epic Great British Adventure which will take them over 1000 miles .   They aim to raise £7000 to inspire young people’s cancer recovery through sailing.   If you are climbing Snowdon this wekend please give them some support or you can help by donating.

Their stuff is are currently in our drying machine and we wish them luck and sunshine….