By Slanted Light

Thursday's forecast was not promising for holidays - "Gales and heavy rain" was the headline around here, but I decided that I wasn't going to let the weather beat me entirely, and that I could at least do an enjoyable shopping chore that I'd planned to squeeze in somewhere - so Blue Car and I headed off for an hour's drive to Lush in Carmarthen. *g* That didn't quite work out as planned either (the smell I'd fancied sounded better than it smelled...) but on the other hand, the heavy rain at least turned out to be somewhat intermittent, so I had a brief wander around town in the gales.

There was a castle, which was sort of castle walls and... town infrastructure more than a castle, but I strolled around it between showers, and managed to not be blown off. There was a church up another street, looking as picturesque as anything could in that weather, but it was all a bit grim and grey. Still - castles... they have indoor bits, right? *g*

So I headed off for Kidwelly Castle, not far away - and that was a proper castle - huge and maze-like, and I can't imagine having to find my way around in its hey-day. It was pretty well preserved too, so you really could imagine it all.

Plus I accidentally found a bat! There was this narrow dark passageway, and I wanted to know what was at the end of it - so I inched carefully down, and took a flash-lit photo to see. It turned out to be a garderobe, of course, but I also spotted this wee chap hanging out in the corner on the photo!

I picked another nearby castle from my map - Laugharne Castle - and headed off... Unfortunately it was too late to book and visit this one, which is a shame because it looked like the best yet, and that heavy rain also decided to put in another appearance, so I didn't even stroll around the outside - I shall save that for another visit.

So I headed home - via the seashore, for just a quick look at the gale-driven waves... ...and then tucked up snug for the night. But really, it'd been a much more holiday-like day than I'd expected. *g*

I was way too tired when I got home last night to post, and I meant to post this this morning, but there was a Windows Update thing, and then it was one of those days where everything I picked up I seemed to drop, but here it is at last...

Poetry for October
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Pictures for October
Today I was bound for home again, driving through autumn mountain mists, trees that are just beginning to turn, and past autumn-brown bracken and distant views...




Nipped through Aberystwyth, since I was almost there anyway...

...which was on the autumn-wild side...

Then rather astonishingly I came across a Butterfly House. Of course it's in Wales, so it's a Pili Pala House (okay, tŷ pili pala). Anyway, I like them, so when I saw the sign I had to detour the three mere miles to go and find them. *g*





And red berries on the trees by the hydro-dam nearby... Detouring those three miles actually turned into a much longer tiny-wind-y-mountain-road type detour, as the sat nav tried to get me back where it wanted me again, but Little Car drove valiantly up steep one-track roads, and round blind one-track bends until we got back to more solid ways once more, and then it was straight on back into England and down to Somerset.

Prosfic for October
Today my Kobo decided that I would read End of the Path by AngelfishCI5, so I did - and not at all autumnal, but very nice anyway. Then my bedtime reading was the start of Of Angels and Angles by SarahK. I wanted to read longer, but I was just waaaay too sleepy...

...and the Lads!


(I'm getting very cavalier about lj-cuts... Should I put the butterflies under one?)

Hello from Wales! Noswaith dda! I drove straight through from Somerset - over six hours through gorgeous countryside that started out under cloudy skies, was gradually drenched in more and more rain, paused around Blaenau Ffestiniog to swirl and drip the towers of slate with cloud and mist, and cleared up again as I finally came into Llandudno. Of course it's now absolutely tipping it down with rain, as forecast - but hopefully there'll be some clear patches tomorrow.

Poetry for October
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(more of the poem here - I like it, but we only need this bit here. *g*)

Pics for October
I should have some fab pics from the drive up today - but it was just too wet to stop... So have the autumn-wet-night view from the window...


Prosfic for October
Okay, I'm trying to think of one that's all about the rain, and my brain just isn't coming through. Help?!

And lads!
Well, it's got to be the lads in the rain, hasn't it...

(I did write A Damp Snippet to go with that picture, though it doesn't feel very autumn-y...)

And now bed - I'm shattered!

It was another grey day, and rain was forecast, so I decided to head for indoorsy things. The first was not too far away, at a place called Symmonds Yat (love the name) - a butterfly house! I love a butterfly house. *g*



( Then it was off to... )

*does wibbly-wobbly light thing that's really a timey-wimey thing* Back to Wednesday we go...
*g*

I woke up at this place - well, I woke up, had breakfast etc. (and omg, an excellent shower - definite happy thing!) and then took myself across the road to go and see the falls......which were looking very impressive, and tinged with autumn.

( On the road then... )

Hello - are you bored with seeing these pop up yet? Ah well, here's another one anyway... The lads are lurking in my head too - I think I've decided on my story for the big bang. And I've re-read Forever True and The Assassin's Daughter so far for my holiday reading. I adore Forever True, even though if you told me the plot I'd say no-no-no!

Good morning, beach in Wales...


( Leaving Wales... )

Today (which was yesterday) was the Day of Much Driving.

First back to Somerset, as required...

...and then back to Wales...

( To re-start my holiday... )

Okay, first things first - my 366 post for today - from foreign lands... *g* I got my half-day's work done afap (as fast as possible *g*), and started throwing things into bags and tidying up. Turned on Gavin the Garmin (may not catch on, especially as my satnave has a female voice, but we'll see. More than the average sex appeal? *g*) and set the address for... my destination! *g* I then ignored many of the directions, but I must admit to appreciating it at the bit to the motorway that I always mess up - perhaps unsurprisingly, if the way you're really supposed to go is down all those tiny lanes...
...where mists rise from the path ahead of you... (it really did - there'd just been a downpour of rain, and then this! *g*)

But eventually I went over a very big bridge into blue skies, waited ages in a very big eight-lane queue for the toll booths (thinking blimey- £6.60!), was reminded of what rush hour traffic is like on motorways and in cities, and then finally also reminded that it was worth it to finally arrive in - Cardiff! ( How pretty is that? )