What a busy and memorable weekend. We were blessed with the weather. Leila arrived on Friday lunchtime. We had some cheesy chips (her invention), then popped over to Tesco to get some food. In the evening, we had some avocados, lemon garlic chicken and ice cream with hot chocolate peanut fudge sauce. Delicious. We had a breeches-fest, watching the DVD of Persuasion, the BBC version with Amanda Root and Cieran Hinds. It hardly seems fair to single them out as although they were excellent, it was a high quality production with beautiful performances from all the cast. Persuasion is one of my favourite novels, and is my favourite Austen novel. The adaptation did it justice and I was gulping at the end when they finally came together. We also watched the DVD of Miss Pettigrew lives for a day (also featuring Cieran Hinds) - again, a real pleasure to watch, with wonderful costumes and excellent ensemble playing. Having Andrew home was a pleasure too.

On Saturday, a busier day. We headed off to the Cheese Festival in Cardiff Castle, which was a disappointing rip-off. After paying over £8 to go in, you were expected to shell out £4 more if you wanted to watch any real action such as cheese making demonstrations, and there was a massive half hour queue for the main attraction, the cheese tent. Otherwise, there were just a few food and herb stalls dotted about, and it seems cheeky to charge to go to what is essentially a posh farmers' market.

Then went over to Howells on a perfume hunt. One of the fragrances I wear, by Clarins, is being discontinued, so I wanted a replacement that both Andrew and I liked. No easy feat. After much testing, sniffing, squirting and sneezing we settled on a Guerlain fragrance - Aqua Allegorica - Tiare Mimosa. It's lovely. Then a coffee and over to the Madame Fromage, one of the cheese shops in the arcades, for a more successful cheese buying mission.

Came home and read the paper and chilled out on the sofa then in the evening we went down the Bay to see No Fit State Circus. I had borrowed a stick from my friend Paula as the entire show was standing for the audience, and was very glad to have it. The circus left me speechless and awestruck. No animals. No hideous clowns. Just fast, sexy, gorgeous people doing amazing stunts, around you and above you, and in front of you. Sliding and climbing up and down the rigging, acting as counter balances to trapeze artists. Tightrope walking in high heels, stripping, then rolling a cigarette while nonchalantly balancing on a line, then casually doing the splits. Nipple pierced men swinging on ropes, wearing leather and piratical grins. A woman doing a flamenco act on a high rope accompanied by highly sexual breathing. Fire-eating. Fire hoops. No silly juggling. Clever lighting. Trapeze artists that tenderly undress each other then make the throws and catches and swings so powerfully erotic the entire audience was entranced. Just go and see them. They are brilliant.

Sunday, Andrew was running in the Swansea Bay 10K, so we set off around 10.20 to give us plenty of time. A very pleasant day, with hazy sunshine, not too hot, just right for the run and the spectators alike. Andrew did a very respectable 51 minutes, and picked up his goody bag, containing the usual odd mixture of a medal, a bottle of shampoo, a water bottle and a fruit loaf, which proudly claimed that 2 slices would provide one of your daily fruit servings. Not my idea of healthy eating. Then took Leila for the delight of a Joe's ice cream, a Swansea institution. Had sundaes all round, with a cone each for the dogs. Came home and relaxed, and enjoyed some roast beef with Andrew's amazing Yorkshire puddings. After watching a bit of TV, headed for bed as all were tired.

This morning, took Andrew early to the station, for the 6.55 train, and walked the dogs at Hamadryad Park. Then came home, and Leila and I sampled some of the fruit loaf, which was very nice but I still don't think of it as being one of my five a day. Leila left for home mid-morning, and I have had a quiet day, feeling a bit tired after all the excitement. Some pics attached.

On Thursday evening I started my ECDL at the local Community Education Centre. Our tutor seems lovely, very helpful but I was disappointed to see that we appear to be using an older version of Word (the 2004 one) not the most recent - we have 2007 at home. This is a Council run facility and I think this is a shame. ECDL is a course taken by people who want to improve or enhance their job prospects and it seems barmy to train them on software that is at the end of its life, rather than more current versions. I am tempted to say that this is typical of local government - it almost seems too easy to point this out. Here we are in a recession, with Cardiff hugely dependent on jobs in finance, offices, call centres etc - all of which require good IT skills. And what does the city do? Provide training in out of date software. You couldn't make it up. Anyway, I want to get the qualification, but am disappointed I won't be learning more along the way.

Last night we went down to the Millennium Centre for WNO's new production of La Traviata. This was the first opera Andrew and I saw together, when WNO were touring it in Plymouth, and so it is always special for us as a couple. The new production was very good, with the chorus and orchestra well up to their usual high standards, and excellent production design. Monochrome Belle Epoque sets with huge taffeta drapes, and glorious costumes with lots of Moulin Rouge style frills, bloomers, corsets, bustles and heaving bosoms. For anyone with a breast obsession, the evening would be well spent. Most of the principal singers were good rather than spectacular and worked well together. Unfortunately I couldn't get on at all with the soprano singing the title role - she was screechy and harsh in her upper register and when she turned up the volume. She was also unfortunate in being very slender and having to wear costumes that really didn't flatter her figure - instead of curves there were hollows. Arguably of course, this is more realistic in that the title character is dying of consumption but we are also supposed to believe she is a leading courtesan of great beauty. I think the costume fitting could have been a bit more rigorous.

Once again, I always enjoy an evening spent in the Centre and simply enjoying the building and the theatre - it works so well. Also, no matter how many times I go to the opera there are few feelings in life so utterly shivery as when you have taken your seat and are waiting for the show to start. The lights dim and the orchesta starts the overture. It literally brings me out in goosepimples of excitement and anticipation - hearing those first few notes of music and knowing that everyone in the theatre is going together on a journey through the production. Wonderful.

I was disappointed to see that there were quite a few empty seats in the theatre and several of the bars/coffee shops within the centre were closed, whereas normally during a performance there are a plethora to choose from. I have written before about the building's magical ability to swallow large numbers of people and deal with them, but with the smaller numbers, and closed bars, there was a spooky air during the intervals of being in a vast ship with no passengers. Quite strange.

While we were there, we picked up our tickets for two forthcoming events, the opera gala with Bryn Terfel singing Wagner (it doesn't get much better than that in my book) and a performance by No Fit State Circus. These are a wonderful circus - no animals, just amazing, sexy people doing very clever, scary things on trapezes over your head. There are no seats for your performance - you all stand and are likely to have someone firebreathing or juggling in front of you or doing acrobatics above your head. Can't wait.

Yesterday was the annual GRW show down at Pembrey Country Park in Carmarthenshire. We left home at 8.30 and arrived at 10, with a car full of stuff. It was a truly beautiful day, with cloudless blue skies and very little wind. Set up rings, stalls etc and took up my post in the secretaries tent - where we were taking entries for classes, and giving rosettes, trophies and class lists to ring stewards. It is a busy role although I must admit I enjoy doing it. We also had the charity's merchandise caravan set up, a plant sale, Folland Ferret Welfare (with ferrets!) and a couple of stalls selling dog food and animal accessories (pony stuff such as headcollars, grooming requisites etc).

Despite being so busy, Andrew was able to collect Rhian (Callie's new owner - Callies is Murgie's adoptive name), along with her friend and a new dog that Rhian is herself fostering. It was an extremely emotional moment for me to look up from the entries and to see Callie and Rhian trotting along, with Callie looking absolutely magnificent. Her coat is now thick and glossy and she has gained enough weight to maintain her figure but look very well indeed. Her red collar was gleaming in the sun and she was her usual friendly, cheerful self. Rhian is devoted to her and to her new foster dog - in fact, in conversation, Rhian admitted there is a strong possibility that Mickey may not be rehomed but has found his permanent spot! He is a lovely boy, also black - I must admit I am biased but the black hounds look so stunning together. When all the dogs met up again, there was a fiesta of bum sniffing and tail wagging - very pleasant to see.

Callie and Mickey both finished the day garnished with rosettes - there are lots of fun classes including one for Baldie Butts (so many greyhounds have those embarrassing bald patches on their rumps), best six legs and waggiest tail. Callie and Rhian entered the waggiest tail but unfortunately Callie only wagged her tail when she was close to Andrew who was watching the class, so only got a "Well Done" rosette for that class! Rhian and her friend thoroughly enjoyed the day and Andrew was able to pop them home (as they live very close to the park) before coming back for me and all the stuff. Rhian looked very stylish with an enormous, shady straw hat and oversize shades - very suitable for the hot sun and temperature. It was great to catch up with her and swap tales of hound mischief and magic - and I'm hoping to pop down again to visit soon.

After packing up, we returned home - it had been a busy, social day, with lots of fellow greyhound lovers having fun, enjoying the sun and catching up with other friends and enthusiasts. We were both shattered but very happy. The dogs were tired too, and have been quiet today as well. When we got home, we found a heap of feathers, some by the pond and some floating on the water - it looked as though the sparrowhawk had claimed a victim from the sparrows.

We walked the dogs this morning over at Tredegar House - both of us were commenting on the amount of leaves that were falling and starting to turn colour. There is a spectacular display of berries - it seems to have been a very good year for them. Blackberries, rowan berries, elderberries and the bright pink glow of spindleberries. The park also has cherry laurels which have been allowed to grow to a considerable height and these were plastered with fruit.

A couple of pics attached.

When I haven't posted for a while, it's difficult to know whether to start at today and work back or to recount events in some sort of chronological order. Last weekend, Andrew ran in the Cardiff Kidney Wales 10K, starting in Bute Park and finishing outside the Millennium Stadium. Some pics attached. The well known singer Katherine Jenkins also ran in the race - apparently last year, she was invited to start it, but was so impressed she decided to run it herself this year. Fortunately, a lovely day. I watched Andrew start and then walked back through the park up to the stadium, pausing at a Wetherspoons to have a coffee. Was then able to time my arrival at the finish line perfectly to watch the young master sprinting gleefully towards the finish and his medal. Even though he has done so many races, I am still incredibly proud of him. There was a good turnout, with around 2300 runners.

This week has been busy with a meeting in Pontardawe on Tuesday for the Welsh Festival of the Horse and a greyhound meeting on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday we had the pleasure of hosting Sarah and Johnny, just before he goes back to New Zealand after spending the summer here. Sarah of course has stayed many times before but this was Johnny's first time in Cardiff. I took them for a brief orientation tour of the city by car, then dropped them off in the city centre to allow for some browsing in the shops and a visit to Cardiff Castle, which they thoroughly enjoyed. In the evening we had some home made pizza, a request from Sarah whenever she visits. On Friday, I took them down to the Bay, and we wandered round Mermaid Quay, the Welsh Assembly, the Millennium Centre, the water feature that is of course so important for anyone who watches Torchwood and lunch at the Bosphorus, sitting outside in the sunshine, with a glorious view of the water and the bay. Then back via the Red Dragon Centre for Johnny and Sarah to visit the Doctor Who exhibition and finally home. We had time for a cuppa then back into the car to drop them at the station, via the vets where the woofs were having their annual boosters. Usual glum postures from the dogs - tails between legs and general dejectedness.

Today has been another gloriously sunny day, with time spent pottering out in the garden and doing some greyhound paperwork as well as a load of ironing. The sparrow hawk visited us again - he was lurking in the ground cover near the birch tree. I am not sure if this is normal for them or if he/she is the novice one we have seen previously who sits on the back of the garden bench looking hopefully for a sparrow to alight in front of it.

In the best British traditions, it was a Bank Holiday weekend and it rained a lot. And we went to the garden centre! We needed to do a few things out there; when we came back to Cardiff, we tidied up the beds and there were a few casualties. We also needed to refresh some of the pots and baskets - I love having hanging baskets most of the year, and it's possible to enjoy lots of plants this way. The wet weather we've been having had bashed the summer hanging ones to bits so we replaced them with some pretty miniature chrysanthemums, ivy and some cheerful pansies. Another miniature chrsyanthemum in a pot, with a selection for the raised bed, including some thymes and more lavenders (one of my weaknesses). Decided not to buy any bulbs on this trip - that would definately feel too autumnal, will probably go back for them in three to four weeks. Above the raised bed, we've got intertwined climbing roses and clematis montana - a pic is in the title bit of the blog. Most of the roses have finished flowering but we are getting a few late ones. Andrew needed to add some additional wire points and wire to tie in the plants as they had massively outgrown the existing trellis they were scrambling across. Comedy moments ensued with a wobbly stepladder, much swearing, hammering and tying in of recalcitrant plants. All is now much more secure, thankfully. During the performance, the sparrows were highly entertained and the dogs would come out and check up on us occasionally.

On Friday night we had a surprise night out down the Bay at Woods' Brasserie. Andrew was late returning so suggested we eat out. We had a great time down there, but were both surprised how relatively quiet the area was for a Friday at the end of the month. The food at Woods was as usual very good but the service seemed a bit hit and miss - drinks took ages to arrive, and there either seemed to be three wait staff round the table or none, all individually very sweet and willing, but seemingly lacking in co-ordination. Wine was fab and I finished the meal with a bas Armagnac - delicious. Because of the leisurely service, we were longer than expected there so after went for a stroll round the Bay before diving into a taxi and returning home to the usual ecstatic welcome from the woofs.

Yesterday we went down to Morriston Hospital in Swansea to visit my great-aunt who is currently a patient. Delighted to find her in wonderfully good spirits, knitting happily, and full of news. If she continues to make such excellent progress, she will hopefully be out in a couple of days.

My other achievement over the weekend was to finish up a website I have been working on for the Welsh Festival of the Horse. This is taking place next autumn at Margam Park and GRW became involved via the dogs side of things. My contribution was to to set up and manage the website - visits and comments welcome, better still, come to the event itself. You can find the website at www.welshfoh.co.uk This is the first website (not counting my blogs) I've done by myself like this and I really enjoyed doing it. It's got the usual Google analytics to provide the necessary metrics - who's using it, where are they from etc... plus a range of dedicated email addresses which were created specifically for the site. This provides a much more tailored and consistent approach than volunteers' own individual Hotmail account or similar complete with comedy nickname.