Had a good weekend. My dear friend Leila visited from Plymouth and we had a lovely time. On Friday we went to see Hellboy 2 which I have been looking forward to seeing for some time - it was great. Favourite line. Abe says to Hellboy - "My body is a temple." H replies "Mine is an amusement park." On Saturday Leila was brave enough to come with me to a card making workshop at Inkspot, where we made some very pretty Christmas cards. When Andrew picked us up after having gone for a run, he noticed that we were both covered in a layer of glitter - to me the sign of a successful crafting session. In the evening we went out for a meal to the Armless Dragon in Cathays. Sunday was more relaxed and then Leila drove back to Plymouth on Monday morning. Some pics attached. One shows Leila receiving a collage I made for her. She gave me all the 40th birthday cards she received and I put them together in this frame.

What can I say about this weather? It just keeps on raining. I battle every day with a sea of mud, the dogs seem to be permanently muddy and my boots are finally giving up so will have to buy a new pair. It's been so heavy this week that the few flowers we have in the garden have been trashed with their petals forming a kind of puree around the garden, including some pretty late roses and our lovely Japanese anemones.

Andrew will be returning from Scotland shortly - have made him some couscous with prawns and a peach and blueberry crisp. I did do quite a bit of cleaning earlier but the floor is now covered (again!) with muddy little pawprints. While Andrew has been away, Booty has been keeping me company on the bed - she is a real snuggler and keeps me lovely and warm.

Yesterday visited my greyhound friend Penny down in Carmarthenshire with her two lovely lurchers - we also went to the feed merchant and visited a little Section A pony she was thinking of buying (and eventually did). The pony was a pretty dapple grey mare and was overweight after a summer at grass but had very nice confirmation and a sweet nature. Said hello to Penny's other horses, and when I went into the barn, her cats came and greeted me too, including the one with only one eye and a gorgeous black one who immediately decided that my neck was where he wanted to sit, so did. So I was strolling round the barn talking to the horses with a new scarf on, that was purring loudly and vibrating into my shoulder. Of course, when I returned home, wearing this cocktail of entrancing aromas, the two hounds couldn't tear their noses away for ages.

So, how was your Bank Holiday? Was it wet? Muddy? Humid? Dark? Ours was.

Last Thursday evening, I went over to a friend's house to dog sit while she was out in the evening. One of her greyhounds (Jim, a delightful gentleman) is a bit elderly and likes the chance to go out quite frequently. While there, I settled in and did some cross stitch, while listening to Radio 2. On Thursday nights Bob Harris does Country and I always enjoy the show. Friend is also an accomplished quilter, so her living room and conservatory are festooned in very pretty handmade patchwork quilts - her greyhounds really do recline in luxury.

On Saturday I went to a card making workshop in Inkspot - enjoyable as usual. Popped in to the new Marks and Spencer Simply Food on the way home. Much as had been reported to me, nice stock, but the shop is freezing cold, and quite dark with black decor and enviro - friendly lighting - the sort that's useless.

A peaceful weekend, with some work on refining our monthly budget. On Monday, yesterday, we took the dogs to a new piece of Forestry Commission land near Rudry that links up with some of our other regular walks. Damp and misty but very enjoyable. This morning, to Cosmeston, again damp but good. Both walks characterised by an abundance of autumnal colours - bracken changing and masses of berries, including sloe, hawthorn, rose hips, blackberries and elderberries. It really does feel that summer is over. I ordered some autumn/winter stuff today from Lands End - it feels right to be looking at fleeces and coats. I suspect we'll soon have the heating on again.

We've discovered that Booty has corns - which partially explains some of her limping problems. In dogs, only greyhounds and lurchers get them apparently, which would explain why our vet hadn't picked up on them previously. We've now got some Hoof cream (yes I know she is not a horse) for her, and are ordering some custom made boots from the USA - Therapaws. Boots for our Booty.

A most interesting weekend, with an assortment of visitors, both human and otherwise. Friday morning, we woke early to find a heron in the garden, and watched it flap in a leisurely way to the roof of a neighbours house to gain a better vantage point for our pond. Took Andrew to the station, walked the woofs at Hamadryad and called in at Tesco on the way home for some shopping for the weekend. Cleaning and cooking then Andrew's parents arrived at tea time. Did spatchcocked chickens marinaded with lemon and rosemary (from the garden), followed by a peach and berry crisp, and some Welsh cheeses. After dinner we had coffee and digestifs in the sitting room and let out the dogs for their customary late night ablutions. Lots of excited sniffs and squeaks. Andrew investigated to find a hedgehog in the undergrowth -wonderful. Brought the dogs back so they could leave it in peace.

Saturday we walked to the West Usk lighthouse along the sea wall path, wet and blustery. Came home, thawed out, showered and then visited the new Waitrose up at Pontprennau. Spanking new shop, beautifully laid out, with gorgeous stock. I was particularly impressed by the range of flours and bought some to try with my bread maker. Also had an enticing selection of wines. Andrew cooked when we got home, and did a slow pot roast of a haunch of venison, cooked with red wine, herbs and mushrooms, followed by chocolate mousse. All went very well.

Sunday morning I did a late and relaxing brunch of pancakes, blueberry and maple syrup and crispy bacon. Then it was over to Tredegar House where we had tickets for a tour of hidden Tredegar - bits of the house that are not seen when you do the main tour of the rooms. Most interesting, including cellars, attics, nursery rooms and all sorts of staircases. Bits of the house are medieval, so all sorts of funny shapes, windows and levels. Then out to the stables, which are magnificent, the orangery and then back to the Brewhouse for a cream tea (included in the price of the tour). Photo attached of Rita and Roger over tea.

Returned home, and relaxed over a cuppa. Rita and Roger departed later and we were relaxing with the Sunday paper when Andrew called me to come quickly and look out the window. A sparrowhawk was perched on the garden bench eating one of our regular sparrows, amidst a pathetic pile of fluffy feathers. Andrew tried to take a picture - attached - it hasn't come out brilliantly but you can see the bird if you look carefully on the arm of the bench. It really does seem to have been a weekend for wildlife.

As promised in my last post, I went to a card making workshop at Inkspot on Saturday afternoon. As usual, enjoyed thoroughly. On Sunday, went over to Busy Bees for a workshop on making a log cabin chicken. I don't usually post much on this blog about my craft related activities, as that is what Silver Nutmeg is for but I am so chuffed with the little chap - I think he's gorgeous. He doesn't yet have a name, and I am open to suggestions. Have a look at the picture and tell me what you think. He's made from two log cabin blocks - the workshop was a double bonus as not only did I learn the chicken but also how to make the block and even better, a shortcut to making two at a time. I've often seen log cabin quilts and the block is a joy to do - suspect will be doing more in future. There were six of us in the class, with a lovely tutor called Sue from the shop - haven't learned with her before, but she is excellent. One rather endearing characteristic was her referral to her class as "Girls", as in "Now girls, this is how we attach the next piece" and so on. Given that all of us were most definately middle aged and upwards this was lovely. She also confessed to being a secret Fig Roll addict.

Returned home with my new friend and placed him in a prominent position in the living room, so I can gaze at him lovingly. Both greyhounds have been warned that if they touch him, they can consider themselves as lucky to get away with being turned into a greyhound fricassee. Andrew is normally supportive in general of quilting but is completely bemused by the chicken, finds it vaguely funny and occasionally stares at it as if he can't quite believe it's sharing his home.

On Wednesday we went to the St. Mellons Show, over at Tredegar House. We were woken in the night on Tuesday by the heaviness of the rain, and at 7.30 on Weds it was still bucketing down. Waited a bit, and went over at around 10.30, wearing my winter coat and boots. By the time we returned home, I had mud in my hair, down my neck, on my face and my legs were a solid encrustation. Andrew also. However we did have a very nice time, looking at sheep, pigs, rabbits, a few dogs, assorted show ponies and cobs, jumping and a farrier display. The appalling weather had obviously affected numbers of visitors and exhibitors but as is traditional at these events, every one tried to make the best of it. Watched lots of vehicles stuck in the mud, even 4 x 4s.

I took the dogs over there again this morning, and the mud was spectacularly squelchy - we ended up nearly as mucky as yesterday. The dogs were fascinated by all the smells - their favourite was some straw from the pig tent, which both of them were burrowing into in an ecstasy of sniffing.

I also attach a gratuitous greyhound shot (it's been a while), some love in a mist from the garden and one of our Japanese anemones which has just started flowering.

A while since my last post and mixed news to report. Had a fairly quiet weekend. Made the most of a dry spot and had a BBQ out the garden on Saturday night. Went extremely well. Although the weather is generally atrocious at the moment, the garden is a lush green jungle, and is looking good. The pond is fuller than I have ever seen it. A friend I was talking to on the phone last night made me laugh. She was describing how she went out to her garden to harvest some potatoes for her supper, and as she was pulling them out,the hole was filling up with water. I imagined a paddy field of rice, rather than a Carmarthenshire farm garden.

This coming weekend, I am looking forward to my chicken workshop. I received the list of requirements in the post yesterday e.g. fabric, buttons, felt etc... On Saturday, I may also be going to a craft workshop at Inkspot.

I mentioned the news was mixed. Was talking to another friend on the phone and it turns out that she is dealing with a recurrence of her cancer after fifteen years. She's at the unfortunate stage where dealing with the medication and its side effects is temporarily worse than the original illness. We discussed this a bit- one of the other difficulties is dealing with how other people treat you. She doesn't want to be treated any differently, or spoken about in hushed reverent tones as though she were already dead - unfortunately this often happens. We also talked a bit about how it feels when cancer recurs. For me, this is the hard issue to deal with, even only four years on from my original diagnosis. How do you maintain normal life and relationships while also juggling the waiting - I don't always manage this very well - sometimes you have a paranoia about every little ache, twinge and cough. It really is a hypochondriac's charter. The one good thing about talking to her last night was that for much of the conversation we both knew what it was like - this is enormously powerful as a shared experience and is one of the few things in life I think where even the most skilled and empathetic friend or listener cannot totally understand. Even a clutz like me was able to get my head round at least some of what she's going through at the moment. Fortunately, she hasn't lost her sense of humour, which was wonderfully anarchic anyway and was also sharing a funny story about a greyhound she is fostering (Charlie, who probably deserves his own blog, as he is such a character). Charlie decided to do a midnight raid on a fruit bowl and was accumulating a stock of clementines - not to eat, just to collect. Because of that tip tap tip tap of little grey hound feet on the floor as they trot around, she was kept awake at 2 in the morning, and said she felt like simply throwing the entire fruit bowl and its contents at him... I sympathise as we've got our own strange kleptomaniac here although I am very relieved that he doesn't do so at night, generally.

Last night was particularly eventful for us. We had an early night as A had an early train this morning to London. All peacefully asleep when some neighbours decided (at 11.30 p.m.) to have a huge firework party with the loudest and brightest they could find. Booty was terrified by the noise and was shaking - she leapt onto our bed and hid between us - I ended up cuddling her as much as I could. Andy hid behind the sofa and was also very unhappy. Neither of us could sleep for ages and the lights were so bright that flashes were visible even through our blackout curtain linings. Eventually stopped around midnight - is this really appropriate for a week night, this late, so loud? I love fireworks myself but do think there has to be a balance between the pleasure of the individual and the respect for neighbours. It would be much easier to sympathise too if they weren't so damn loud. Apart from terrifying the dogs, most people at this time of year sleep with a window open, and the sheer volume sounded like a re-enactment of the Blitz. As a consequence of all this, we were all very sleepy this morning. Took Andrew to the station at 6.20 and was in the park by around 6.45. Had it to ourselves apart from lots of ducks, cormorants on the river and the usual wonderful array of flowers, butterflies and swallows.

Sunday was a beautiful day, possibly too hot. Andrew was running in the BUPA Great Wales Run, down the Bay. Regular readers will recall he ran it last year too. Because of his hamstring related lay off this was his first 10K for a while. Picture attached of him just before the start. In spite of his worry about his time, he actually did a very respectable 52 minutes, which he was very pleased with, considering he only started training again in May. Next run is the Swansea Bay 10K - this year will be his 3rd in this race. Although we were only out for a comparatively short time, at a reasonably early time, (race started at 9.30) Andrew found by the evening that he had caught the sun on his arms.

One of the most dispiriting things about the race was parking at County Hall; we then walked round to the start area by the Millennium Centre and I was shocked by the amount of litter, an overflowing bin by County Hall bus stop that had clearly not been emptied since the night/day before, and the bus stop itself was deep in leaf litter, fag butts and detritus - not swept for some time. Irrespective of extra litter caused by the run itself (mainly plastic bottles) this was not good outside the Council's main offices and right by a key tourist area. It also does not bode well for the forthcoming Eisteddfod which will be a major cleaning challenge.

Andrew was in London today, at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall. As I often do, we got up earlier so I could drop him at the station and then walk the dogs at Hamadryad Park. After almost eleven years of marriage, he's learned that it's best not to engage my brain till a coffee or two has hit the spot. This morning though he posed a wardrobe dilemma. The IoD has a dress code - which struck me as slightly stuffy and old-fashioned these days, but anyway. He didn't want to wear a suit, but also did not want to fall foul of the sartorial police who presumably would eject him if he did not meet their exacting standards. Smart business casual is much harder for men than it is for women - once you get past the classic suit, you need good taste and a bit of thought to get it right. I think it's even harder in summer, for both men and women. Most Brits (myself included) just look hot and miserable when we get our few annual days of sun and humidity, and simply don't have the continental style found in say France, Italy or Spain. I think it's no surprise that one of the best shops for women's smart summer clothes is Zara, which of course is Spanish. Its clothes manage to look good without falling into either the trap of "wedding guest" look or "just wandered off the beach" approach. Anyway, Andrew eventually decided what to wear after a lot of rummaging, though I had reservations about his belt.

Another humid day today - I did a spot of baking and made a coconut cake - it smelled delicious while it was in the oven. Bread also made, and a bolognese for when the young master returned from London. We watched the F word, which was on the Sky box, and GR ate puffins - nooooo! Far too endearing to be eaten. Yes, I know it's soppy and illogical, and if I was a starving Icelandic herringwife, I'd be glad of it, but could you really eat one?

Two mornings of early trips to the railway station to drop off the young master. Dogs are bundled into the boot and we then walk down at Hamadryad Park, on Clarence Embankment. At 7 a.m. it is peaceful and very attractive. I like the river, there are often early morning rowing teams out, and a wide selection of birds, including cormorants, gulls and swans. You can see both the Millennium Stadium and the Millennium Centre, St Davids Hotel, and close by, Century Wharf. We rented a flat there very happily for a while when we were househunting in Cardiff. We loved being so close to all the attractions of the Bay, it was wonderful to be able to stroll out and have such a variety of bars and restaurants on the doorstep. The development itself was very peaceful and secure, although there was the most horrendous noise every morning from the entire urban gull population which roosted nearby on a set of factory roofs, and decided to start an enthusiastic dawn chorus at 5 a.m. every day. Each morning we'd groan and wish for an Uzi.

In the park, I'm particularly struck by the abundance of wild flowers - very attractive at this time of the year. After our trot round the park, with an occasional squirrel sighting for Andy, it's back in the car, and back past County Hall to return home, for an eight o'clock breakfast, for woofs and for me. Then a brisk couple of hours attacking the housework, followed by an encroachment (but not a full invasion!) into the ironing. When domestic duties are completed, a refreshing shower, lunch and then a peaceful afternoon with my cross stitch, accompanied by two snoozing hounds. Booty prefers an upstairs bed, where she can rest her little head on a pillow, and get some serious power-napping done. Andy likes to keep an eye on me , just in case I suddenly feel the urge to throw cheese at him or leave a steak lying around the kitchen. Young master not too late tonight - prawn curry though he had to miss out on the poppodums, on account of his war wound, which is healing nicely.

A relaxed evening with a bottle of wine, watching Barefoot Contessa (like her cooking style), my evening dose of the Tour and then an episode of Lewis, which I must admit seems to be streets better than Morse. Tomorrow the Tour will be decided by the time trial - there is still only a matter of seconds in it, and some particularly strong riders. Unusually, I don't have a strong personal favourite, although it would be nice to see Frank Schleck get it, or Carlos Sastre. Somehow, I have enormous respect for Cadel Evans, but find it difficult to root for him. This year it's been a really close race all the way through, although there hasn't been the high drama of last year's race with Vino, or even the year before with Floyd Landis, who did that extraordinary chase back to regain time, won and then was discovered to test positive. Quite operatic in its intensity and excitement. I love it.

Firstly, a quick update on the young master. Took him to the dentist this morning. He was ushered in to the inner sanctum and emerged shakily a little while later. His tooth had been removed, but the dentist was so skilful that he hadn't even realised that the deed was done. Wow. Came home, very numb and pale, and sensibly spent the afternoon on the sofa cuddling Booty. I went for a haircut and picked up a few treats for him, including some thick milkshakes and some rice pudding. This evening he had a relaxing bath and is now looking a lot better.

Secondly, praise where it's due for a company. My dear friend Leila has in the past used the website Figleaves and reported positively on them. I decided to have a browse. Well, what a selection. Everything from the budget and sensible right up to the most frothy lingerie imaginable, just what you'd imagine wearing on a hot date with Jean Reno (or other hot date of your choice). I made my selection and ordered on Sunday evening. Yesterday, I had an email confirming dispatch of goods, and today a beautifully wrapped parcel arrived, with a packet of lingerie goodness nestling in luxurious tissue paper. All fitted beautifully and am very happy. It's nice to be able to give good feedback about a shopping experience. I also can't imagine that there will be many high street shops with such a fantastic selection in a good range of sizes.

Finally, isn't this weather wonderful? tomorrow, I will be glued to the sofa as ITV 4 will be showing live coverage of the Tour on the stage up to Alpe d'Huez - a really famous climb. The race is very close in the top four and tremendously exciting - I am really enjoying it.

Some domestic dramas since I last wrote. Andrew has a deep, almost pathological hatred and fear of dentists, owing to an unpleasant experience when he was very much younger. He hasn't seen a dentist for a number of years, and any suggestion that he should is met with horror. Anyway, some eight weeks ago, he lost half a tooth and on Thursday night said tooth began to ache agonisingly. He was in so much pain he took a painkiller (something he never normally does, unlike me) and still had difficulty sleeping. On Friday morning he seriously considered pulling it out himself, but I went ballistic. Eventually, after a lot of nagging and drama, he allowed me to phone the Emergency NHS dentist service. To my amazement, the service was fantastic. Spoke to a lovely helpful lady, who managed to find an appt for the young master in Butetown at 11 am (I phoned just after 10). Dashed down to Loudon Square, where the health centre looks incredibly grim, but again staffed by lovely friendly and charming staff. He had no waiting and was whisked in to see a delightful dentist promptly at 11. In fairness, I can honestly say that in 11 years of marriage I have never seen him look so awful - not just white but a kind of grey colour, with a pallor on his skin. They thought he might faint so gave him glucose tablets. Anyway, after injections, he was still able to feel the tooth, so the dentist decided that the infection in it needed to be settled before it could be extracted, so home we came with a prescription for antibiotics. They have worked brilliantly and he's booked in tomorrow at my dentist for an extraction. He's on soft food, so I've made lots of soup and we've eaten tonnes of rice. I will update on the patient after tomorrow.

We had a good weekend. On Saturday, Busy Bees (where I go for quilting lessons) was celebrating its tenth anniversary by holding an exhibition at the Dyffryn community centre, just at the back of the Tredegar House carpark. We visited, and it was stunning, full of beautiful quilts and other handmade textile goodies, all done by people who'd attended classes or workshops at BB. Very inspiring. Then went over the shop to choose some sashing and backing fabric for my latest quilt top, and to pay for my forthcoming chicken course in August. Also treated myself to another charm pack in delightful Christmas colours. Will update further on this on my craft blog.

Sunday was equally enjoyable. We went down to visit Penny (another greyhound friend) who lives close to old friend Liz in the wilds of Carmarthenshire, on a very nice farm. She is the owner of two wonderfully affectionate and bonkers lurchers who bounced all over us, chased each other round the garden and through the raspberry canes and then collapsed in a heap, looking contented, before getting up and repeating the exercise. It was lovely to sit outside in the garden and Penny also took us up to see her latest foal who was beautiful and also had a really stunning mum, a gorgeous Section B palomino mare with a very sweet nature who came over for a neck tickle although I think she really wanted her feed bucket.

Today, it's actually been hot and sunny. This morning, after walking the woofs, I set about cleaning. In the afternoon, I decided to do some stitching out in the garden, to take advantage of the sunshine. I was only out there for a little over an hour, but my arms have caught the sun. I am normally very careful about not burning and religiously apply SPF 15 moisturiser every day for example - I guess I've got so used to having constant cloud and rain, I completely under-estimated the power of the sunshine. It was lovely to sit out there though - butterflies and bees in abundance, lots of birds, distant hum of lawnmowers, really relaxing and summery.

Talking of birds, I am sorry to report that they have nicked the majority of the ripe blueberries. I have now learned my lesson and the ripening berries on the other two bushes will be picked as soon as they are ready, rather than being left on the bush. Next year, I might invest in some netting or a cage to keep them off.

As TS Eliot so famously said in one of my favourite poems - "In my end is my beginning" and that's how I feel today, as I embark on my new life as a full time housewife and megastar. One of the important challenges facing me is what to wear. Should I opt for the Waynetta Slob look, as modelled locally comprising vast gold hoop earrings, scraped back dyed blonde hair and a variety of polyester leisure wear? Generally accessorised by a couple of screaming and feral toddlers. Or the Nigella Lawson "domestic goddess" with a cashmere twinset and a hopelessly pornographic approach to cooking the dinner? This would involve staring lustily at Andrew while making suggestive licking and stroking gestures with any available root vegetables or kitchen implements. Since watching her show I've never seen a nutmeg grater in the same light.

Actually, on one of my many forays into the byways of the Internet, I''ve come across a number of patterns for retro pinnies - you know, the ones that are frilled and that your granny probably wore. One of those in a nice vintage print would be just the job. Judging by the number available these are becoming popular once more - possibly to be worn with a gingham shirtwaister, red lipstick and maribou trimmed mules?

Andrew has (jokingly I hope) suggested a range of performance indicators and of course with my background I am clearly destined to set up a domestic Cleanliness index with interior zoning and time bound constraints for restoring it to perfection. I am also in the process of setting up a range of spreadsheets to help track various tasks and to assist in menu planning. Fortunately I have reached the stage of my life where I can laugh at my characteristics without feeling any need to change them.

Andrew's chip arrived in the post today for his next run - he's training for the BUPA great Wales run at the end of the month. Today has also been a day of industrial action by Unison and Unite over local government pay issues. When the Echo arrived this afternoon, it was nice to see some familiar faces either in the pictures or being quoted in the article. Generally, the dress code for picketing seems to be based on a "smart casual" approach - usually jeans as they give a nicely classless air with a nod to their working origins. I wonder if anyone has ever done a serious study on the messages of dress and industrial relations? Would be interesting reading.

In other news, our blueberries are ripening and we have some ready for picking. Unfortunately although this is very exciting, there are only about 8 of them so Andrew and I will have to share them without baking a glorious blueberry cobbler or some other delicacy. Maybe a smoothie?
The gourds are also in full flower, which should give us a bumper crop in the autumn.

Blimey - 78 people from the Council have read my blog today. I must leave more often. Thanks to the mystery commentator, much appreciated.

One of the handy features on my webstat counter - well, they're all good - is a listing showing what searches bring up my blog, organised both by search engines and also more interestingly by search term. Not surprisingly, Google is far and away the most popular search engine, with Google Blog search and Firefox appearing occasionally. Andrew is an enthusiastic user of Firefox. If I was starting my blog again, I would not use a title that had the word "mistress" in it, as the internet caters for slightly more adventurous searches using that word. It's quite odd to see search results with a heavy mix of greyhounds, nipple clamps and spanking (and those are the politer ones). One of the funniest to have popped up recently was something to do with a threesome of lesbians ironing - frankly, I'd welcome them with open arms if they wanted to come and do mine. One of these days I'm sure I'm going to see a search phrase combining greyhounds with some particularly kinky pursuit - doesn't bear thinking about.

An early start this morning to take Andrew to the station. Miraculously it wasn't raining, so bundled sleepy hounds into the back of the car and after dropping off Andrew by station front, drove down to Hamadryad Park on Clarence Embankment. Took the woofs for an early morning constitutional, not helped by part of one of my teeth falling out on the way. Now will need emergency dentist. Still it was lovely by the river with early rowers on the water, ducks bobbing and a wonderful selection of wild flowers in the park. Drove home via Tesco for a paper and some shampoo - and treated myself to one of their new bags for life shoppers. Three ticks in the box - made from recycled plastic bottles - hurrah! Raising money for Marie Curie, one of my favourite cancer charities - hurrah! Designed by Cath Kidston and covered in jolly flowers - hurrah! As I got back to the car with my purchases, it began to rain, and it is now bucketing down. Am about to do battle with laundry - oh, frabjous day, as Lewis Carroll put it. Woofs content on sofa in post walk torpor, having devoured breakfast.

Inundation. How else to describe yesterday and today? Near constant rain, heavy, persistent, soaking. We seem to be constantly mopping floors, needing lights on against the darkness and generally feeling very un-summery. Every time the dogs go out the garden they return soaking wet, even after only a couple of minutes.

Received some news today (long expected) that confirms my employment with Cardiff will almost certainly come to an end early next week. Cue a mass breakout at Lamby Way of singing "Hurray, the witch is dead." We have no particular ties to the city (my roots are in Swansea and its western environs) and Andrew's work can be carried out anywhere in the UK provided he has access to good transport links. Accordingly, I think it unlikely that we will make our permanent home here. The friends I have made since moving here are generally greyhound related and if we stay in Wales would continue. Can only think of a few people from work I would want to stay in touch with - inevitably,and quite naturally, work relationships generally wither without the daily contact and work setting. And of course there is the equally important point that very few people would be wanting to stay in touch with me, particularly as I have never made much of an attempt to win any popularity contests. This has been brought home to me recently as I have been surprised by the deafening silence from colleagues. My handy site stats show that the blog is receiving a lot of readers from the Council, averaging around a dozen a day with peaks well above that. I suspect people are reading it in the hope of work related gossip or the online equivalent of gawping at a car crash - sort of cyber rubberneckers. A number of other blogs have been writing about my departure for some time so I suspect that for most people it will be old news. Further reflections on my time with Cardiff will follow.

A lot to write about. On Friday night, we enjoyed my Christmas present from Andrew - two tickets to see Dolly Parton at the CIA. I had been looking forward to wearing something really summery such as the silver sandals I bought last year and have still only worn twice, but the weather got steadily worse throughout the day, and was raining heavily by the time we got into Cardiff. Accordingly having donned my thermal vest and Fair Isle bloomers, we went to the CIA and took our seats. Promptly at 8, the performance began. Naturally she looked divine, she is just so tiny, so perfect and looks fantastic for her age. The costumes were a riot of rhinestones and underwiring, the wig deserved its own tribute band and the makeup was a testament to the power of pigment married to the technology of the space shuttle. An excellent line up of songs, a cracking band, and all totally RUINED by the appalling sound quality of the venue. Most of the time we could barely hear individual words, just an echoing wall of sound. However, I'm just so pleased to have seen her - she is a truly professional performer, an amazing songwriter and a fantastic role model. The sound was better when she did some lovely accapella numbers later in the set but the moral of the story is definately - AVOID THIS VENUE. I also begrudge paying nearly £3 for a tiny bottle of water - what's that about? Interestingly there were dire warnings pinned up everywhere when we went in that all photos were forbidden and you weren't even supposed to take a camera mobile in with you. Naturally most people ignored this but occasionally stewards were prowling and asking people who were taking quite innocent pics of themselves with friends to desist. This did not add to the gaiety of nations.

Eventually came home on a high note and were met as usual by woofs by the door. I was pottering around downstairs making a cuppa while DH went upstairs to undress. There was an ominous silence then he called me to come and see.

Andy's raiding activities had hit a new low (or high, depending on your perspective). While we were out, he had taken a full bucket from downstairs with a sealed lid containing bags of wild bird peanuts and those plastic mesh sacs full of mixed bird seed. This had been dragged upstairs (no mean feat considering the weight) then he had managed to remove the tightly sealed lid, then the contents had been partly eaten and partly lavishly scattered all over our bed, the bedroom floor and the ensuite. When I saw it, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So, late at night, Andrew began the laborious task of hoovering every inch of the bedroom, changing the bed and jiggling the furniture so that we could remove the nuts and seeds that were everywhere. This took a surprisingly long time so we were quite late going to bed. While all this was happening, the culprit was skulking in the front bedroom, occasionally rolling his eyes at us forlornly - he definately knew we were not happy bunnies. Eventually bed was changed and made up, and all retired after quite a memorable evening.

Saturday we took a new walk. Regular readers will recall we walk very often over at Tredegar House and also at Tredegar playing fields which adjoins the park of the house, being separated by the road and the exit from the M4. Quite often in the playing fields, if you look up, you can see an attractive hill with what appears to be walks on it. So on Saturday morning, we drove past the playing fields and into the suburb of Caer, up onto the hill, parked and walked all over the hilltop. On the map it is shown as Tredegar Fort (age unknown at present, but we will endeavour to find out) and there was a wide selection of ditches, lumps and bumps. The view was stunning, right over the Transporter bridge to the Severn crossing. Somerset looked virtually touchable. All over the fort, we wandered, enjoying the views, the wind, the sun and the solitude (only two other dog walkers to be seen). Paths had been mown and it was a pleasure to stroll along turf studded with clover while the dogs sniffed excitedly.

We timed our walk well, as just after returning to the car, the rain began again and the weather worsened through the day. I began watching the Tour (my one annual foray into professional sport broadcasting). Later, I actually began making some Christmas cards for the greyhound shop.

Today, we did another new walk, this time to St Brides on the levels. We parked by the Lighthouse Inn, and then walked out along the edge of the Severn to the lighthouse at the mouths of the Ebbw and Usk at Newport docks, and back along the raised sea wall. It was lovely, very peaceful and lonely with stunning views. All we could hear were skylarks, the wind in the grass and the sound of the sea. The dogs loved it too, with lots of new smells and puddles for Booty to play in. Again, we timed it well, as it started raining this afternoon and has been miserable for the rest of the day. I watched some more Tour and we had a delicious evening meal of a beef casserole with a bottle of Shiraz. Some photos attached of the walk.

Over the weekend we watched Pan's Labyrinth for the second time. Again, I was struck by what a powerful film it is. Beautifully acted and stunning visually, with a very clever way of alternating between the terrible horrors of the Civil War and Ofelia's own nightmarish battles in the world beneath, as well as the loss of her mother. I kept being reminded of Goya's paintings - that same horror. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.

Later in the week, I am looking forward to settling down and watching Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe, which I recorded today. This is a really lovely film and always makes me cry buckets, as it's such a touching story of friendship and the love between girl friends. Quite old now, probably about 15 years, if not more, but I'm hoping it will stand up well, especially as much of the flashback action is set in the pre-war era.

Finally, it's been a while since we had any gratuitous shots of the greyhounds. The bed was stripped this morning to take advantage of the sunshine. Before I could finish tidying, Booty had colonised it and enjoyed a relaxing snooze with her legs in the air. The other photo shows Andy having a similar power nap in the front bedroom. Clearly, it's hard work being retired.....

Much to my surprise, I have discovered today two wonderful versions of a song. It is "Hurt" originally sung by Nine Inch Nails, and then covered by Johnny Cash, not long before he died. Both versions in their different ways are excellent, but at the moment the Cash one is doing it for me, not least because of the video that accompanies it - absolutely breathtaking, and very moving. Both can easily be found on Youtube - if you haven't found them, I recommend scoping them out. I feel rather embarrassed as both songs have been around for ages, and I have only just cottoned on to their existence. Annoyingly as a teenager, country in all forms was regarded as being completely outside taste and decency, so I never listened to any, with the exception of Ry Cooder (yes, not really country I know, but American, and a slide guitarist without match). It is only later as I got into blues, a bit of folk and a dash of bluegrass, that it began to dawn on me that country could be good, so there are still these large gaps in my knowledge and understanding of it. Going back to the song, the lyrics are raw, powerful and describe harrowing emotional suffering, with its isolation and corrosive effects on relationships. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

After that, there really isn't much else I can add, except I am thinking of buying some of the later Cash CDs - the American songbook series - Hurt comes from Volume 4, the last he made before he died. Interestingly, there is a posthumous Volume 5 too. Several of the albums were made with the Heartbreakers (as in Tom Petty and) who I already liked as they sing two of my favourite songs - I Won't Back Down and Learning To Fly.

What I think today confirms is that truly great songs can stand and are enhanced by cover versions that are completely different in genre. Am just thinking of some of Leonard Cohen's such as Hallelujah which everyone has had a go at, and of course the wonderful Nouvelle Vague. They dared to cover Love Will Tear us Apart, which I would have regarded as heresy, but to my amazement, I loved it. Another of my all time fave albums is KD Lang's compilation of covers, Hymns of the 49th Parallel. She chooses some blinders including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and of course Mr Cohen. Her voice is so beautiful that if she invited me I would become a lesbian without a second's hesitation, although I realise this is a very theoretical possibility.

As threatened yesterday, some photos of the garden. From the top, our cardoon, which after a terrible start last year, this year is looking magnificent. Proof if any were needed that recovery is possible after the most disastrous setbacks. Secondly, one of our beautiful alliums. I love these crazy green fronds - there's something terribly random and druggy about them, which suits my mood at the moment. In the background of this picture, you can see the pot with the lilies in it - so far we've had no problems with lily beetle. Touching wood frantically as I type this. So far, every visitor to the house who's seen them has said "Oh, what lovely lilies. Have you had any problems with lily beetles?" as lots of them have.

Thirdly, honeysuckle. One of my favourite flowers since childhood, and even the smell of it takes me back to being 12, and hacking along a Gower lane covered with blossom on the way to a common for a canter. Or Pony Club camp. Both very happy memories. Why not share your favourite smell -induced memories? I realise that this is all getting a bit Proustian, but hey, why not?

Another Tuesday and not a great deal to report. The weather keeps threatening to turn into a proper summer, and then it rains.......... ho hum. The only upside is the garden looks fantastic. At the front of the house, we have banks of lavender and santolina (cotton lavender) in flower and they smell divine. Also out there are flourishing sage, both purple and gold, rosemary and a variegated marjoram. With some scabious in pinks and purples, and a hanging basket full of pretty verbena the whole effect is fragrant and very pretty. I will try and take some pictures, although they won't be able to capture the glorious scent. Bees love it and the lavender particularly is alive with them, which is good.

In the pond we have a new crop of micro fish - tiny baby goldfish that are no bigger in length than my thumbnail, and about the width of a pine needle. My knowledge of fish biology is rather shaky - I remember doing the life cycle of the stickleback in O level Biology but that was (scarily) nearly thirty years ago. Anyway, we had never attempted to sex our fish when we bought them as I have no idea how this is done, or had any plans for a breeding colony. This seems to be a happy accident and I hope it shows that the pond environment is good for both fish and amphibians. The larger fish (parents, possibly) are flourishing and have become responsive and surprisingly bold when they are fed each day on a kind of pellet. Unfortunately, it is usually a race between the fish and a certain greyhound, who has mastered the art of perilous leaning while stretching his neck like a giraffe. This enables him to scoff any pellets which are within reach. It's an amazing sight to see fish and greyhound tongue chasing the same pellet - one day he is either going to lean too far and fall in, or he is going to accidentally lick up a live fish, and then there'll be trouble.

In other news, local government both nationally and locally will be facing a series of strikes this summer. Nationally, Unison have voted for industrial action on the national pay award. Locally, Cardiff unions are in dispute with the council over the revised sickness policy. It will be interesting to see how these disputes unfold. Generally, all out strike action is limited in its effectiveness, both politically and practically, but industrial action such as refusing overtime could be a very different matter and would be devestatingly effective in our service, where most of our weekend and events cleaning is based on overtime working. With the Eisteddfod shortly coming to Cardiff in a matter of weeks now, this could potentially have a huge impact both nationally and on the city stage. This heightens the stakes considerably for both sides of the dispute, and it will be fascinating to see what tactics are used.

A brief post on the theme of chickens again. We went to Tesco tonight for our weekly shop. I am happy to report that we were able to buy free range chicken breast portions (or organic), as well as thighs. Got free range eggs - but have been buying those for years. By a quirk, their egg producer is only about 2 miles down the road, on the Wentloog levels, so is also incredibly local. Hellmann's mayonnaise has now also gone Free Range, which is excellent ( I resisted the obvious pun there - sorry, so easy to talk about cracking jokes, groan......) There has also been an noticeably steady improvement in the availability of outdoor reared British pork and bacon over the last couple of years, and we always buy this if we can. I am less convinced of the need for strictly organic production, particularly at the high price differential but would welcome views on this. We do buy some, principally yoghurt (Rachel's Dairy, and Yeo Valley), butter (when Andy doesn't pinch it) and some other dairy products but that is unashamedly on the basis of flavour, rather than any perceived environmental benefit. Some chocolate also would fall into this category such as Green and Black's - I use their cocoa powder for cooking. Again, similar reasoning for some fairtrade sugars and a few organic flours - we love the Dove's Farms ones which we use regularly in the breadmaker. Approximately 80% of our bread consumption is now home-made, and the other 20% is shop bought mainly because I haven't got my act together and occasionally forget to set the machine in the evenings. Also, I would always buy specialist baked goods such as bagels - life is really too short to make these, as they are both boiled and baked. Current favourite mix in the breadmaker is 70% strong white, 15% rye flour and 15% white with seeds (countrygrain) - this makes a beautifully textured, nutty flavoured loaf without that plutonium like density that all rye breads can often achieve. Fellow Pratchett readers will be familiar with dwarf bread - well, rye flour is definately one of the key ingredients along with a little gravel for lightness.

Anyway, the point of all this rambling is that Tesco do seem to be responding to customer demand and stocking meat that is produced humanely - and for that they should be congratulated.

Quick update on the wounded warrior - he is licking his paw a lot, but seems to be recovering. When we got back from Tesco, I took some of the bathroom purchases upstairs, to find that he had been playing with his friend the oven glove, which had been placed lovingly on our bed. He then supervised the unpacking of the carrier bag of goodies, and decided to have a recreational gnaw on some of the contents. My new anti-perspirant now has some rather fetching teeth marks in it.

Firstly, apologies to Jonathan. Of course you can have as many oiled young men as you like - no exclusivity was intended. And isn't it good news about Russell T Davies? Will we all have to curtsey? Nice to see him being rewarded for his good work though.

Favourite aunty came for the weekend, and yes, we did have a barbeque, but it was not as warm as we would have liked. She came on Friday night, and we did Jamie's chicken caesar salad, which was lovely, followed by bowls of strawberries. At this time of the year, when it's possible to get British ones that taste lovely they are a real treat.

On Saturday we went to Bath, as a belated birthday treat for Hil. Bath is a magical city in many ways, for visiting, although I would not like to live there. From a shopping point of view it is as much fun as London, as there are lots of my favourite shops there and loads of gorgeous, quirky individual places that make beautiful things. We visited a sausage shop and bought some lovely home made sausages. Also to the new Cath Kidston store - I love her retro florals and vintage looks. In one particular place there can be found Space NK, Molton Brown, Lush and L'Occitane all within a credit card flick of each other. I decided to simply avoid temptation completely by not entering Space NK - a painful struggle but virtue won. L'Occitane did manage to lure me in and I succumbed to a beautiful Green Tea with Mint cologne. Sadly, they have stopped doing their beautiful ironing waters, I particularly liked the Verbena one. The sales assistant was telling me that lots of customers ask for it every week - seems a pity this message has not gone back to the company.

When we were visiting Claire and Basil the previous weekend, they were telling us about a quirky public art project in Bath this summer, featuring a hundred different decorated pigs in Bath and its environs. The theme derives from King Bladud (founder of Bath) and his pigs, and they are being auctioned for charity at the end of the summer. C & B have one near them in Bathampton which we saw, and Hil and I were looking out for them. We saw three and loved them. Photos attached. The one in the tree is a Pig of Paradise - brilliant. The project has its own website - http://www.kingbladudspigs.org/

When we returned home, we decided to be brave as it wasn't actually snowing, and eat outdoors. Andrew fired up the barbie, thermal vests were donned, and we enjoyed the Mongolian Fire pot sausages we brought back from the sausage shop, along with a variety of other delicacies and a big jug of Pimms. For dessert, Andrew made pineapple kebabs that he coated in brown sugar, before caramelising them on the hot grill. This was delicious and I highly recommend it.

On Sunday, we went down to Ikea as Hil was looking for some photo frames. We bought some new plates, as several of our existing ones have fallen victim to Andy's counter-surfing habits. Also bought a couple of glass vases that I will be using to store my various crafty bits in, such as bone folder, pokey tool, craft knife, tweezers etc... Finally took her to the station in the afternoon, and spent a quiet remainder of the day.

Andrew took both dogs to the vet this morning. Booty had a scheduled check up as the vet requires a personal visit after three prescriptions (for her NSAIDs). Due to over-enthusiastic squirrel chasing yesterday morning, Andy had the equivalent of a skinned knee on the top of his foot. Because greys have so little body fat, and such tissue like skin, we've become quite blase about superficial wounds and both dogs have an impressive collection of scars. The vet was able to do a double appointment, and confirmed there was nothing to worry about, and gave the wounded warrior a painkiller. Subsequently, he's been asleep all day, but emitting the most noxious wind. Booty is continuing on her medication, and the vet confirmed her muscle tone is excellent. The warmer weather is also helping her. Just about to go and watch Mary Queen of Shops which apparently this week is in Cardiff. Should be interesting.

Firstly, apologies to all for the hiatus in posting. No plausible excuses such as computer problems, foreign trips or domestic refurbishments. It's tempting to go with the blog equivalent of "The dog ate my homework". They eat virtually everything else. Reality is slightly more prosaic and therefore in all the finest traditions I say "Bah" - I don't do prosaic, or humdrum.

Most important news first. We have a flourishing housemarten nest on the front of the house, under the eaves, just above the guest bedroom. If you're planning a stay with us this summer, you'll be close to the action. The nest is an intricate construction of tiny mud lumps, forming a sort of mosaic construction. Because of the angle, it is impossible to see inside it, but all sorts of intriguing noises are coming from it. Every time we come into or out of the house, we spend a couple of minutes looking up, fascinated and enthralled.

Last weekend, we saw Aida down at the Millennium Centre. Every time I visit the auditorium, my affection for the building grows. I love the way it works - a full auditorium of people can be moved around, and catered for without too much squeeze. During the intervals there are always lots of nice nooks and crannies to wander around and park with a drink, and it is the first theatre in the history of the universe to have sufficient toilets for women visitors.

The only rather endearing drawback is that even though we must have been at least a dozen times now, and Andrew is a former Scout leader so is officially good at finding his way around, the signing for the auditorium is very poor in terms of selecting your entrance. Because of the rather cunning design, it's often counter-intuitive, so for instance as on Saturday night, our tickets were for the second row of the stalls but we found ourselves ascending to the first floor and around a couple of corners before we arrived at the right entry for the auditorium. This means that the building is often full of befuddled visitors getting a good stretch of their legs before the show. The signing for the various doors and entrances is beautifully discreet and rather stylish, and hence completely useless as people simply don't seem to see it. Hours of fun!

Anyway, about the opera. I hadn't seen this one before so was interested. Orchestra were faultless. WNO are justly famous for their chorus and this is an opera that allows them a starring role. In this production the main line up had also been supplemented by a further group so in total around 120 people would be on stage during crowd scenes. The chorus sang wonderfully.

Main roles were also generally very well sung although the woman who sang the title role had a charisma bypass (not strictly necessary I realise). Her singing was a little tight to begin with, but she warmed up beautifully as the evening progressed. Dennis O'Neill sang the male lead and again, his voice is wonderful. Perhaps wrongly, I spent the journey down to the theatre speculating with Andrew how the imagined Egyptian footwear (probably sandals) would be accommodated to provide heels for him. When he walked on stage, it appeared that the costume designer had neatly overcome the problem by simply transposing his costume to the 19th Century. Hence he wore baggy pantaloons, knee high wedge boots (!!!), a black jacket and a kind of shawl that dangled from his shoulders at the back. The wedges were a completely new advance on his usual black lift shoes. The entire costume would have looked dashing on a man of 6 ft with a godlike bod, but as DON is built like me, being about five feet tall and the same width it didn't really work. Also unfortunately, the director had placed a lavish sprinkling of scantily dressed young men around the set as mobile eye candy - very successful as they were superbly buff. They popped up as slaves, soldiers and dancers at one point. Anyway, at one point, the Egyptian princess who wants his hand is lying on a chaise longue being fanned and fawned over by a quartet of half naked muscular young men, glistening with body oil, lithe, taut and willing to do anything she demands. Female readers will be happy to know I had a long list of commands mentally prepared..... There was then a bit of a mental leap required to imagine said princess declining this delicacy for the pleasures of a man in late middle age, of considerable girth and questionable costume.... Hmmm.

All in all, the production was very well done, but the opera itself just didn't grab me - it seemed to keep lurching between huge crowd scenes and a more intimate central threesome. Andrew has now booked our tickets for the summer 2009 season.

This weekend was pleasant. On Saturday I went to another craft workshop at Inkspot, on using Fantasy Film and Fibre. I have seen these items on sale at craft shops and shows, but had never used them, so was interested to see what could be done with them. As usual, the teacher, Pam is excellent, being very thorough and helpful, and happy to answer lots of questions. We made three very pretty cards, each using different techniques with the materials. I have now booked in to another one on the 21st on Shrink Plastic.

Sunday we visited Bathampton where resides Andrew's sister Claire, husband and three boys. A blazing hot day, which we spent mainly relaxing in the garden. The dogs were very good and I attach a picture of Andy who decided the sand pit was the place for him. Also a pic of Basil with a mug of tea and Claire holding Alex the youngest of the three boys. He is growing remarkably quickly and is now at the stage where he comes up and launches into a cheerful and lengthy speech, none of which is comprehensible. Claire and Basil were "tuned in" so were able to provide translation services. Took birthday presents for James, the middle son, gave him some more Scaletrix bits,which went down well,so we all went upstairs to have a go - great fun. I managed to get my Subaru over the ramp first time - yay! Came home very tired and spent a quiet evening in the garden with a jug of Pimms.

Weather very hot again today so dogs are quiet and relaxing in the house. A is in Scotland but is returning tonight. This coming weekend, having a visit from fave auntie Hilary. If weather continues to be good, might risk planning a barbeque. Having written this, I realise the law of sod will now intervene and it will probably snow.

There's something very reassuring and traditional about Bank Holiday weekends. So far, our weekend has been a classic. Andrew finished work on Friday afternoon and we went to the garden centre (TRADITIONAL ACTIVITY NO 1) to select some bedding plants. Enjoyed ourselves and came home with a selection for our pots and tubs out the back. Dithered about the weather forecast (TA No 2) as it had been lovely all week but was apparently set to take a turn for the worse. Had a long debate about whether or when to have a BBQ (TA No 3) . Decided to sleep on it.

Saturday, decided to risk a BBQ and went to Tesco. Shelves stripped by locusts (TA No 4 - see also Christmas shopping requirements) especially meat aisles and any ingredients that could be used outdoors. Huge piles of charcoal being sold by door. At home neighbours clearly visible inspecting and cleaning BBZQ implements (TA No 5) - again, mostly men.

Saturday night enjoyed a lovely BBQ (although I was wrapped up warm in a jacket). Fantastic. No Bank Holiday weekend is complete with out one. Did sweet potatoes in the embers, and mackerel parcels grilled with lemon and rosemary. Also asparagus spears. Dogs were very wary of hot apparatus but enjoyed sniffing around us at the table.

Then rounded off the evening in style by watching Eurovision. Amazing. This year, we pressed the red button and were able to savour the song lyrics in all their glory. The weirdest ones were undoubtedly Bosnia Herzogivina which talked about "lying on our back, eating a banana - which made us sad". Finland's entry was impressive too - they went all out for a defiantly metal approach (lots of leather and studs) complete with manly pelvic thrusting, head banging and incomprehensible lyrics about being heroic where there are no room for sheep, yes really. I couldn't make this stuff up. Am pleased to say I voted for them..

Today another typical activity (No 6) - we went down to the Swansea Show although it was pouring down (TA No. 7). Both of us were wearing lots of layers, Andrew had gloves on and there were severe weather warnings on the BBC website. By the time we got to Swansea, it had stopped raining and was positively tropical such that I was able to unzip my coat for a bit. Sadly the show was very poorly attended, but we were able to secure ringside seats to enjoy the classes, and in particular the Knights of Arkley - a medieval re-enactment. Absolutely stunning horses and costumes and riding - loved it. Our friend Penny from GRW acts as Lady Penelope - the "ringmistress" for this and it was lovely to see her. After her bit, stayed to watch a few more showing classes and took a peek at the Working Hunter ponies. Popped down to the horseboxes to say Hi to Penny and then trundled home. Spent a relaxing afternoon on the sofa with the paper, except for a minor crisis when we realised we were out of gin.

Should finally add that Booty's new collar and lead arrived yesterday and it is beautiful - nearly as beautiful as she is. Have attached a few pics of the weekend (TA No 8).

Today's been a good day. We went down to Clyne Gardens in Swansea, which is famous for its rhododendrons and azeleas. We often went there when I was a child and a teenager and it is also very spectacular in the autumn. The gardens have wonderful views over the bay and back onto Clyne Castle, the home of the Heneage Vivian family until the early 1950s.

Today there was a rare plant fair, and later in the afternoon a band concert. We parked up on Mayals Road, so entering at the top of the garden and gently wandered over to the castle, through the plant fair, down the valley, stopped for a coffee at the bottom then wandered back up through the bog garden to the Japanese bridge and thence back to the car. It is difficult to pick a highlight as all of it was looking absolutely beautiful, although I am very fond of the giant gunnera. There were lots of people around, many buying plants and we stopped to chat to two lots of people about greyhounds. The weather was very pleasant, warm and sunny without being oppressively hot. We took lots of photos, many of which look gorgeous, so I attach a few to this entry.

The outing was ended in perfection by visiting Joe's icecream parlour. As usual there was a queue out the door, and again as usual, made up of everyone from tiny children to a large party of elderly ladies in front of us who were hitting the sundaes, as well as an assortment of teenagers, young couples and families. My chocolate marshmallow sundae was heavenly, and we decided to buy a cone for each of the dogs. We took the cones back to the car, which was parked by the Guildhall, they hopped out and looked very interested in the cones. I'd have liked to have photographed the occasion, but it was difficult to have enough hands to wrangle two greyhounds, two cones and two sundaes for us! Anyway, the cones were a huge success and disappeared with much happy slurping and crunching in about ten seconds. The greyhounds will now be as much a fan of Joe's as the rest of us. Dogs were replaced in the car, and Andrew and I sat on a bench eating our sundaes at a slightly slower speed. All around us we could see couples and families doing the same thing, which I found rather romantic and touching. Then drove home, all happy and tired. As I write, the young master is stuffing a chicken with herbs from the garden and it is about to go into the oven.

On Friday night I watched American Gangster, which was on Sky Box Office. It was excellent, with some stonking performances from Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. It only enhanced my view of Ridley Scott as a director, too, who was not afraid to make a long film that had the time to really let you soak up the atmosphere and the characters. I loved it. The only criticism, which is not unique to this film, was that there were very variable sound levels between the dialogue sections and the bits with music (a well chosen and atmospheric soundtrack, too) so that I found myself constantly fiddling with the remote control. Can't recall if the film did win any oscars, but I do remember it being nominated, and can now see why.

Have also recorded The Curse of the Golden Flower, which was on Sky Indie on Friday night. This was made by the same guy who made House of Flying Daggers which was beautiful, and has Chung Yow Fat (who was in Crouching Tiger, which made me cry at the end). The reviews seen so far indicate that it is as visually spectacular as HFD, but a bit slow on plot. This sort of film is ideal for watching at home, as with a comfy sofa, a good glass of wine and a snuggly greyhound, I'm happy to relax and let the spectacle wash over me, which I would be less happy about if out at the cinema. I will write more about this after I have seen it.

Lots to say. Andrew has been off this week which has been lovely. After the excitement of Monday, we had a very quiet day on Tuesday, as I was shattered. On Thursday, Andrew's parents, Rita and Roger visited with Sylvia, an old friend of theirs from their school days, who has been staying with them for a few days. It was lovely to see her, as she lives in East Sussex, so we don't cross paths very often. The weather this week has been good mostly and on Thursday it was hot and sunny, so we were able to put up the parasol on the outside table, lay out the cushions on the benches, and enjoy the garden. Andrew did some weeding on Wednesday and I must say it looked inviting and surprisingly mature especially as so many plants are currently growing like mad and/or bursting into flower. Most excitingly, the pond now has a large collection of wriggling tadpoles, which is wonderful.

We did a nice menu on Thursday. We started with Nigella's watermelon salad, with mint, feta and olives. Very refreshing and really scrumptious, definately one to repeat in summer weather. Followed this with Jamie's chicken caesar salad, which is gorgeous (we've had it before), made with home made bread and herbs from the garden. Dessert was passionfruit shortcakes, eaten outside. Bliss. Before lunch, we also had the first Pimms jug of the summer - what could be more evocative of sunny days?

Yesterday was astonishingly humid, and we had a spectacular thunderstorm and flash downpour late on Friday night. Today is sunny and hot again, but with more breeze, so more pleasant. Andrew has hung up some outside lights in the back garden - fairy lights shaped like dragonflies that twine artfully in and out of the climbing roses and the chocolate vine. They are on the same timer as the floor lights and look gorgeous. My next task is to persuade Andrew to enjoy a barbecue - he hates them and I love them. I understand his objections - nobody likes raw sausages, burnt to cinders on the outside, stinking of paraffin, but a well-done barbecue of beautifully marinated meat, lovingly cooked over proper charcoal to the right consistency is a joy, and I think there is something inherently festive and enjoyable about cooking and eating out of doors - I love picnics for the same reason.

Sadly, this week has flown past - it's always nice to have Andrew at home rather than hurtling round the country at high speed. Today, got down my summer clothes from the loft, and hoicked up my winter ones. Another marker for the progress of the seasons. It's lovely to say hello to my Birkenstocks again. I live in these during the summer. Like Barbour jackets, these age wonderfully, in fact are horrible when new, and become more tolerable as they acquire the worn comfort of age. A bit like marriage perhaps? The current Birkenstocks predate our marriage so are around 12 years old - if any readers can beat this I'd be interested. Of course in Barbour terms that's positively juvenile - a good waxed jacket can go on for 30 years.

Some photos attached of visitors and plants.

Another post as my earlier one was interrupted by our evening meal and a relaxed viewing of The Big Lebowski (well up to the Coen Brothers usual lunacy) followed by The Fifth Element, with Bruce Willis when he had hair. Accompanied by a frisky Sauvignon Blanc, this was a pleasant way to spend the evening.

On Thursday, Sarah came to stay. She is enjoying her college course and looking gloriously Gothic. We went into town together on Friday, for a stock up on essentials at Blue Banana (again, beautifully polite, cheerful and helpful shop assistants who are a model of excellent customer service). This was followed by a dip into Claire's Accessories, who now do lots of gothy stuff and a rewarding visit to Debenhams for some skin care. Contrary to popular belief, we always find the Lancome lady there phenomenally helpful and friendly, not at all snooty. She was showing Sarah some tips and techniques for exfoliating, moisturising and applying eye cream. Hopefully, these will stand her in good stead in years to come. She already does the two most important things - not smoking and avoiding too much sun.

We then went down to Mac as they do a black nail polish, and I needed a new foundation. Just as we were ready for Andrew to collect us, a huge crowd had gathered and the celebrity Gok was holding a roadshow. Sarah was delighted as he was wearing his trousers below his buttocks (admittedly very slender and snakelike). Unfortuately, I am too old for appreciating this and just think it looks silly, and spend my time waiting for the damn things to fall down. This did form an interesting finale to our little foray.

Saturday we went to a card making workshop in Inkspot. We both enjoyed it very much, and again it was a pleasure to learn some new hints and ideas for using paper punches. Doing card making is also phenomenally relaxing - I really enjoy it.

Yesterday we travelled over to Newport for the tattoo convention. I have to say that I have yet to see Newport in a good light. Every time I go there I think that maybe this time I'll see a nice bit, and every time I think it could be a wonderful lesson for architects on how not to do town centres. There is currently a bit of regeneration going on over there, but unfortunately it is at the stage of lots of piles of rubble and cranes on the skyline. Not yet very scenic. Anyway, Andrew was scoping out some ideas for some ink on his arms, and Sarah was hoping to get either a microdermal piercing, and/or a tat. In the event, she eventually emerged with a nose piercing, which looks great, although unlike nearly everyone else I know who's had it done, including myself, she's a bleeder, and spent the subsequent time with very vampiric streams of blood trickling down her face. Pics attached, of nose and new lip spike. Returned home happy and Andrew conjured his amazing sky high Yorkshires and roast beef.

Today was the annual GRW show, a major event in our calendar. We took Sarah back to her grandparents who live in Garnant, which is close to Pontardawe, the venue for the show. Iwas helping out with the registrations for classes, which meant I didn't get much of a chance to look round, but did have a nice view of the ring for the dog classes. It stayed dry all day and there was an excellent turnout. I attach a few pics, one of a supporter who entered the Dog Most Like its Owner class, and a couple of others. Returned home and have spent a peaceful evening as detailed above.

A lot has happened since I last wrote. Firstly, the local elections which produced fascinating results both locally and nationally, including London. It seems quite extraordinary to me that after having grown up and started work in a council that weighed rather than counted the Labour vote, the landscape has changed enormously and now there seem to be very few Labour controlled councils left. Both Plaid and the LDs seem to have made inroads into what was previously Labour territory and in some areas there has been a surprising resurgence of Tory fortunes. I really do get a sense of a long term sea-change in the political feel of Wales. Even ten years ago, certain political positions were taken for granted - now it seems that is no longer the case. I also wonder about the knock on impact on trade unions as traditionally they have been the L Party paymasters and acccordingly wielded their power. Neither Lib Dems nor Plaid have any historical or financial (as far as I know) tie, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Locally our ward is a microcosm of the changes, moving from being one of the safest Labour seats with 3 local Cllrs to reduced majorities for two of them and a new Lib Dem member. It will be fascinating to see the new authority in action.