Different places in the music spectrum

&

It snows in Wales

Well of course it bloody does!
And people don't half panic.
I'm not saying you head out on the highways of the UK as you would during the height of a dry summer but a little bit of common sense goes a long way and, thus, enables you to go a long way - or however far you wish to go
Be it in a 2FWD Renault Master or a 2 RWD sports car things can be achieved. Be realistic. Think things out and expect the unexpected. Sorted. Know when you're beaten before you need to have your panels beaten ... out!

east Radnor 02:30 ~ virgin snow

cosy under her winter blanket STORM waits in anticipation for the next leg in the
Powys Tobogganing Championships

~snowy home road~

Above are the early morning shots
Below are just a couple of shots from mid morning

~across the meadow~

~so right at this time of year~

Snow Joke

Just a shorty.
Rural Powys - despite limited need re snow would it not be sensible to have 4x4 ambulances available?
after all, 2WD not too hot on mud, snow,deep water - all year 'round
4WD good at aforementioned and still usable when the weather is fine.
Doesn't take much to work out - does it?... does it? ;0)

Finding direction

Finally, distinctly less rain. Beautifully, much frost and some snow and a bitter wind howling in from Siberia.
Temps. bouncing between 0Celsius and -8C.
-8C is fine. It's scary when it warms to zero as things melt. Then the temperature drops again so freezing the meltwater from before. Gritting only partially deals with things so leaving the roads quite treacherous.

Now mentioning wind and it's source.
If a wind comes from the North it is the NORTH wind.
Thus it is NOT a northerly wind as that says in which direction it is travelling. A wind travelling norther is not southerly. It is NORTHERLY. Get it? cos the Met Office obviously doesn't.

Policebod: In which direction were you travelling along the road, sir/madam?
Driver: Northerly
Policeebod: Ah! so you were on the A1 going from York to Leeds.
Driver: Eh? no officer i was travelling from Leeds to York.

You catch ma drift?

Sadly, such conditions do catch out people of the road. Whether pedestrian or driver of some form of vehicle.
Taken from an ambulance forum

-A pedestrian has died after she was hit by an ambulance answering a 999 call in south Lincolnshire.

Two paramedics in the ambulance were hurt and taken to Peterborough District Hospital with minor injuries.

The ambulance was on its way to a road accident when it crashed and overturned at Stowe Road, Langtoft, at 0700 GMT.

The 39-year-old pedestrian has not been named but police said she was from the local area. The road was closed to allow forensic examinations.

The two ambulance crew were treated and later released, a police spokesman said.

Icy conditions

Drivers were urged to avoid the area.

A statement from East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Tragically, the pedestrian has since passed away and we offer family and friends our deepest sympathies.

"We are working with the police to assist them with their investigation."

Sgt Ewan Gell, of Lincolnshire Police, is investigating what happened.

He said: "It was very frosty here this morning, there were a number of accidents in the area where people had slipped on the ice and gone into dykes or crashed their vehicles.

"So that is one of the things we are looking at but also it is early days yet and we have a lot of investigating to do before we come up with a conclusion as to what happened here." -

My thoughts go to all the families of those involved.
I wouldn't know what to do if i had been the driver at that time.
I wish the crew a speedy recovery tho' know that the mental anguish will remain for a long time yet regardless of the whys and wherefores.

So - Christmas is looming. It comes 'round so often. Every year. Bank balances shudder as October hoves in to sight. Credit Cards take a bashing. All for, essentially, less then 24 hours.
I have said before and i shall it again.
Christmas is 12 days. Why don't we utilise those 12 days?
Now i am not saying we should party for the complete 12 days - not my bag anyway - but why try to shove it all in to one day?
there's so much pressure to do it 'just so'. The stress when we should be chilling and having some fun and being happy in company of those we love. Oh - and our families ;0)... LOL!!!

Next - what is it with wanting to get drunk? wanting? get over it. It is childish banal, idotic, irresponsible and tedious.
Judge? moi? too flippin' right. I really do not get it. Now some would say i do not have to get it. Walk away - i do not have to have anything to do with other people 'having fun' by getting drunk.
Ahem! yes i do - or, more to the point, i can.
I resent having to deal with drunks and drugees when there are people out there in need of attention thro' no fault of their own.

Kiljoy?
Look - go! have fun! drink a few. Get merry. Have a laugh! Be sober! Go skydiving, whitewater rafting, mountain climbing, abseilling, horse riding, quad biking... yeah?
Do it responsibly.
Fun does not mean abrogating responsibility to the world around you.
Taking responsibility does not exclude fun and laughs from your life.
You can lose yourself in so many thrills without losing your self respect.
Go on try it. Give it a whirl.
It's pretty cool!
And if you break a leg or bloody your nose in the process so be it.
Do it so you know you're doing it - do it so you're not abusing parts of your body that really will come back and bite you in the posterior when you get older.
Do not expect the world and his or her wife to save your scrawny butt 'cos you're too damn lazy and pig-ignorant to think before you screw up.
Live and let live!

Ice Ice Baby

We have had 6 weeks of rain non-stop - pretty much.
The Met Office had promised freezing temperatures over last night. This looked like the opportunity to do what i had considered.
It was to be an early start.
And it was - i quit the warmth of my house at 06.20 and headed south west towards Llandovery.
My last visit to Llyn Brianne i had hug a right at Beulah and approahed it via the Abergwesyn Pass. I considered the strong possibility that the pass would be icey and that approaching from the south east would be safer.
This proved to be a wise decision. I have them now and again :0)
there was alot of traffic about for the time of day tho' it was the 2nd day of the Winter Fair (llanelwedd) so maybe there were stallholders turning out early who weren't on-site.
The road up from Llandovery was icey in patches but taken sensibly it was fine and i arrived at Llyn Brianne in one piece - as was Storm.

Having taken some time around the dam it was time to head up the eastern side of the lake.
It was a great run tho' filled with icey patches so moving on at a steady good pace was a no-no.
The last time (and only time) i was here i was comfortable in a t-shirt.
Below shows where i'd parked before and taken the self-shot of me parked on a boulder.
Whilst i took another photo today i did not linger on the freezing boulder and my feeling chill is rather obvious in the shot. Brrr!


Entering the forestry above Llyn Brianne i was listening to Terry Wogan. Second day of his last week doing the breakfast show for which he is so famous.
I was traversing a beautiful bit of Wales (as is so much of my fair country) and Tel played a great song by a great welsh artist.
TJ
Up went the volume - both from the ICE and my own vocals.
It felt so powerful and all encompassing.
Anyway i reached the Abergwesyn road and worked my way east.
Now this was very slippery. Very very slippery.
With an ice patch on a bend on the descent in to the valley i had a sense of foreboding about ending up with a very dented car.
This did not appeal to me. It was time to bid a steady retreat to a safer way out. It was tie to take the Tregaron run out.
Despite an older gent decieding to treat the road as if it was his personal driveway i realised that this road would be added to the 'great roads' list. Again, there were patches of ice which had to be negotiated with care.



On the route north i was reminded of the existence of Strata Florida. Ruins of an abbey from the time when Cistercian monks hung around in the area.
The National Trust now look after it but there was no one to prise the £3.00 asking price from me. Not surprising. Anyone hanging about probably suffer hypothermia and/or frostbite





I entered the Ystwyth valley and so it felt like i was on home territory.
It was a good and very cold day.
Now - the rain is back. Sometimes one has to grab the nettle when it's presented even if there may be some occasional stings.

More Dam Rain

Comedic God

Eddie Izzard - transvestite with comedic flair.
Thank you for a great evening last night.
I hope cardiff round two went as well - if not better

We need the rain

This is Llyn Clywedog on 1oth October 09.
Due to limited rainfall it has, almost, a beach.
Even tho' it was raining on the day it was obvious from the state of the lake and other reservoirs and the rivers of mid Wales that rain was needed.
Trouble is we'd become used to the lack of precipitation so as autumn landed we didn't really want it. We hadn't had a brilliant summer so winter was the last thing for which we were prepared.
Oh well. Mother Nature knows best.

Yesterday, the rain stopped for a while and gave us a gloriously sunny start to the day.
It had rained pretty much from the time i had said we needed rain over a month ago and i'd only said a few days earlier that i'd missed to see the rain coming over the dams at the Elan Valley.
Time to attain that tick.
Above is the bottom dam - caban coch with the river elan coming away - at a rate of knots.

From the top of the dam you get a real feel for the power of the water has it cascaded over the top of the dam. Niagara? pah! ;0)

A shot i have uploaded from other times of year during 2009.
This is just above where the river elan enters the top reservoir which is damned by the Craig Coch. The weather had brought out others armed with cameras and those just wanting to take in the view during this blue window that MN had afforded us.
The Elan Valley has now been adopted as MX5 Valley. Lotus? pah! who are they? :D
Actually, i've never seen any Lotii over there whereas i've seen 14 (plus my own) 5s.

I hereby announce that the 5s have arrived.

What a great way to blow away the cobwebs.

And closer to home ...

all good fun

Amazed in a five near Aberedw

A lovely sight!

Dam It!

I made it to the final of the Powys dams - before falling ill to this blasted cold/flu thing which leaves me with the cough from dog-hell! bark bark fking bark!

clywedog dam

I have no problems with tackling heights. Beats depths any day especially things like potholes.
But this is a height that would leave me thinking twice if not thrice.

This is above Llanidloes and crosses the upper Severn. Britain's longest river. It was built so that the lands surrounding the upper Severn would suffer very little flooding. Whilst this has been addressed the flooding of the lower Severn valley is an ongoing issue that occurs every year. Whilst this is natural it is still made more of an inconvenience by lack of foresight re house-building.
Flood plains exist for a very good reason and are so termed for a very good reason.
Less sheep in the uplands around areas like Plynlimon and more succulent plants in those areas will hold water that falls and release it slowly. It will also prevent loss of nutrients as rapidly as they are lost nowadays.
Anyone who has spent time at any of the mid Waleian dams will see how low they lie currently (no pun intended)
If this vid works it will show how the lake looks like it has beaches. Understandable if you're on the edge of Lake Michigan but not on the edge of Llyn Clwyedog

Beaches of Clwyedog!!

Mumford & Sons - take a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlYrOBvt9IQ
folk meet bluegrass
hint of irishness but the lads are from londinium
it's good
listen
enjoy
buy - if it moves you enough!
It moves me so in a few weeks if i have a few quid extra from my birthday i shall buy it.
Of course someone may ask what i want and i shall tell 'em....
"Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, please!"

done- sorted

Wise

- and not the other half of the comedic duo.
The Great Grey owl. Looks inscrutable, doesn't it? imagine, wise AND inscrutable.
What a combination.
If only that were me. I am not saying i wish to be an owl or have a face like the rings of a tree but to have wisdom and inscrutability working together. Wow!
Maybe i could utilise such natural skills to see me thro' the farces that show themselves in my life. Many in which i have had a hand. Many that linger when i think i have exorcised.
Emotional rollercoasters should be wonderful. They are not.
Oh for consistency. Oh for a logic to override the emtions. Oh to know what i want. Oh to understand the person that is me so that i may step forward along a less indecisive path.
I can not move forward mentally whilst i do not understand why certain things happen so how the hell will i do so physically? eh? eh?
I know that i made a significant but basic human error. It seems i am to be punished for the seeable future. Punished in a disproportionate way. I don't know how to change and know that any action i take WILL indeed change my life so that a decent forward motion may be accomplished.

STOP THE BUS I WANNA GET OFF.... and then i can get back on when i am good and ready.

In bigger glory

decided to show it off in a bigger pic. :D

Dam

Told ya!
Above you see the Vyrnwy Dam in north Powys. This feeds the city of Liverpool.
I decided to visit the dams of Powys before the year was out. So that's Elan, Claerwen, Brianne, Vyrnwy and... ah! been passed and driven over but not stopped for a shot. I better get myself back to the Clywedog and get off a few shots.
I was up at the above last sunday. Sadly, i was not alone but a lateish night meant being up later than i might otherwise have been.
The best non-nature sight was the chap riding a large wheeled unicycle. One could but smile as he hove in to view.



Damnit! but the weather did play ball and i was so
pleased to see this shot waiting to be taken.

I left Vyrnwy taking the less used mountain pass road that leads to Bala. Another home to a lake but in Gwynedd as this was. It reminds me much of the Abergwesyn Pass. And i didn't meet anyone in any awkward spots which made it an even better experience.

sunday 13th september 09

Bloody hell!


that's all i have to say........<<<... oh and... isn't he cute?....

In irons

no wind
lots of sails
=
a degree of useless flapping

even when you think there may be a hint of something to discover that not only was the inkling right but it was even more than that.... can knock you sideways
all that time overcoming what seemed the inevitable seemed to, almost, be a waste of time
It wasn't as we all grow as life goes on. And i know that i have gained alot thro' that which spiralled me in to the black pit.
I loathe the term "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". When you're deep in depression, be it reactionary or clinical, you just want to strangle the person who quotes this insipid phrase which is usually uttered by people who've not languished in the sea of pain that depressives have endured.
So - take that strangulation and see how friggin' stronger you feel after that, matey! Grrr!

Life is weird and i am ... scratching my head.
What to do next.
Time! the thing that people as being the healer. Something else that annoys me but, i'll give 'em that one. It does heal all wounds - or, it lessens the pain. that's close enough for me.

We'll see.
Time will tell.
For now - in a world and conditions far removed my little irks -

here's some perspective
http://media.causes.com/530473?p_id=21794584&ref=nf

Loving Puddle of Mudd's Blurry

Sirwne Dda, G

No details just farewell.
Sorry it had to be this way.
I hope you find peace and can take what you've learned this time
on to your next venture.
Sorely missed.

Birds of Prey

The International Birds of Prey Centre is based on the outskirts of the small Gloucestershire town of Newent not far from the Herefordshire border.

If you are in the area and have the remotest interest in wildlife especially birds then go. Visit.
You will enjoy!


Red Kite
Milvus Milvus




Brahminy Kite
Haliastur Indus




Black Kite
Milvis Migrans

Farewell Jill Monroe and Mrs Slocombe

RIP must also go to Farrah Fawcett (-Majors) who's death was completely overshadowed by MJs
and, in Britain, Molly Sugden died a couple of days ago.
The latter a significant figure from my televisual childhood.
Farewell and goodnight Mrs Slocombe and pussy! xx

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

One Day In Your Life

You never know when it'll come to an end.
I heard my mobile burble when i had already gone to bed last night. It was charging at the bottom of the stairs and it woke me. It was before midnight. I had gone to bed about 10pm as i planned to take an early trip out to the Abergwesyn Pass and Llyn Brianne just south west of there.
I had set my alarm on that ffon for just before 05:00. My old ffon i had set for a few minutes earlier again. It was this that woke me to wakey-wakey. I set the bath in motion and tripped down to my newer ffon to cancel the alarm.
The text had not been a dream. There was an unopened envelope showing on the screen. One of the guy's at work.
Mr Jackson was telling me that Mr Jackson had died. I was expecting to carry on reading and for the text to be a whimsical but bad joke. It was no joke.
Michael Jackson - Wacko Jacko - pop legend. Superstar to many was dead.

I always liked his music tho' was never moved to even buy the best seller THRILLER.
The one song he did that has always moved me is Earth Song.
It is powerful. It is not to be taken lightly.
This is it:-

What about sunrise What about rain
What about all the things That you said we were to gain...
What about killing fields Is there a time
What about all the things That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice The crying Earth the weeping shores?
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
What have we done to the world Look what we've done
What about all the peace That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields Is there a time
What about all the dreams That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice The crying Earth the weeping shores
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
I used to dream I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are Although I know we've drifted far
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah

Hey, what about yesterday (What about us) What about the seas (What about us)
The heavens are falling down (What about us) I can't even breathe (What about us)
What about the bleeding Earth (What about us) Can't we feel its wounds (What about us) What about nature's worth (ooo, ooo) It's our planet's womb (What about us)
What about animals (What about it) We've turned kingdoms to dust (What about us) What about elephants (What about us) Have we lost their trust (What about us)
What about crying whales (What about us) We're ravaging the seas (What about us)
What about forest trails (ooo, ooo) Burnt despite our pleas (What about us)
What about the holy land (What about it) Torn apart by creed (What about us)
What about the common man (What about us) Can't we set him free (What about us) What about children dying (What about us) Can't you hear them cry (What about us) Where did we go wrong (ooo, ooo) Someone tell me why (What about us)
What about babies (What about it) What about the days (What about us)
What about all their joy (What about us) What about the man (What about us)
What about the crying man (What about us) What about Abraham (What was us)
What about death again (ooo, ooo) Do we give a damn
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah

Michael Jackson '58 - 09
died from suspected M.I.
on 25.6.09
-Here's sunrise to you!-

Summer Solstice

It's summer everyone!
well... june is the first of the summer months so i believe it starts on the 1st.
Atleast it's a dry day. A dry start anyway.
I hauled my sleepy body from my pit just before 06.00. This is normal for when i am working days but this was a choice this mornig.
Being Sunday being the longest day being early - it's time for another run out with the STORM!
-as seen a few days earlier -
I was in the car by 06.30 and away:::::::::::::::::: zoom zoom::::::::::

Talking as a loca.
I headed out on the Presteigne road. Hung a right at the Whitton turn. Over Whitton crossroads.
Cursing alot since the road had not long been topped.
AT the top of the Bush hung another right towards New Radnor.
In NR hung a further right on to the A44 to head west.
At Forest Inn hung a.... LEFT towards Hundred House. Sadly, this is where a sparrow decided to head-butt my nearside front wheel. Poor wee thing but i am as certain as one can be that it did not suffer. :0(
- and breathe -
Popped out at Llanelwedd where the Llan'dod road comes down. Much to my surprise a police noddy-mobile was coming out from Builth and heading north. Hmmm!
So - on over the bridge in to Builth and the old county of Brecknock!
thro' the town and out on the Cilmery/Garth/Beulah road. This is a lovely road. Plenty of ups and downs and sweeping bends. Mind you doesn't stop what little traffic is out at that time of day from cutting bends. tsk! good job i was 100 yards further back.
Beulah came... as did the turn for Newbridge.
Another cracking road full of more twists and turns.
When reaching the A470 at NoW the road seems like you don't have to think so much.
Left turn, me!
But not for long. Right turn, me for Lland'dod. It's a short but, again, twisty turny journey (ha) up past Llanyre.
I finally caught up with another vehicle but not for long.
Up to Crossgates - right for the short sprint to Penybont - left across the common and on to home sweet home. A trundle thro' town but very few people about.
Happy 5ing!

Not exciting to the world out there bt a good run for me.

TWOTW in Manchester

"No one would've believed the last years of the nineteenth century human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space.
No one could've dreamed we were being scutinised as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.
Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets - and yet across
the gulf of space minds immeasurably supior to ours regarded this earth with
envious eyes. And slowly and slowly they drew their plans against us."
-Jeff Wayne's interpretaion of the words by H.G.Wells-

As mentioned in an earlier post (or two) I and seven other people headed for the
M.E.N. close to Manchester's Victoria Railway Station.

Two of us had already had the pleasure of a trip to Cardiff in December 2007 - the C.I.A. where we had been dazzled by the performance and drawn in hook, line and sinker to a tale that we knew so well and had done since 1978.




The Martians putting their final plans together before the invasion of Earth



CGI Richard Burton - as the narrator



"Bows and arrows against the lightning.
They haven't seen the heatray yet" - artilleryman





The collected bands led by Jeff Wayne bring us the music



Alexis James as The Artilleryman with plans for a Brave New World




Fighting Machine in it's immensity.

No word of a lie this was better than Cardiff. The whole balance was brilliant. The volume was loud but not too loud.
Thank you Jeff and the gang!

Nice car...

...shame about the driver

I just wanted the driver to overtake me. I wanted to hear the sweet notes of the beating heart of the Aston Martin that was sat behind me exiting Llandrindod Wells on the A483 on the north bound carriage. Go one you can do it.... oh ok! The driver had sat off me. Ok - seemed sensible. That's always nice to see. Sense in a fast beautiful automobile.
Ok, so I, in a Renault Master dci, took the s bend halfway between Llandrindod and Crossgates a better than the floundering Mondeo in front. On the straigh the Mondeo ran away. I was not in a hurry. There was traffic coming towards us. I grumbled to myself "Bloody typical!" The AM would not be able to... ok there's a bit of a space now so... but again, the car is too far off. I returned my attention forward as a small van hove into view. As i noticed it the wing mirror on my driver's side alerted me to a movement. Now, the AM driver wanted to overtake. Now, when a van was coming towards now s/he was going.... phew! dramatically, the AM person behind it's steering wheel hauled the AM back in.
Why on earth they had waited until then to even consider the move god only knows.
We went seperate ways at Crossgates, thankfully, tho' i still missed the beautiful engine.
Shows... taste and money does not maketh sense!

I'll stick with the motor which this adorns.

Invasion is imminent

"The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one", he said.
- h g wells -

Countdown to 13th June 2009 -
The MEN arena will be hosting Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.
First aired in 1978.
Loved by me and so many others since that year.
It ignited a passion that has not waned (no pun intended)

Bacteria - Earth's own weapon of mass destruction - coming to an alien-invading arena near you!

Mazda in the Mountains and more

We really have enjoyed some damn fine weather in the last few weeks.
I'd go as far as saying that we've had great weather this year.
Winter is meant to be cold. Spring is meant to be green and lush. Summer is meant to be warm and growing warmer.
Other than a few minor not-so's this has been so.
I have taken odds and sods of leave in the last few weeks that has given me time to drop some fuel in Storm and go out enjoying the landscapes of mid Wales

Taken close to Gigrin on the edge of the A470 Rhayader




Storm overlooks the Elan river close to the entry to the top dam of the
Elan valley Reservoir system




A Bunch of 5s approach in ribbon formation
Elan Valley

*****************************
Above was on sunday 31st May 2009
Below was wednesday 3rd June 2009
****************

Dylife Gorge nr Llanbrynmair
-creating following the last ice age

Borth - shrouded in a sea mist

Ystwyth Valley - close to the head

Storm enjoys the views - as do i
The Elan Valley