The Green Fields of Wales

Sorry for the long break in blogging; been pretty busy moving about from Illinois to upstate New York (nearly 1000 mile drive), then down to New York City where I packed my bags and had a fun visit to B&H Photo (adult version of a toy store - full of all kinds of photography and video equipment). A week ago I boarded at plane at JFK and several hours later found myself walking through London Heathrow. A few more hours and I was snuggled into my bed here in rural Wales twitching as I dreamed of following the hounds on exercise across the beautiful wild moors of Wales.

Now this is my second try at writing this post since I'd written a long post just moments ago which disappeared thanks to an internet glitch (might have something to do with the high winds outside). I can't hope to recreate it since I'm not blessed with a memory these days. But as I look at the big kitchen windows I see lovely oak trees wiggling in the wind and hear songbirds calling to each other. The hedges all around the lanes and fields are tidily trimmed and there are still loads of roses on the bushes in the garden. Everything is blown just about flat to the ground but I still find myself wanting to be outside rather than here in the kitchen where I'm tending to roast pork with homemade gravy, roast potatoes, carrots (caramelized with butter and brown sugar), green beans with lemon and other such things. Lunch is the big meal here on the farm and while I love it I don't get out there and set fence posts and lug around bales of hay or throw around sheep. Seems like I get fat just looking at this food (and I'll admit I don't have the willpower to keep from eating it!)

Since I've been back I've already been out following the hound exercise/drag hunting three times (I go at least three times a week!), meeting old friends and new up on some of the most remote and beautiful hilltops in these parts. I've been walking across lovely moorland toting my two large and heavy cameras (each weighs about 7 pounds, I'll soon be a hunchback), attempting to climb over sheepfencing topped with barbed wire (and always catching my trousers...one day I nearly ripped them off) and panting as if my lungs would explode. I love it all.

Now that I'm back where I have a pretty good internet connection (with the exception of windy days like today when it's apt to cut out at any moment) I'll start adding photos to these very long and dense blobs of text I tend to ramble on about....(sorry about that) and perhaps it'll be a bit more interesting for you to view.

Looks like this year I won't be able to walk (raise) any hound pups. It's not that I can't get any. It's just that the big old barn where I always keep them (with an inside stable for those cold, wet nights and a cobblestoned outside fenced area for them to enjoy the outdoors with free access to the big garden) badly needs work on the roof. The roof is all slates and I'm afraid all the beams will need replacing as well, so this isn't a small job. To top it off, it has to be done between all the other jobs one does on a farm every day. So looks like the thing I love most about being in Wales is going to be something I can't do this year. Of course I am very sad about it (and you all won't get to see all the cute pup photos this year) but there's nothing to be done about it. Keep your toes crossed that I'm wrong and they get the roof fixed soon so I can have those pups.