An unpaid day

Or leap year day... when we have a full day extra in the calendar and traditionally it was for girls to propose to their fellas although I don't think many people are too bothered with waiting for the four years these days.

I have walked the dogs, well I have thrown lots of balls for them and they are now sleeping while I have some washing on that will need to go outside and enjoy the delights of the sunshine. It is cold here though, which is a shame as it would be nice to have sat in outside enjoying the last of the february days.

Winter (dare I say it) seems to have bypassed me, hardly any frosts to speak of and certainly no snow. No doubt she will come back and bite me on the rear end with some ferocious March weather in the month to come.

I extend an invitation to my bloggy friends to visit with me should you choose to do so, I have a spare bedroom and can lay on a suitably Cornish style breakfast.. just need to put up with two black labradors checking you out lol. Thank you for the suggestion Uncle Bernard :-)

..and back to work I go

Yee gods caruthers the wind blows hard down 'ere at times.

I dressed the dogs up, in their hi-vis jackets, leads, and collars but I pulled on a dark old coat with as much wet proofing ability as paper but we all got soaked in the driving rain and gales which has hist cornwall.

Yet as I look out from the classroom, I can see blue skies so hopefully the worst of the wind has passed by.. it remains to be seen what damage has been caused as it was black when I left home this morning.

Random Thoughts

Thinking back over 2011, which is always fascinating.. and flew by so quickly that it has gone before I have realised it is almost 2012.

We started off 2011 with some extremely cold weather, and some 6 inches of snow which although was pretty was not ideal driving conditions. February was cold, dark and very wet while March wasn't much better.. Jasper joined us at the end of March and has settled down lovely; April was lovely weather, mild and unseasonable with the delights of the royal wedding on the 29th - can't believe that was 8 months ago. May was wayward with the weather, some days hot and sunny others cold and windy... while June was better at the beginning than the end.. something to do with the school holidays. July was wet, wet, wet and August was redeemed at the end with a batch of lovely hot weather just after schools went back. September was warm, dry and lovely, with October proving to be a gloriously autumnal dry and warm month with November carrying on the theme only having windy and stormy times towards the beginning of december... so my year has been on the whole mild and enjoyable so what 2012 will bring I am not sure.

According to the papers, this is the last year as it when the mayan calendar ends on 21/12/2012... now my thoughts are that it could just be because they thought that would be far enough to calculate but who knows... apparently many people are arranging parties for the date to enjoy a last fling before the following day arrives :-)

A day for watching from the inside

Dogs walked, I headed out to a continental shop (or two) to get something for christmas. I love lebkuchen, and the variety of them in the shops is quite good from chocolate coated, milk or plain, to those with sugar crusting on them.

I also purchased some italian biscotti, as well as a present or two and also something for tea tonight and some staples for the cupboard and freezer.

The weather is deteriorating fast, the storm edging over us, with high winds and misty rain but not as badly as it is up further north.. stay safe people.

A weekend of sport

Not content with refereeing on Saturday, SOH decided to do the same on Sunday morning. Luckily the Saturday game was down at Clijah fields so the boys and I walked down to meet up with him at half-time and then walked home again. The weather is dry and mild, which is good, but the boys boredom threshold is even lower than mine. Normally I sit in the car with a good book, or work to do - I have even been known to do some marking!

Sunday, I didn't go with him, instead preferring to get the lunch ready, we don't normally have this at lunchtime, but in the evening but it is nice to have a midday meal.

Interspersed with the football, we have watched last weekend's european rugby action with Bath v Montpellier and the premiership of Northants vs Saracens something we have been lucky enough to be present at when we lived at the back of beyond.

I have in between times, pulled the sofa's out from the wall and hoovered the carpet underneath and moved one round to make room for the christmas tree which won't be too long in going up although one house in a nearby road has had its christmas decorations up for a couple of weeks - too early methinks.

October Dawns

The dawns are happening later and later, the nights are drawing in and the mists are more frequent. I don't mind, the side benefit is the glorious golds and reds in the fields and trees. Saturday saw me go with SOH over to HMS Seahawk (or Culdrose to the uninitiated) to watch him referee the navy boys against a local village.

It is nice over there as their clubhouse is open, so I was warm, dry and comfortable and had the space to lay out my paperwork and crack on with some college work. Culdrose drew 1 all with the other team, but were not the politest team on the pitch.

Me, I enjoyed a cup of coffee, while watching from afar (which suits me) I prefer rugby and hope to see some more local teams playing this season. When we got home, we watched the very disappointing England's performance (or lack of it) against France, and enjoyed a chinese take-away for tea.

A good day, was had by all... shame then that Sunday the Sun didn't make an appearance we had misty weather pretty much all day, but I was busy downloading audio books onto many mp3 players ready for holiday which is fast approaching.

We have finally taken the cage down, which has been Jasper's home since day one. He now has a plastic dogbed with his quilt in it and he accepts it as his new bed, although he would prefer to sleep upstairs with the rest of us.. Sadly for him, as he can't stay still for more than 5 mins... can a dog suffer from adhd? .... he gets to sleep downstairs in his posh new pad but finally I could hoover up all the loose dog hair hiding behind the cage. We are now in the process of selling the cage which has done us proud over the past year and a half.

Wet Wednesday

Today, two weeks to go and we said hello to the wet weather yesterday. No more blue skies, sunshine and warm autumnal weather and hello to the after effects of hurricane ophelia; lots of wind, rain and gloomy outlook.

The boys had their last jabs today, ready for a stay in kennels. I don't like the idea of leaving them in kennels, I have never been a fan of them, but luckily Murphy is used to it and it means Jasper will have some company.

A trip to Halfords saw a replacement bulb for the car, the second one that has blown since last year - mind you I cant remember whether it was the same side or not so that doesn't help, but it is now 10 years old and showing her age a bit.

Brunch was a McDonalds, though too cold for a milk shake so a hot chocolate accompanied a very plain burger in a bun but even that was too much for me; I really only have one to remind me why I don't eat them more frequently.

A Dark and Stormy Night

Whew.. glad that night is over and done with. The winds howled around Tre Agan relentlessly from about midnight last night.... this morning, the rain threw itself down on me and the boys as we took our morning walk around the streets of Redruth, I tried to avoid the areas with trees as much as possible as a lot of debris was still falling.

Then a trip to see a student on the North Coast, by which time the winds had dropped to a steady blow and the rain eased... by the timeI got home it was drying up but feeling chilly. Nothing like a slow introduction to the delights of winter.. now where was Summer?

Weather Forecast

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Royal Commission for Political correctness announced today the climate in the UK should no longer be referred to as "English Weather".

Rather than offend a sizeable portion of the UK population, it is now to be referred to as: "Muslim Weather" (Partly Sunni, but mostly Shi'ite)

 

 

Cool July Days

Seems like Summer has mysteriously disappeared into the ether.. even down here at the Edge of the World it is cool, grey and liquid substances that drop ceaselessly from the darkened skies.

I don't mind being cold and damp, but everything is dulled by the lack of sunshine and warmth. It seems dismal and winterlike but it is only the middle of July. We should be having long sunny days, with glorious sunsets and morning dew.

I want to go out and explore, but costs of fuel make that somewhat prohibitive and the weather does not make me inclined to do much walking as any views are blighted by a mistiness that hides the beauty that is Cornwall.

Here's to hoping that the weather and my mood improves.

Baby Tsunami hits Cornwall

The freaky little wave turned tides, sent fish jumping out of the water and caused static electricity – which literally put everyone’s hair on end. Experts have told the BBC the bizarre phenonemon was caused by an submarine landslide out to sea on Monday morning. Luckily, the resultant surge of water was only about a foot high.

Experts believe the strange wave lowered air pressure, which caused static in the air. Graphic designer Ben went on: “It was definitely odd and pretty un-nerving.“But I didn’t see any of the traditional Tsunami signs – like retreating water. “So there wasn’t any panic.” Boatman Dave Ladner told BBC reporters: “The funniest thing was on the causeway all the ladies’ hair was standing on end with the static. The sea on the eastern side was probably eight inches to a foot higher than the rest. “It was pouring over the causeway like a torrent.”

Dr Mark Davidson said the wave, which has been unexplained by any traditional shore-based indicators, probably started with a landslide way out to sea. The Plymouth University lecturer said: “These events are quite rare and it’s probably not a tidal phenomenon. “It’s probably more likely to be a tsunami of some kind, obviously it’s quite mild. It’s probably not due to an earthquake, which is the normal source. “It’s probably more likely to be a sub-marine landslide.”

The baby-tsunami grew in size as it spread up the coast: tidal guages recorded its size as 0.7ft in Newlyn, but 1.3ft by the time it reached Portsmouth. As it passed along Plymouth, a local landowner saw fishes leaping out of the water en masse, and the tide direction in the River Yealm briefly turned backwards.

Midsummer is here

Greeted by rain and wind aplenty this morning and the news that the dry weather means there might be less blackberries and horse chestnuts around in the Autumn.

Still, the world has shifted once more, and from now on we are heading away from the warmth of the sun towards winter.. yep I know feeling like a killjoy lol

I am thinking that Summer may not be the glorious that we would like and expect but I am hoping instead that we get a lovely Autumn; my favourite time of year with the colours changing.

A friend of mine, well I call him that, is en-route to Cornwall by hand pedalled cycle, raising funds for the Colonel's funds Grenadier Guards. He set off from the Shetland Isles at the beginning of the month and is aiming for St Agnes on the Scilly Isles by the end of the month. He is arriving in Cornwall on 28th June and we are hoping for fine weather to greet and meet with him and his entourage and provide an escort to the ferry point at Penzance.

For more details click here

Weather Forecast

Typical, this is what I got for my birthday... doh!

Somehow, I don't think I will be doing much sunbathing today! Nor will the boys and I be going to Gwithian beach.... lovely as it is, I can't say I fancy getting drenched unless it is with sea water..

Which leaves me the delightful choice, of either the planned tidy up, or start the painting... my, my, how the joys of home owning seem to take over the days away from work..

Now unless the sun god blesses me with a few rays, I will be either busy trying to sort out things to sell, from the excess stuff brought down from the Back of Beyond, or painting the downstairs toilet a fetching shade of lilac.

Unless someone has a better offer of course, but apparently my texts to Sean Bean have met with complete indifference as has Coach Trip's host Brendan; either of whom I could willingly spend the day with.

New Week and bright sunshine

I have a holiday this week, my first break since Christmas and well overdue.

Lots of things to do this week, but today is a good and sunny day so spending the day enjoying the sunshine in the garden. I have planted out my viola's and pansies. The marigolds will be going out shortly.

I have some weeding to do in the front garden, and some heads of dandelions to pick off before they mature into more malevolent seed heads lol.

But most of all, this is a relaxation day... sit back and feel the warmth of the sunshine..

Sunday Catchup

This is my time to catch up with things, on what needs doing and what can wait for a little longer..

Paperwork that needs completing weekly:

• Hours worked (additional)
• Contact Notes for each student updated
• Update 'To do' list
• Travel claims calculated
• College work/reading

Then on top of that any washing/ironing etc.. while at the same time pushing the hoover around to pick up any stray Murphy dog hairs.

I had a quick look around the garden today and think I have spotted some shoots on the clematis I planted last year.. keep your fingers crossed as these guys had a hard start with the dry weather last year.

I am growing some Sage plants (well what else do you expect?) I had a lovely Sage brush up at the Back of Beyond but obviously couldn't transplant it down here so we start afresh.

I am also looking for a couple of lavender plants, and have to identify which varieties to grow, as well as a rosemary bush which I know will need a sandy soil for better drainage and I am going to acquire some fuschia and buddhlea cuttings from bushes I frequently see on my walk and rest assured they are in public spaces rather than in gardens.

Rugby - Cornish Pirates vs Worcester Warriors

SOH and I were given a pair of tickets to this match, not only that but it was shown on Sky TV and as the couple in front of us were told by a friend that they were seen on TV it is likely that we two also were there... oh for that fleeting second of fame.. still we have it recorded and you never know we might even spot ourselves.

The match was a close one, Worcester opened the scoring with a try but pirates leading by a large margin at half-time it was always going to be an interesting second half. Sure enough when the two teams returned it was with a vengeance, and the final score was 30 to Pirates but 33 to Worcester. In the Pirates defense, they missed two penalty chances so missing out on six points but they definitely didn't disgrace themselves either.

The only note of discontent was for the weather, despite the sunshine it was bitterly cold and we were glad of a warm drink at halftime. Back home now, we are watching the LV cup match between Wasps and Harlequins though the commentary is still coming from the Mennaye.

Wall to Wall Blues Skies and Sunshine

Here at Tre Agan today, I was treated to blues skies and sunshine from early morning to evening time and it was not only welcome but a good chance to air the house as well.

Murphy and I took a nice long walk this morning, the frost lay on the ground but the sun had some real warmth to it and we enjoyed our amble through the lanes of Redruth and some of the parks as well. We set off down the hill to Victoria Park, with it's original Victorian bandstand and did a circuit of this park including the bowling green with its velvet surface. Then onwards to Trefusis Park, Murphy can have a run here if there isn't any other dogs around, he still has issues over coming back when there is a dog to play with other than that he is happy to run around by himself rushing from smell to smell. Our final port of call is the football field, where he normally plays ball (when I remember to bring it) this morning it was occupied by a little terrier so Murphy had to content himself with a sedate walk around the edge.

On our return, we both had breakfast. It can be a little disconcerting when a large black lab sits in front of you, drooling like only a lab can, as you eat your cereals, hoping that he might be lucky and get some for himself. Shhh don't tell anyone but he does get a few as a treat now and again.

Cleaning the house was done steadily, the hoovering of numerous black hairs from a light beige carpet make it look cleaner and tidier and a spray of glass cleaner on the dining room windows made the sunshine even brighter.. it was even nice enough to sit outside during the mornng with a cup of coffee.

Longer days

Today it was sunny, though not warm except inside. Having said that, I managed to get the bulk of the washing done and dried outside which is good for the middle of January. Most of all, it didn't get dark until gone 5pm... the days are stretching out again and I am looking forward to Spring and all that it brings.

College has started again, with the first real session last night. We were talking about educational theorists and how it fits into the bigger picture.. interesting but by 8pm my mind was beginning to sieze up and even today I am not sure I know what I was writing down when I read my notes from last night.

One interesting point will be the independent study, I am inclined to do something involving e-learning but what that will be I am not sure; watch this space

Redruth Vs Camborne

On a wet winters afternoon, there was nothing better than to visit the Rugby match down at Redruth.. unfortunately for Camborne they were outclassed but that was made up for by the referee being predominantly on their side.

The final score was 42 to 12 in Redruth's favour... but an enjoyable match though I am not sure I would want to be the person having to deal with the very muddy kit.. it became hard by half-time to tell who was who as they had that much mud on them.

Altogether a good thing to do post Christmas and for a further treat, Bedford are coming down to Cornwall to play the Pirates at the Mennaye, and it will be my first time at that venue.

First Anniversary

Today at 5pm I will have been living here in Cornwall for a year, and it has gone really quickly. I came down with hope and expectations that were more than surpassed. I have a job that I love, I get to meet new people everyday and I hope am making a difference in some people's lives.

Could I ask for more? Probably, but actually I don't want more than I already have with one exception. To those who are not at home, or with their loved one's for whatever reason, may the christmas season be full of the joys of human kindness whether it is a smile, a kind word or fufulling a need for you.

Oh and one more thing.. need the weather to be a bit kinder to everyone... thanks for the snow n all, and it has been really nice.. but can we go back to having blue skies and sunshine without the artic chill lol