A farmers toast!

Let the wealthy and great, Roll in splendour and state, I envy them not i declare it, I eat my own lamb, My chickens and ham, I shear my own fleece and i wear it, I have lawns,I have bowers, I have fruits,I have flowers, The lark is my morning alarmer, So joyful boy's now, Here's god speed the plough, Long life and success to the farmer!!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Holyhead Via ?????

Yes the urge was upon me again a bit of sunshine and the panic that it'ii be far to cold soon to "go out playing".
And the fact that there's far to much cleaning to possibly be done in one day! so hey why waste the day...........

I should have known ! i should have realised ! when my turquoise babe wouldn't start and i had to opt for the green ebay bargain, It is much faster than the other but it has no back box [essential ] and a very hard suspension but hey hooo needs must...
I was sweating in all my gear , Yessss biggest knickers and longest vest and padded waterproofs and knee pads and spare gloves and fleeces under the seat.'' An unreconisable mitchlin man is me.
I choose to head for the a5 via llanrwst rather than the boring a55..But what a weather change as i got closer to snowdonia and the beautiful conwy valley. The valley was like a lake and as i passed over the humped back bridge i saw the road closed signs but ignored them . Gwydir castle [read Castles in the Air by judith corbett] was surrounded by water and and looked for all the world like something from a fairy story with the mist riseing off the trees behind and the low autmun sun making everything golden and mysterious.. The road was flooded but not to much so i headed off up into the Gwydir forest the road was like a river and there where springs spouting out of walls and tree roots, up up i travelled jarring my spine everytime i forgot to stand up when ever i went over a bump .. Theres a stream up here thats so full of iron you can taste it and all the rocks it passes over are ochre coloured, well it was in full spate today and was rushing down the road past me taking its yellow stones along with it , out of the forest now and on to a more ancient landscape of bogs and mountains i passed a few cyclists feeling smug in the fact i had an engine . This road brings you out at the UGLY HOUSE which isnt its gorgeous. It dates from when if you could have four walls and a chimney built overnight and a fire lit in the grate it was yours and if you stood and threw your axe where it landed was your boundaries.

Then on to capel curig and the ogwen valley the scene of many films WILLOW , MERLIN, TOMB RAIDER. Etc Etc.....But bloody hell its windy and Hailstone made me get off and park up until it stopped ....

On the way home coming down this valley my visor blew off !! and it was horizontal drizzle the type that finds every button hole and gap.. I deliberatly took a different route back to check out the ghostly cycle [ghost forum] Well it wasnt an advertisment it was a memorial to a cyclist killed there, but it was white and hanging in a tree ! sooo the confusion was easy.

Then guess what ?? A Fawn greyhound [that contradicts itself] came out of the hedge and ran alongside me on the opposite side of the road hhhhmmm what to do??
So i kept calling it and it followed me then of course duurrr i was back at Gwydir castle it's one of theirs gone walkabout..... so i popped it in and continued on my way to collect nell from school. I'd gone beyond cold to a numb warm the type you knows going to hurt when you start defrosting.....
Poor Nell her face when shes sees me arrive on the bike but she doesnt refuse the lift.......
A lovely in all but i think the getting home to a warm house and a brandy make it more worthwhile............. PS why did i go to holyhead ?? Well colins there so worthwhile..

11 comments:

  1. What a woman!!! I'm nervous driving up through Gwydir in my Terrano, you brave girl.
    I can remember years ago driving through the Ogwen valley and our VW caravanette almost being blown over.
    I can see you on a S4C programme "Crazy woman tours Wales, on a scooter"...yes I can see you now

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  2. What a day! I think I am too soft now to get that cold, must be getting older!

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  3. Such an amazing day trip ... I loved reading the beautiful motivation for that wild ride!

    You have such a great way of letting the rest of us see and feel what you did. Thank you!

    xo

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  4. It's an amazingly windy place !! I went that way thinking it would be sheltered , it obviuosly has its own weather zone . Ps they'd never let me on s4c unless i kept my mouth shut that is .xx
    And never to soft em just sensible xx

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  5. I love that road to the Ugly House and on to Capel Curig then over the top and down the valley towards Bedlegert (sp?)It is just beautiful but that's in a warm car... you are brave on a bike!

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  6. OMG! You are one brave Bodran - lovely to read your description of the places you visited but I would have been a whimpering heap doing all that!

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  7. Thank you for taking on this wonderful journey. I think I would rather have ridden you scooter than a bicycle too!

    CJ xx

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  8. Oooh oooh I love that drive! Adore Gwydir - but hope they weren't flooded again.... You are deeply brave and I'm very glad you're back in one piece! And without another greyhound!!!!

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  9. Just as well about the greyhound! What a ride! Bet you felt wonderful once you got warmed up again - and yes- an excellent reason for going to Holyhead!

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  10. And cait imagine i could have just jumped on that Ferry >>>> x

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