Friday 30 August Pig Washing Day

As it was a nice warm sunny day decided to wash the "girls" as they were a bit niffy and matted. Dunked all three in a bowl of shampoo and rinsed off and gave Hairy McClarey a hair cut as well.

Sophie aka Hairy McClarey in the bath

Susan's turn for a dunk

Not too worried but they would try and jump out if not held.

Flying Monday 26 August

Monday 26 August

Leah and I had an invite from Rance to go up in his motor glider from Buckminster, as it was a beautiful day it seemed rude not to accept. Leah picked me up from the sailing club where I had been helming and crewing a Fireball in the 6 hour endurance race, good fun as I've not been in a fireball for a couple of years.

The weather was perfect for flying crustal clear visibility, when Leah was up she could from Newark to Rutland Water and beyond and did a large circuit. When I went up we flew east and out over the Wash near Boston and back. Both of us were up for over an hour, thanks Rance!

Leah strapped in and ready to go

Now she can go Rance has got in!

Looking down on Buckminster airfield

Getting ready for take off

Thursday 15 August

Thursday 15th August

Just got back from picking up a chest freezer from some friends so we can freeze a bit more garden produce like apple juice and fruit. Just made it back with it the trailer before it poured with rain, then just a quick the sun was back out again.

Earlier went to the dump with another 10 sacks of hedge and garden cuttings plus a couple of very smelly bags that were fermenting well, at least the hedge has been trimmed for another year now, always a mamouth job.

Yesterday whilst cutting the hedge 3 Buzzards were circling over the garden, I hope they haven't spied the pigs out in their pen helping keep the lawn short. A bit later a Magpie was examining the cage but they are well known for doing that. Meanwhile a Great Spotted Woodpecker came down to the nut feeder in the pear tree. Not seen the Green Woodpecker for a few days but it was in next doors garden after ants a few days ago.

I went out the other night to look for Hedgehogs as they continue to leave rather large poohs in the garden but no sign, although three nice newts in the pond by torchlight, the last few days there have been a few large toads wandering about early morning.

A Common Toad enjoying the sun on a lily pad in the pond

The Buddlia is attracting some nice butterflies at the moment when the sun comes out lots of Large Whites, Peacocks and Commas not as many varieties as there were on the Lizzard last week but still a nice selection.

Either side of Cornwall holiday, visit to mum and dad and new girls arrive

Dad, Mum and Viv August 2013

Me with my new "girls" that Leah got for my birthday, Sophie aka Hairy McCleary, Sandra and Susan

The girls getting used to the garden

Dad, Mum and me.

Last couple of photos

The bay in front of the cottage at low tide

St Ives

Last days in Cornwall

Tuesday 6^th August

Lovely sunny day today so set off on the ebb tide for Coverack, wind took a while to set in but by late morning it was blowing a steady F2 from the south west and we had a lovely sail along the coast inside the Manacle Reef and down to Coverack spotting a pair of Harbour Porpoise on the way off the back of the boat and small flocks of Manx Shearwater and Gannets.

Beached the boats on the sand, rolling them up to just above the low water mark then went for a coffee and ice cream, they had sold out of pasties!

Nice sail back in the sun and set the spinnaker for a while, about 14 miles in all.

Wednesday 7^th

Last day for sailing today, Doug and Jude set off in the morning and motored over to Falmouth to revisit his old haunts whilst Viv and Joanna went to get more fish for dinner and Ian and I went for a walk on the Lizard. I was hoping to see a Chough but none about, we did see a really obliging young male Kestrel who posed close up for snaps and spotted a large Basking Shark in the bay under the coffee shop. We could have paid for our coffees if we had charged people for the loan of our binoculars to see the shark. There was also a lone seal in the same bay for a while.

Came back and had a gentle sail round to Helford to the Shipley Arms again where we were met Doug and Jude. Sailed back out of the bay under spinnaker but had to motor the last bit back to the beach where we pulled out ready to de-rig for going home.

Fresh Mackerel and Pollack on the bar-b-q for tea.

Cornwall photos 3

Viv, Joanna and Doug

Viv helming back to St Anthony

Spinnaker up

Last night for the happy Wayfarers

Sunday 4th August

Sunday 4^th August

Not a great day, the odd shower but quite gusty winds and a bit too much for sailing so decided to go to St Ives for the day.

Drove over following the Satnav that took us down some tiny little twisty and winding roads that we were really glad we had not taken with the boat on the back. Parked at the park and ride only to find out Cornish park and rides mean you park and pay and then pay again to ride! At least it was bit easier than trying to find somewhere to park in the town.

I think everyone else had the same idea though in view of the iffy weather as St Ives was packed with people looking for pasties and ice creams. I left Viv at the St Ives Tate and went for a walk, two hours later I was ready to go as was Viv.

Came back and had a walk along the coast path at the back of the cottage and spent a pleasant 20 minutes watching a pair of Peregrines on the cliffs and for the first time perching in the top of a tree.

Monday 5^th August

Weather still windy and gusty so decided not to chance sailing and walked into Helford along the coast path instead. Buzzards and Peregrines overhead as we walked.

Met up with Doug and some of his old buddies at the sailing club for a beer.

Cornwall photos 2

Moored up at the Shipley Arms. Helford

Ian and Joanna in "May"

Beached at Coverack for lunch and an icecream

A very photogenic young Kestrel on the Lizard

Ian ferrying Viv and Joanna back to the cottage

Doug and Jude coming in to the pub having been to Falmouth for the day

Breakfast outside the cottage, St Anthony

Jude, Doug and Viv finishing off their morning tea

Ian ferrying us back to the pontoon, it was surprising how it started raining just as we arrived back

Jude, Viv and Doug

Doug and Jude on the way to Helston

Doug and Jude on our way to the sailing club in Helston

Friday 2 August

We were going to leave on Tuesday and spend a day in Bristol with mum and dad but Leah phoned to say she was coming back for a week whilst Jamie and the band were recording and writing new material so we stayed to see her. That gave me the opportunity to go out in the evening and pick a bag of cherries, the recent rain and sun has really made them ripen quickly so they may have all gone by the time we get back.

Leah set off just after 5:00 am and got home in time for us to have breakfast together, it’s always nice to have the kids home and see them. She arrived with the new “girls” for the garden, three not two guinea pigs as she first said. A motley looking crew I must say and a bit on the niffy side after a morning in the back of her car but I’m sure they will settle into their new home soon enough. The long hair might need a bit looking after though.

We left about 10:30 and traveled down to Bristol and stayed over with mum and dad, who were both looking well.

Mum cooked a nice dinner and then did a full English breakfast the following morning that we ate on the patio in the sun to send us on our way for the second part of our journey. It’s about 430 miles to Cornwall, around the same distance I traveled the other week in the opposite direction to Scotland, we have a very well traveled boat.

We met up with Ian and Joanna just south of Taunton and traveled the last bit together. The last few miles were on typical little twisting narrow Cornish roads so towing the boat behind was interesting.

The place we are staying is lovely, a little cottage converted from part of a farm I should think but a stones throw across the road from the beach. We sat out in the sun once unpacked and watched a Buzzard being mobbed by a pair of Peregrines, once they had got fed up and moved on the Gulls took over, great way to start a holiday!

The nearest pub is about a mile and half walk along the estuary, so we checked it out before dinner.

We have three moorings in the bay for the boats so will look to rig then up and launch today, we will hopefully be able to use a small tender to row out when we want to get to them to go sailing.

Doug, Jude, Me, Viv, Joanna and Ian on the beach, St Anthony

Our home for the week in St Anthony

Friday morning we rigged the boats after breakfast and once the tide was up launched and sailed around to Helford where we moored up at the Helford Sailing Club for lunch. Nice breeze about Force 3 from the South West, one reef as it was a bit gusty and shifty at times, about 8 miles there and back. 10 minutes motoring out to mooring to set sails up.

Dinner was left over meat sauce from last night with carrots and onion to pad it out with brown rice that we used to stuff two of the marrows mum and dad had given us from their garden.

Saturday Ian had us checking the wheel bearings on the trailer and tightening up any slack with Viv taking photos so he can write a piece on trailer care for the Wayfarer magazine. Then we sailed around to the Shipley Arms pub in Helford, a very quaint place right on the estuary with its own jetty we could tie up to for a beer and lunch. The wind was a bit stronger today, from the South West again but a steady force three gusting to a good four at times and a bit choppy where the wind was against the tide so we had two reefs in. The new sails set much better than the old ones and perform so much better and feel comfortable. We did 8.5 miles according to Doug’s GPS and ten minutes motoring ferrying folks off the floating moorings.

Came back and had to pack the boats away in a shower, just like yesterday when it poured just as we got back!

It didn’t last though so I was able to go for a walk over the headland where I watched a pair of Peregrines over the cliffs for about 15 minutes, I actually left one of them sitting in the top of a tree about 50 feet away.

Looks like the weather is going to deteriorate tomorrow, rain and strong winds are forecast so we will probably go for a walk instead, maybe a chance to look for Choughs on the Lizard. I might get a chance to get an internet connection as none here.