I’ve spent several days taking pics for holiday rentals in Pembrokeshire recently. Both very different but lovely places to spend some time on holiday. Abernyfer Beach House in Newport and Pretty Cottage in Solva.
Well, folk have returned to Pembrokeshire and suddenly we are sharing the space again. A bit of a shock after a few months living in the 1950's. Along with the returning crowds are the returning McDonalds wrappers in the hedges and the fires on the coast path. Scorched patches, fag ends and cider cans for the charred marshmallow experience. Summer always seems to begin to desert us at this time of year even though we tend to think of it as the height of the season. When the sun isn't deceiving us with its warmth; hints of Autumn are on show. I can predict that this year will be bumper for blackberries and sloes as the early starters are already on show and parasol mushrooms have been on the menu for a few weeks already. Away from the honey pots, there's quiet places to be found especially on a grey day when the wind is blowing. Some shots from Porthclais, and Les with his powerwasher sets in algae that this is 2020 with those 3 letters that became more meaningful than ever this year.
I walked around the corner afterwards, towards Porthlysgi, and watched the sea batter the rocks for a while, chough for company and purple heather hinting at the turning of the seasons.
Some pictures from the garden. Tomatoes coming along nicely in the greenhouse, a good crop of blackcurrants picked for the freezer and some soft evening light making for a couple of portraits that I was pleased with. This collection is a slice of lockdown in many ways; a lot of time has been spent on the greenhouse over the past few weeks; tending to plants, battling weeds and harvesting some lovely homegrown fruit and veg.
I was sad to hear the news that Marc Treanor had passed away recently. Marc was known for his big works of sand art that he made on the beaches of Pembrokeshire and beyond. Marc was one of those characters whose work often popped up on social media and due to it’s nature (the tide would reclaim the sand a few hours later) most people would seldom get to see it in the flesh. A few years back a friend asked Marc to produce a piece for her hen do and I was lucky to be able to get some pictures for them. I didn’t get one of Marc unfortunately. We’ll miss seeing his work on local beaches.
Lovely video here from my friends at Mother Goose for Visit Pembrokeshire.
Lucy needed images for her website and social media but was not keen on having her picture taken. Lucy runs workshops on making chocolate, kombucha and other fermented goodies so we decided that some shots during a workshop would provide a good opportunity to get some nice natural images. We had a big, light kitchen to work in so all went well and as a bonus I came away with some tasty treats!
Lucy’s workshops are good fun and she makes the slightly daunting task of making your own fermented foods straightforward and enjoyable. A relaxing, fun atmosphere, simple instructions and supervision make it easy to get started with fermenting at home. Some pics below.
Summer has deserted us over the last few days but with the sea flat calm and no wind to speak of, braver souls than me went in for a dip at Penycwm. There’s something special about being at the beach in the rain on a still day; it usually means you’re likely to have the beach to yourself and it can seem like you’re the first person to ever set foot there. The rain clears away footprints and dapples the surface of the sand, the sea is pocked with raindrops and wet rocks and pebbles glisten. It becomes a quiet place and it feels like an escape from the world. Not an unwelcome feeling these days.
