Trying again

Okay, formatting problem seems to be solved. I may go back and try to fix that last post, but maybe not.

Last picture from Laugharne - Thomas refers to the heron priested shore, but I didn't see any herons here, but this photo is egrets and gulls.

Egrets and gulls

After leaving Laugharne, we split up and one car went to the coast and the other took a more direct way home (less coastline).

The coast north of St. David's

We found that you can't actually see that much coastline. Even when you're right near it, there are usually tall hedges or walls. Though we, obviously, did see some.

Pentr Ifan dolmen (burial chamber)

But we were so glad that we (Jerry, Phyllis, Rebecca and I) went that way. We came upon this sign for the tallest dolmen in Wales. We couldn't resist even if it took us off our route.

Some dramatic sky helped!

 It's neolithic and made of the same bluestone as Stonehenge. And the setting was magnificent - green hills looking out over the Irish Sea and the usual lambs on the hillsides. We had to tear ourselves away.

More dolmen

And we joke about presenting an all-sheep slide show - top 10 photos for each person - 80 photos of sheep! Here's just one who lives by the dolmen.

Sheep

More sheep

We stopped in Aberystwyth for dinner.

Aberystwyth

It's a classic Victorian holiday town with hotels and rooming houses lined up along the beach. There were surfers - though the surf was minimal.

Amusement pier

It even has a classic amusement pier (we didn't go in). Rebecca spent a few days here after the workshop ended because she is writing a novel which takes place in Aberystwyth and she needed to do some research.

The Old College

The National Library and one of the campuses of the University of Wales are here. We ate at a Greek restaurant and there were Athena's owls out front.

Owl!

The next day we stayed "home." One of our prompts that morning was Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Pied Beauty." Love it! If you don't know it, look it up. Hopkins appeared many times during our prompts - a Welsh Jesuit who didn't think he could reconcile his religious vocation and his poetry - even burned all his writing. But he couldn't resist and he finally went back to it.

On the way to the county fair

There was a county fair just down the road from our house, so some of us checked it out. 

County fair sign

To keep trespassers out at night or from sneaking in without paying, they use a metal fence with grease along the top so you'll just slide off. But they warn you!

Hunting hound puppies for sale

There were lots of dog contests, animals for sale, farm equipment, kiddie rides, lots of food, the usual booths selling stuff.

Ducks and geese for sale

I need to get a goose photo from Else. She took some great ones.

Ferret!

Ferrets are so cute and I got to hold one.

Dog and ferret becoming friends?

There were also lots of demonstrations of skill.

Some kind of wood chopping contest

They even had camels "for the fun of it." But there were more dogs than anything else besides people - not just the ones being shown. Everyone brought a dog, I think!

Border collie

They had falconry demonstrations - I missed them, but did get to see the birds.

Don't expect an identification

Noisy

This guy was explaining things in Welsh when I walked by. Bala has one of the highest percentages of Welsh speakers in Wales - 70%.

Welsh explanation

I spent some time talking with a young man with a group that works with homeless vets - it's just like here.

We agree - don't create any new veterans.

It was a Sonoma County Fair in miniature.

Here are some random photos I took downtown that day.

Buildings in downtown Bala

A Bala window

Little Black Sambo?

Walking back, there was Cadar Idris - one of the mountains visible near the house.

Cader Idris

The legend goes that if you sleep on Cader Idris, you will either go mad or blind or wake up a poet! I don't know since I didn't try.

Phyliis and Jerry's socks drying