Weekend At Dinefwr

Probably to be my longest blog yet - a whole weekend with many things I found exciting and therefore noted down - I am sorry I have no proper photos yet. I have to wait until I visit my nan's house to retrieve them, but I will get them.

But anyway, I must get on and write this because I am certainly falling behind in blogging; working several days behind can improve your memory but I'd like to be writing up to date blogs.

So, last Friday, after the picnic I've previously mentioned, I went off in the car with my mum (Rhian), my sister (Eleri), my cousin (Kayleigh) and Gareth to West Wales. A lot of my family were already at the House or driving in that western direction before us, although it wasn't particularly late.

The purpose of this weekend then:

to work voluntarily for the National Trust to create a better natural environment for people to appreciate.

Me and my family have done this kind of work before in the Gower, several times and I've always enjoyed it :) Work can consist of improving public countryside paths, clearing stingys, cutting down unwanted bushes for easy access. This weekend, we did gardening...woo. To improve this cottage which was to become the wonderful holiday home for the rich. 

Admittedly, the garden was in a state when we arrived, with brambles and stumps of old trees scattered across it, but really, gardening seems less National Trust work, and more something I'd want some money for. But oh well, it was fun nonetheless.

No work happened on Friday night of course. That was time for getting settled in our part of the manor house (which was huge by the way). We also had to get used to the fact Chinese students were staying in the same place as us. Not the same bedroom but just upstairs. They spoke good English and didn't get in our way, so it was pretty easy to live with.

The night led to such frivolities as excessive drinking, playing 'Who's Who?' and a midnight walk to Dinefwr Castle. 

The home-made wine was to be too much for Gareth who got pissed out of his mind, on 'Elderbarb Wine' [due to the fact he couldn't say 'berry']. He created new words throughout the night, such as 'uzuzu' and 'nuushunbowel'. Anyone understand?

Later in the night, some of us stumbled our way up to the castle. I'm surprised none of were killed, but the castle was amazing. The views were impressive too, the midnight mist covered the valley floor. Lovely =]

Saturday

And so on to the work...the first day of the weekend was largely about digging up the garden.

One side of the garden was covered in weeds, brambles, and an assortment of generally ugly plants, while the other had grass.

We dug up the garden in horrible rain [although I discovered later that West Wales' rain was nothing compared to the torrential downpour in Caerphilly] with a few small breaks. After wokring for hours, we left the garden in the afternoon, put off by the rain and returned to the House. I lazed around after showering and wrote a few notes for this very blog and sang along to the Killers, while the rest of the family looked around the amazing holiday cottage with its 6 en suite bedrooms, etc.

The evening consisted of burning random things with candles :D Pictionary which I absolutely love. So much fun, it is, although my team lost :( 

Sunday

Twas a good day today; the gardening continued and by lunchtime it looked great. We had replanted the nice flowers around the edges of the garden, and the crap that was there previously had been taken away.

And....I found a fossil :) of a trilobite, not exactly rare but you know. It was all good, and I like old things :D

The Tea Episode was rather a downer on the day; lunchtime my auntie Sue ends up throwing boiling hot tea all down my right arm, thankfully leading to no blisters, but it bloody burnt lol

After a quick daylight visit to the castle we packed up and left for home. As I mentioned before, I stupidly left one of my socks there even though I was sure I got everything. I also left my phone :O which I've been without until today when my nan gave it back to me. Its charging now :D I love my phone

So yeah, in conclusion the weekend was great and I can't wait to do it again.

Moi

p.s I also love the deer and baby rabbits in the fields around the House :]