Between Brecon & Sennybridge, Wales, UK

On New Year's day, we had a rare event in south west Powys - we had a severe air frost. It had been dry, and although the ground wasn't all frosted, the winter trees and bushes looked stunning We went for a walk and took some photos, which I have finally gotten around to sharing. This picture of a very white world was taken near Llanspyddid, about 2 miles from home:



and here's a close up of some Rosebay willowherb:


and some cow parsley:

and some ferns:


We drove a mile or two further to Cwm Camlais and found some lovely frosted conifers:


and an extremely friendly robin:





and quite a friendly horse:





We found some beautiful iced spiders webs:



and icy branches in the hedges:









and the frost even made the wire fencing look pretty!



but this is my favourite scene of the day:

with this close up looking almost as good:

A small adventure!

I didn't travel far today,
but I saw some beauty in nature
and thought I would share it with you.

I took a 5 minute walk around my garden


A peony, just beginning to drop it's petals


a reddish clematis, the first flower of the year,
many more buds on the plant,
which is climbing up a tree


a purple clematis, which is fighting with the honeysuckle to take ove the fence



a pale yellow iris in the pond



2 little frogs, who thought they were invisible



this one posed nicely!


this one didn't realise I was looking!


this is where he always hides


sometimes his friend joins him



we dug the pond, with the help of friends, in May 2003. It's not very big, maybe 5 feet by 8 feet, and 2 feet deep in the middle. We positioned it at the back of our garden, in an area where we knew frogs passed through. We had frogspawn in spring 2004, and now have a colony of frogs living in the pond, with new tadpoles each year. We don't know how many frogs there are, but we counted 11 adult frogs last weekend. I also often find very little ones in the flower borders when I am weeding. We have noticed that we don't have a problem with slugs in the garden any more, but I wish they'd learn how to eat snails, so that my hostas could look majestic instead of holey!!!!

Trip to north Wales

Travelling north from Brecon, after 50 miles or so I reach Llanidloes, and find this old market hall right in the middle of town. It's amazing it has survived so well when you see how much traffic travels around it each day.

Leaving Llanidloes on a small mountain road, this is the view of the Dylife valley.
Photographs somehow don't capture how breathtaking it looks when you are there!

A view of the upland area between Llanidloes & Machynlleth

Llyn Clweddog, which has a scenic drive around it, and is also used for yachting

Beautiful, isn't it?

A viewpoint along the way - on really clear days you can further,
and can also see Snowdon - but too hazy for that today!

Another photo taken from almost the same spot


This is the building in Machynlleth where Owain Glyndwr
held the first all-Wales parliament. Built in the late 1400s.

The road between Machynlleth & Corris. We're in Snowdonia now. Splendid view?

An old tin building in Blaenau Ffestiniog. They don't make them like this any more!
This town developed around slate mines, which used to be very labour intensive. Slate mining isn't what it used to be, and there is also much more mechanisation, so this town has plenty of unemployed and is quite deprived these days.

Looking north from Blaenau Ffestiniog - the mountains of Snowdonia are getting closer

Looking south from Anglesey to Snowdonia near the end of the day. This journey has been about 120 miles, and took 3 and a half hours. Most Welsh roads are more for enjoying the view than for getting anywhere fast!

A Snowdonia sunrise....