I Choose Not Fear - Saturday 07/05/11

Emma's mother Dianne arrived last night to visit for the weekend. We ate dinner, went for a walk around at dusk and stayed up until 23:00 chatting.
Today we utilised her insured car and showed her our haunts. Namely Cardigan town and Poppit Sands.
Whilst mooching with Fran (I made the excellent suggestion of splitting up, pre-empting the possibility of shoe shopping) she revealed that she had been given ten pounds by Em's mum to reimburse her for the money stolen from her by the foster boy living with Dianne. She had left her purse at my parents after our last visit. My parents had then posted it to Dianne knowing she would be coming here to visit. This foster boy found it, and relieved it of its contents. The second occurrence. Him and a 'girl friend' stole mothers day gifts made by Frances and intended for my mother.
My feelings towards this delinquent disturb me. In less than a month, circumstance will force us to share a roof. My inclination is currently to smack the bastard and issue some of the discipline he obviously yearns for.
But it's not my place.
Plus, it would be in contravention of my personal moral code to cause no harm, injury or loss to any other being. Some would say it better to direct ones efforts to ensuring he never is presented with the opportunity to steal from us. Lock doors. Surveillance. Ultimately, live in fear. Distrust. What modern society is founded upon, and the weapon with which our government chooses to govern.
My approach will be to confront the issue, state my grievance to the little bugger and hopefully stamp it out. A "you know, I know, you know I'm watching you".

The fact is, physical assault is tiring and if you use your hands, it can cause aches. I'm a lover not a fighter.

My Webley, loaded with SMK Spitfires took another victim this evening. A young Magpie. He flew across my path and momentarily settled in a tree on my left. He then flitted off and alighted at the top of another as I dropped to my knee. Range approximately 30-40 yards. Aimed half a mil-dot above his head. Breathed. Fired. He jumped at the crack right into the path of the pellet. Head shot. When I got to him, the final twitches of nerves animated his legs and beak. Another close range mercy shot ensured his spirits exit.
I might not be a fighter, but I am a hunter. This quarry is in fact edible. Research recommends soaking the breast meat of older birds in milk overnight. This bird, like the pigeon, will be a decoy, then i'll sample his breast.
My expectations are not high. without soaking, magpies are said to taste like "fishy, chewy chicken".

M Jones

Cardigan, Cilgerran, Castles And Coracles - Friday 22/04/11

After doing "that which moved me" all week, I felt it was time my little family enjoyed a bit of movement too. To that end, we insured the Iron Horse and took a ride to Cardigan, Poppit Sands and then Cilgerran.
Emma had been given money by her mother and grandmother to treat Fran, so of course a walk to Yum Yums was in order.
As no one was going to treat me, I treated myself. To a fishing rod. (I'll admit to the white lie, Emma bought me some black Crocs).
After picking up the bicycle and buying a replacement indicator bulb (ours was on the 'blink') we let Fran loose on Poppit Sands.
By 14:00 however, the beach was filling up and I'd had enough.
Nearly every time we've returned from Cardigan I've seen a sign for Cilgerran Castle and each time thought it'd be worth a visit. So we did. I was wrong, it wasn't worth a visit. Not for £3.20 each or £9.20 for a family ticket. We saw nearly all of it by walking the public footpath along the perimeter. It was whilst doing this that I noticed another sign pointing to the 'Coracle Centre'. Again a bit disappointing as it was merely a block of toilets with information boards. That is not to say we were upset, definitely not, the weather was superb and the walk was most enjoyable.

M Jones

The Labour Exchange - Thursday 21/04/11

Exchanged labour with Ayres this morning. We loaded a trailer load of his wood from the quarry, and in exchange for using my truck, he helped load a trailer of my (Kits) wood and gave me some bio-diesel.
I was sorely disappointed my air rifle was not delivered as promised yesterday evening. So I did something about it.
I cycled the 13 miles to Cardigan to pick it up, prepared to cycle back with the rifle in an army canvas sausage bag. Trouble was, the rifle box was massive. I think the shop owner appreciated the trouble I'd gone to and drove me home! I left the bike and lock with him and I'll pick it up tomorrow on our day out. Needless to say I was very appreciative.
The ride there was daunting but by god it was incredible, much like the ride I'd done the day before only better.
It's all about the journey baby!

The Dream, Manifested!

M Jones

Adz And Excavators - Friday 22/10/10

There are two reasons why i skip recording my days. 1. If i feel i have not done or witnessed anything particularly noteworthy, 2. If i am too involved in noteworthy happenings am left too pooped or time strapped. Thankfully, in this case, it is the second of the two scenarios responsible for Thursdays disappearance.
Thursday the 21st of October now seems a blur of distant memories, the most prominent of which I shall now do my best to relate to you.
I believe the day started with a breakfast bowl containing the last of the Weetos purchased during our visit to Stroud. This was followed some time later by the departure of our host family as they themselves visit the town in which they previously resided for the next seven days.
Up until 15:55 i was employed in the service of Kit. My duties included preparation for the digging of the foundations of his build, transportation of timber out of the barn and upto his plot, and very much later, assisting with the marking of the proposed trenches set to be dug at 10:00 Friday morning.
Before his departure Ayres had requested i attend an auction of tools, set to take place in the barn at 16:00, in his stead. The tool he had his eye on and wished for me to bid on in his place, was a fine looking Adz.
Quite what this tool is intended for, i do not at this moment in time know, but Simon obviously did and outbid me. The irony is, Ayres will inevitably end up borrowing it! Over the course of the next hour and a half i got embroiled in numerous bidding wars and came away substantially poorer and the owner of various tools i do not yet have a need for. Delivered a keg of homebrewed bitter to Melissa in lieu of her birthday party on Saturday, then it was up to Kits plot to mark his building pad by the light of my trucks headlights.
Another restless night which forced me to Ayres' static caravan for some midnight green building research.
Friday morning i met Kit on his plot at the arranged time of 09:30. A few cigarettes and two coffees later the excavator arrived. Not at 10:00 but more like 11:00. Once we got started and stuck in, we worked hard until we broke for lunch at 13:00. Justin, a volunteer on Nigels plot and yesterdays auctioneer, borrowed my truck to tow a trailer to carry sand. Due to odd jobs springing up, they had not finished with it at 15:00 as agreed. This made me late leaving for Cardigan and cost me brownie points with my dear Lady Love.
Film night tonight. 'A Series Of Unfortunate Events', then bed. God Bless it.

M Jones

An Engaging Community - Saturday 02/10/10

Picked up the battery after its 18 hours of resurrection. Forgot today was a 'Community Engagement' day. The intention of this was to invite the locals to see the progress and answer their questions. A bit difficult when apparently hardly any of the large number of visitors were local. Didn't particularly want to stick around with all the people about so we took a day trip to Cardigan instead.
Whilst there i picked up six of those LED stick on lights, a huge adjustable spanner, 3 books for Frances (Classic Ghost Stories,Children's Encyclopedia and British Wildlife) and some food. Wanted Fish and Chips but they were shut :-(
With the battery back online we settled down to watch one of Frans new films 'The Ant Bully' Pretty entertaining, certainly passed the time.


M Jones

Yum Yums - Saturday 11/09/10

Yum Yums Sweets, Cardigan

Made another trek to Cardigan, rushed to get there before midday to catch the bank. Still too late as this branch obviously felt Monday-Friday were the only days their customers needed to administer their accounts.
Still, made the most of it by grabbing some sweets and an ice cream as well as some supplies from the supermarket. Had a very chilled out, but short evening as we went to bed at 20:45!

M Jones

A Handy Bush - Tuesday 07/09/10

It appears that leading a life independent of the marketplace (kind of) and everyday hustle and bustle comes at the cost of being out of sync with the rest of the busy world. Yet again, we took a trip to Cardigan only to find the banks and most of the shops shut. A bit ridiculous as the time hasn't changed. Now learnt the banks shut at 16:30 not 17:30 so i guess we can be forgiven somewhat. Its something more though.
One noticeable change has been when we pass an estate agents window. No longer are we looking for houses, but rather land. Emma says she now catches herself eyeing up other caravans!
I already find the volume of cars both intimidating and bloody annoying. As well as the fact i have to urinate in a designated place, and not behind a handy bush...just a personal grievance.
Am in the pathetic situation where i've been sent some cheques from my parents, but can't pay them in as my bank don't have a branch for miles. So i now have to send them back for my parents to pay in.
Aside from the above, had a chilled out day with the hosts cat on my lap. She just wouldn't move, and because i then couldn't lean forward when eating, she got a nice dusting hehehehehe

She enjoyed licking herself clean though...

M Jones

The Reduced Section - Wednesday 18/08/10

Another trip to Cardigan, again with Kit & Sara. This time with the wheel of Ayres' daughters bike, a bag of laundry and a visit to the brew shop. Despite having intentions of exploring a mash tun/boiler in order to make my beers from scratch. I have been dissuaded on two accounts by the shop owner. One, the price of hops £5.11 for 500g due to last years floods wiping out the crops in Kent. Two, the price of Barley and malt, now inflated as a result of the Russian crop failure, this time due to drought and water shortages.
After lots more mooching a trip to Tesco's and the reduced section yielded venison steaks!
An evening meal at Kit & Sara's wrapped things up nicely.

M Jones