What's outside

[seren]

I misread that as ‘my otter’ at first

You just made my day:) I sometimes read “significant otter” instead of “significant other”, which is a rather cute way to refer to someone.

If slime moulds don’t smell, I might be OK.

I don’t think they do, but I’ve never had any. I only grew molds on different food.
I would happily live with anything that doesn’t bite, and, though I’m a bit afraid of spiders (I don’t hate them, it’s just that I have a deep respect for them and don’t wish to come too close), I’m getting used to the fact that my boyfriend likes them and I might be living with spiderwebs in different places in the house in future.

[pippapritchard]

@stella

Molds can look really pretty.

I’m wondering if this is one? These are wobbly little orange pinheads enjoying the mild wet weather in Oxfordshire. It looks a little like the one @ramblingjohn was growing???

[ramblingjohn]

@henddraig

misread that as ‘my otter’ at first - had a moment of sheer envy

That is a great mistake, if i ever get a photo i would be thrilled.

@pippapritchard

These are wobbly little orange pinheads enjoying the mild wet weather i

Yes they are Pippa, and there are more surprising forms to come, i just never expected to meet someone on a Welsh (or any other ) forum who would see the interest in these. More on this when i get time, first i’m a little excited to report on.

Ychydig o’r dyddiau yn yr gogledd Cymru.

Mwd a adfail - mud and a ruin (i hope the foreground shows some idea of how wet the ground was).

Ok, we went out every day, didn’t really get wet, crossing some medium height ground so enjoying some wonderful scenery. All this i really enjoyed as ever and there are so many paths yet to ramble.
But the real icing on the cake was the number of times i could promote SSIW, The staff at base were as nice as ever enjoying my improving Welsh (i hope) and now know how it’s possible so can pass on the message. But the even bigger piece of luck was on Saturday when 4 men from Ruthin area (3 first language speakers and 1 who had learnt long ago) joined us for the days ramble.
When they heard i was learning i had 4 people taking turns to want to speak with me through the day and evening, they just couldn’t believe someone outside Wales without a learning center could learn enough to be understood (more people who now know about ssiw). Even more, they were genuinely pleased that someone would take the trouble to try, (when i told them about the countries in which i am speaking to learners (skype)) they were even more amazed.
They really were nothing but keen to be helpful, suddenly all the stuff i have been listening to in lessons and reading/writing came pouring out even though i didn’t know i could remember it, i found (or realised later) i was asking questions about Welsh in Welsh and grasping some of the answers, this really became language over load, nobody worried about mistakes or bad grammar,
so what i have to say to anyone who doubts their ability (dal ati) and i really really hope everyone who reads this will one day get as much luck as i had.

So what next: i have paid deposit on the rambling course tutored in Welsh.

Unfortunately you won’t find this on the plas tan y bwlch website yet (the course guides are not out yet as there has been a delay with printing. But rest assured it is happening and for anyone interested the course is
April 29th to May 2nd (£275.00 for a basic room) price includes all transport, meals etc.

If anyone is interested, look up ‘plas tan y bwlch’ on the internet and email or phone, if you phone you will probably speak to tracy (in welsh if you wish) and you will find them most welcoming.

There is going to be a new course which i think will be more class room based explaining the structure of Welsh (or some of it’s words) i will post details when i get them.

Cheers J.P.

[ramblingjohn]

Day 1: from near Tywyn to Barmouth, mostly on the coastal path route along high ridges with great view across the sea to Bardsey island- ynys enlli.

Welsh signs were abundant.

When we descended into Llwyngwril i notice someone had decorated a stone in their garden.

Bridge across the river of towns name.

after climbing back up the ridge the path passes several old standing stones, which must have been significant in the past but their true purpose is long forgotten.

I don’t know enough to give a certain name for this fish egg case.

Walking across the long wooden bridge into Barmouth and a train came along.

Cheers J.P.

[ramblingjohn]

Day 2 (Saturday) was forecast very wet so i didn’t take my camera. we basically walked from Rowen to the Aber falls along ancient trackway which was mostly good under foot and we crossed streams without getting wet feet. So no photos of the views across to Ynys mon - Anglesey or the Aber falls which were magnificent, but it was the day the welsh men joined us which i wrote about earlier (a really good day).

Day 3: walk from Rhyd-ddu to Bethania via a pass just south of Snowdon, we had a little snow at the top of the pass, with plenty of ice to make the ramble interesting.

On the way up we passed some old mines, this one had a great waterfall descending into it (probably not there in the summer).

Cnwp-fwsogl mawr - Fir clubmoss. (didn’t see many of these).

Cen Mapiau - Rizocarpon geographicum. (this was really abundant on the mass of shale waste from mines on the walk).

Stopped at some ruins for lunch and this was the view looking up towards snowdon.

We eventually joined up with the Watkin path and it got fairly busy with people, we did see a goat on the way up but here a small group appeared.

Gafr - goat (with large horns).

and passed some more water falls.

At Bethania car park we saw a further 18 goats, (that’s more goats in one day than i have seen before in all my time in wales) !.

The last morning was spent going uphill behind the plas to some view points and past many little lakes.

A little more light and the reflections would have been perfect.
It’s a bit sad to leave and drive home, but now i can think about the next visit.

Cheers J.P.

[craigf]

Fantastic pictures, John.

I was curious as to what kind of goats those were so I did some searches. They came from domesticated goats that went feral 10,000 years ago and have been roaming the mountains ever since.

[henddraig]

what kind of goats

Multitudinous years ago, I met one of those on a narrow footbridge. I tried saying various things meaning “Shoo” or “Excuse me”. The goat just stood. In the end I gave up and found another route!!! I was quite young and those horns were mawr ofnadwy!!!

[seren]

Some images of Belarus in snow for those of you who live in warmer climates. Cyclone Daniella left us with this:

and this

snow heaps are actually taller than the cars.

And these two are just the two images I took of the same wild rose bush, in May and in January, from approximately the same position. Winter is no less beautiful here than spring:)

Does anyone know what “wild rose” is in Welsh?

[ramblingjohn]

rhosyn gwyllt, and thanks for the images, (makes a change from floods).

I should of taken a photo of temporary road sign saying llif - flood, while in wales last week.

Cheers J.P.

[seren]

Thank you, John! Rhosyn gwyllt sounds lovely.
I actually prefer snow to the extreme colds that were here last week, but it’s going back to -25. ((

[ramblingjohn]

Trying to catch up with where i was before going away, and find some new stuff.

Hen ffawydden - old beech tree. Blew down in a storm some years ago, i will monitor this through the year for things interesting, should be clear in the photo it has now plenty of mwsogl - moss growing on it.

and some discomycete fungi .

Elsewhere.

Llysnafedd llwydni - slime mold (as reported by others @pippapritchard this is the slowest ripening i have seen and i was afraid the wet weather was going to cause things to fail, but i will monitor with fingers crossed).

Cheers J.P.

[margaretnock]

The flood signs never seem to leave the road side in Sir Gar, months after the floods they are still there, possibly there was no flood at all and they are still there.

[pippapritchard]

@ramblingjohn

and some discomycete fungi

Ohh is that what these are too? Tiny so my phone struggles with the picture. It has eyelashes / blew amrant!

[ramblingjohn]

top marks again, these are Scetellinia scutellata (or a close relative) common eyelash fungus.

The hairs around their edge are referred to as ‘setae’ (somewhere between hair and bristle).
The conjecture is they are a defense/deterrent to grazing of the fungus by things like gwlithen - slugs.

Still hoping we will get some fertile slime mold spores between us, but who knows what we will find dydd sadwrn (the excitement is building).

Cheers J.P.

[henddraig]

eyelash fungus.

I remember smiling when I found that the Russian word for cilia was given in the dictionary as meaning ‘eyelash’! Some cells with eyelashes sounded lovely!!
To @stella Your pics reminded me of a visit to Vienna one winter, sometime between 1969 and 1972!! My friends are living there and had been to UK for Christmas. I went back with them in their car and, on arrival, the first thing we had to do was clear the pavement as there was a legal obligation in Austria!! Very sensible, but I don’t know what happened if you were old or infirm!!

[seren]

In Russian we have the suffix “chk” that, added to to noun, makes it a pet name, a diminutive noun. For example, if someone wants to call me sweetly, this person will say “Stellochka” instead of “Stella”. Of course such suffixes aren’t normally used in formal writing or scientific articles - except for this case. When we talk about infusoria, we call their body parts - resnichki, with the pet name and not the neutral name “resnici”

[henddraig]

This is my best, but not very good, effort at showing you the sheer numbers of birds we get!

[ramblingjohn]

patrwm iâ - ice pattern (on my windscreen this morning).

By mid morning the temperature had lifted a little.

Eithin blodau yn yr gaeaf - gorse flowers in winter.

Cheers J.P.

[ramblingjohn]

Twyllwr piws - Amethyst deceiver (i think the literal translation is more like The purple fraudster).

Twyllwr Piws Taldra uchaf 9cm.
Ffwng hardd a cyffredin, piws, sy’n byw ymysg y dail cwympedig ar lawr coed collddail.

Mae’r cap yn gromennog ar y dechrau ond yn troi’n anghyson o wastad wrth aeddfedu.
Mae’r tagellau’n bell oddi wrth ei gilydd a cheir blew gwyn ym môn y goes droellog.

Amethyst deciever Height up to 9cm.
Beautiful common fungus, purple, living among the fallen leaves on the ground below deciduous trees.
The cap is vaulted at the beginning but becomes inconsistent flat at maturity.
The gills are far from each other and there are white hairs winding at the base of the stem.

Cheers J.P.

[seren]

Oh, this is lovely:) Looks magical.
In the meanwhile, we’ve got another cyclone coming, so hopefully I’ll post some photos of Vitebsk covered with snow soon.