Starling roost at Plumstone, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Not a very good video - but you'll get the idea.

A small amount of the birds that turned up last night.

Three million starlings

Three million starlings roost near my house on a good night - tonight was a very good night. This is the first flock - about one percent of what arrived later. The black dots to the left (and above on the picture below) are hen harriers and buzzards - there was a peregrine too which made a spectacular strike.

Nature in the raw - brilliant!

Who said men are hopeless?

Inspired by Preseli Mags I remembered my own recipe for oaty rolls.

Not bad eh. Now I just need some nice cheese

Dylan's got a letter from Santa

It arrived in the post with snow and jingles.

Saturday night: Sunday morning

I grew up by the sea.

We lived less than half a mile from the beach; our school was on top of the cliffs.

I still love looking at it.

Saturday night:

Sunday morning:

A Level Art

I have redicovered these photographs of two paintings I did in my teens.

The one above is the only photo of the piece I submitted for my A-Level art exam. My teacher was Miss Davies, though we used to call her Aunty June - she was hugely encouraging to me, and I don't think I'd have painted much beyond school had she not been so supportive. I wonder what she is doing now?

When I look at the painting today, I can see all sort of flaws, but I suppose it is not bad for a 17 year old using poster paints on cartridge paper.

The picture below I painted for friend who liked jazz - I must have been about 19 when I did this. It is of Art Pepper and Cannonball Aderley and is titled Spontaneous Combustion - I think this is because one of them had an album of that name and it must explain the ridiculous fireballs! It is not a good painting, but it is part of my past.

I can't explain how strange it is to see these again.

Strata Florida

I had wanted to go to Strata Florida for some time.

We went on Wednesday after spending the previous night in the mountains above Llanddewi Brefi. It is a fabulous place.

Look carefully at the tiles on the last picture - or click it to enlarge; these tiles are more than 600 years old.

Spencer - the world's fastest engine

Or rather, the world's fastest cardboard box engine.

Another morning spent with glue and scissors.

Window(s) painting

Window(s) painting isn't quite what it used to be.

Here are Dylan's attempts from last night - with a little help from Dad.

A wet afternoon picture by Dylan

It was a wet afternoon, so Dylan did some drawing and we have a new pocket video camera to play with. I especially liked his drawing of a helicopter.

Here's hoping it works...

18 years ago tomorrow

I was married at the Bryn Mawr Chapel, Betwys y Coed.

My first postcard painting in a long time - took me all of five minutes (hey, it's too late to go buy a card, so I made one instead!)

The things we did in France

French bread

And (leap) frog's legs - but of course

Mountains, the very best

Trains too

and knights in armour

and don't forget tractors

or picnics in our cool shelters

whilst looking for bugs

and tigers

and tortoises

or just taking it all in.

Vive la France!