A day off today so decision was made to go out for the day or some of it. Harlech has a wonderful beach, the town we passed through the other day without stopping. Nikki had found a wool shop on line in Harlech with a cafe / small bar. A weird combination but we are in Wales.

The weather was overcast today but we still like to get out and about. Nothing stops us we’re British you know. It’s not far and the scenery is wonderful if you could see it through the mist. Found the beach carpark and parked up. £3.30 minimum, short work to the beach and then you’re on a huge big beach which I would hate to be on if the sun was out. Today it had just a few peaple on it who have the attitude we are on holiday we are going to sit on the beach, rain or shine.

After wandering around the beach and smelling the sea we decided to walk up into town to find the wool shop for Nikki and the cafe for a spot of lunch. With the castle up on the hill we knew it was going to be a slog uphill. The road sign said 25% steepness, luckily it wasn’t for too long, but long enough so Nikki says. I waited for her at the top.

As you get to the top of the 25% gradient hill you come to Harlech castle, perched on top of the hill with a view out over the beach. Built so they could see all the enemies approaching. The castle only opened today after being closed because of Covid and you have to book on line. I spoke to the guy on the entrance and he said they were booked solid for a week ahead. We have plenty of time to go back and see it if we choose to. The view from it will be fantastic.

Found the wool shop and cafe so we decided to have a spot of lunch. And that is where we got disappointed. Looking at the menu it looked loverly. We opted for a sandwich on granary bread with coleslaw, salad and crisps. Now I was expecting a nice thick bread sandwich with plenty of filling, bowl of salad and some crisps. What I got was a sandwich made with just normal sliced bread, hardly any filling, enough salad for one mouthful and a couple of crisps, well there might have been six. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Not just because of the food but because for me and Nikki to have this and a soft drink each was £20.75p Bloody rip off. I was going to complain but thought better of it as I was fuming so could have turned out nasty. I will not be recommending it to anyone.

The rest of the small town was nice including other nice cafes, we know for next time and a nice ice cream shop.

That was our day out. We still enjoyed ourselves but you live and learn. I think because it’s mad season, August and all the cafes etc have only just been allowed to open they are desperate for business so charging top dollar and skimping on the food knowing next week will be another lot of peaple on holiday.

When we got back I was busy setting my bike rack up on the car ready to go off down the bike park next week when we’re off and Reliant wanted his photo taken next to the bike.

Now the site is open it’s good to see peaple again and hear their different opinions on COVID-19 . We are all set up for it here with one person in reception at a time, big Perspex screen on the counter, card machine wiped down after every customer etc. Outside the service points are wiped down three times a day and peaple generally keep their distance. Some peaple wear masks, others gloves and masks. But at the end of the day we are not their keepers so it’s down to the individual to be sensible and stay safe.

The site is busy with us being so close to Snowdon so there are motorhomes coming and going all the time. Two weekends ago there were about 800 cars all parked on the roadways by Snowdon according to the local news. All illegally parked so many would have got tickets. The police put a warning out that they would be towing vehicles away. The next weekend they turned away 80 vehicles before before 8am on the Saturday and were there with a tow truck. I want to hike up Snowdon myself but am not going near it now until after the mad season is over, I might even wait until next year now.

Gerry the other warden found a dead grass snake by the gas tank, it was only a young one. A bit of google research found they if they eat and can’t digest their food and then get cold they die so it looks like that is what happened to this poor little snake. I was worried because for a couple of days after finding all this info out Reliant Robin was not about but he has now returned which is good news.

Yesterday Nikki and I went out for the day, the weather was not great but we just wanted to have a drive about and get off site on our day off. We looked on the map and headed out on the highway the A487 towards Barmouth. The drive was nice with fantastic scenery and as you come into Barmouth winding down the hill you have the estuary on your left and little cafes open on your right. The tide was out so the boats were just on the sand waiting for the tide to come back in so they could bob about again on the sea. . There were a lot of peaple about and lots of kids now the schools have broken up.

We had a walk up into the town but it was not our sort of place. Too many peaple, shops all selling the same sort of tat, bucket and spades hanging up everywhere, closed up shops, sea gulls shitting everywhere and squawking near anyone with food, arcades and even a small fairground, fish and chip shops and two closed and run down pubs. There was only one shop front I liked which looked so calm in amongst all the mayhem.

We walked the long way round back to the car which was parked facing the beach and sat there eating our sandwiches watching the peaple go about their business outside. There was even donkeys on the beach. Can’t remember the last time I saw donkey rides on a beach. Probably because I never go to this sort of beach, but we have been there done that now, had a look, some nice bits but we won’t rush back.

Back on the road and heading towards Harlech which we drove through without even stopping. Nothing to see here. There was a beautiful beach though. The loop we were doing took us back into Porthmadog and we knew of a small cove called Borth y Gest which someone on site had told us about. It’s a small village with a couple of tea shops and a nice outlook over the estuary. Parked up we then had a very expensive ice cream sat overlooking the estuary and mountains in the background.

We walked along the coast path then and passed a couple of small coves with only a handful of peaple on them. This was our sort of place.

We went down onto the beach and sat in the sun watching the tide come in. We were completely sheltered from the wind and with the mountains the other side of the estuary it looked fantastic.

After an hour it was time to head home. I was getting hungry and the beach was shrinking with the tide coming in which would make everyone leave the beach. We didn’t want to get caught up in the rush of about six peaple leaving the cove. Passed this loverly little church on the way back overlooking the sea.

That was our day out over, a mixture of good and not so good. Today we are back at work and my old bike goes to its new owner. He is coming here to pick it up. I have to make a phone call to arrange for our fridge to replaced later in the year, that’s another story for another day and don’t even get me started on the price. Stay safe out there.

On the 13th of July I opened the gates and swung them open wide and bolted them open. We were open for business. Our peace and quiet for the last four months was going to be shattered. The first day of opening worked out well for me and Nikki as that was our day off on the rota. The peaple rolled in and the sound of laughter filled the air. Got to admit it was nice to see peaple out and about on site.

The next day, Tuesday was also our day off so we had a chilled out day and then went over the pub for a drink and a bite to eat. The pubs in wales also opened on the Monday 13th but only if they had a garden. It was nice to go to a pub again I must admit. Just to support the local after lockdown you do understand. This is us doing what we do best.

You may remember a couple of post back Robbie the robin. Well now he has offspring and one of the youngsters has become attached to me, he follows me, sits waiting for me outside our garage. He knows where the food is kept. I was talking to someone on site and he was sat down by my feet as I told them all about him. They said he has become reliant on me. So that’s his new name Reliant Robin. He feeds from my hand just like Robbie.

My new bike is fantastic and I have been out around the lake on it. Getting used to it for a couple of weeks before I go off down the bike park. I even got it muddy and dirty the other day. But I had to clean it the next day.

Our fish supply is still ongoing and we had a delivery the other day of two beautiful trout. We have just had one for tea tonight. Very nice it was too with plenty left over for a sandwich at lunchtime tomorrow.

So that’s us up to date again. The site’s open, the pub’s open, we are getting back to normal slowly. Hard to think in three and a half months I will be closing the gate after the last caravan or motorhome drives out and the season will be over. Until then we will continue to welcome the customers, support the local pub and enjoy life under the sun, and we still enjoy life when it rains, we just prefer the sun. Stay safe everybody.

The flag was lifted yesterday by Mr Mark Drakeford the welsh minister. As of yesterday we are allowed out to play, we can travel more than five miles, which is weird because it’s ten miles for us to go shopping which Nikki has been doing every week since lockdown.

We are not allowed out to the pub yet though, that comes on Monday 13th and then only allowed in the beer garden so we better have some good weather otherwise the pubs will be losing more income. The site is opening on Monday 13th also. And guess what, that Monday and the Tuesday are our days off. How good is that.

We have been working hard to get the site up to standard since the beginning of this month, lots of grass cutting , making it as COVID 19 proof as we can. Just hope the members use some kind of common sense and stay safe and respect we want to stay safe.

So what do you do when the flags raised after being in lockdown since March and having a new mountain bike on order and not see the sea for months. I will tell you. You get up on the morning of the 6th at 5.30 am, you have a cup of tea and wait for Nikki to wake up then keep saying are you ready yet, are you ready yet. We did say we were going to leave at 7am. At 6.45am we were pulling out the site and on our way to Bury, 110 miles away to a bike shop. It was so nice to be out and about. Found the bike shop, got the bike all set up suspension etc for me. Paid for it and loaded it into the car. Credit card smouldering away. Now I know you want to see it so here you go, feast your eyes on this thing of beauty.

We left the shop and went to the nearest Tesco, just round the corner. Nikki went in shopping while I bonded with my bike. An hour later we are on our way home. 220mile round trip with a grin from ear to ear. It was a long day and was glad to climb into bed at the end of the day. And no the bike never came to bed, although it was suggested.

Today we had off also so decided to go and see the sea. We had not seen the sea since January and being sea loving peaple we were itching to see it. We didn’t get up so early for this trip. Weather was not so good today but we decided we really needed to see the sea. We left the site got onto the main road and turned left heading for Criccieth, a small town with a castle on the headland. The beach was deserted. We then headed further along the coast to Pwllheli which is a bigger town. We parked along side the beach and walked along the deserted beach.

The rest of today I have been pottering about in the garage with my bike. And tomorrow we go back to work. One last photo. This was on one of the ways onto the beach. It’s in welsh and translated it says leave only your footprints.

The light at the end of the tunnel is nearer. Mr Mark Drakeford who runs Wales has said if things are still looking good on the sixth July we are going to be allowed out to play, free movement all over wales and even into England. Now this is good news. Why’s it good news, because that means I can go and get my new bike at last. After deciding to treat myself to a new bike on my big birthday and finding one in a bike shop 120 miles away in England, a deposit was payed to secure it and the wait started. It will be six weeks of waiting when I eventually get my grubby little hands on it. Ten more sleeps to go, not that I am counting. 6th of July I will be up early and out on the road with a grin from ear to ear. My old bike is sold, that sold within 36 hours and is all cleaned, polished and waiting to be picked up.

More good news is that we are being unfurloughed on the 1st July which is good, that means we will be back on full wages. And the site is looking like it will be opening in the 13th July and we are fully booked. It’s going to be very busy for the rest of the season. As we close at the end of October we only have three and a half months of work before we have our winter break.

The site is looking like a Jungle at the moment with the grass so long because we’re not allowed to work but we will have two weeks before it opens to get it looking good. Just hope the weather stays good.

We have a pet Robin. Robbie has been hanging around our compound after food for a couple of weeks now. Meet Robbie.

He is not very old and comes round every day. Robins can get very tame and are always hanging around gardeners for the chance of a meal etc. We had one a few years ago when we had our Winnebago, he used to come and visit when we were sat out at the picnic bench and I used to feed him from my hand.

I decided to see if I could do the same with Robbie, so every time he came round I had some food and tempted him nearer and nearer each time. After a couple of days he ate out my hand. He is still a bit nervous but will soon learn that we are no harm to him and will feed more and more from our hands. He often sits on the sun chair arm while we are sitting in it looking at us as if to say where’s my food. He even sat on Nikki’s wine glass, but that was a step to far. Nikki almost had a seizure thinking someone else was going to have some of her wine.

One more photo of Robbie. I have taken a lot of photos of him and will properly take a lot more. This one is my favourite so far. A bit of a lucky shot, but with some skill and patience involved. I love the way the sun lights up his wings as he dances for the camera. This is Robbie dancing. He taught himself to dance.

The BBQ has been getting a lot of use this season with all this good weather we have been having. It’s great sitting outside having a cool beer and something to eat. It’s nice for Nikki to get outside and cook sometimes rather than being stuck indoors cooking. LOL. Yesterday’s offerings were trout with garlic bread. We know a man who fishes and a couple of weeks ago asked us if we liked fish. We like fish but I don’t like all the fiddly bones when eating it. Anyway he bought us round a trout. I gutted it and chopped it’s head off. Just point out at this point the fish was dead although he was looking at me. Nikki was busy on google looking at ways to cook it. The next day Nikki cooked it wrapped in foil with slices of lemon inside, on the side new potatoes and veg. My mouth is watering now thinking about it. She even managed to de bone it before serving it up.

The following week another fish arrived and we had that one the same. Then a couple of days ago he said he was bringing around some fish, have you got room in your freezer he said. A couple of hours later he arrived with a carrier bag full of fish. Our wardens also get the same. I got them already for the freezer except one nice big one. Cut into two portions, one big for me and one small for Nikki. We had a BBQ yesterday with the trout. Nikki’s was wrapped in foil, mine was just placed on the BBQ. I can’t tell you how nice it was. Well I can but you will just have to look at the picture and imagine the taste. But I can tell you it was bloody loverly.

I now know what the saying Groundhog Day means. It is beginning to feel like it now. Don’t get me wrong I love having all the time off work but we feel trapped. Nikki goes shopping once a week a journey of 20 miles round trip. We go for walks, I go out on my bike. But it’s not the same as being able to go where we want. If the world was normal or as normal as it was before COVID-19 we would have done so much by now and seen so much of this beautiful area we are in for the season.

You look at the news and see groups of peaple, protests, party’s etc. Peaple just doing what they want as if nothing is wrong. The media has a lot to answer for also, never reporting on the good things. Ok that’s it, getting off my soap box now.

This little bug is just going about as normal, in his or her own little world visiting flowers or weeds.

The campsite is looking a bit like a jungle at the moment but as we are furloughed we are not allowed to to do any work on the site. By the time we get un furloughed we will need to get a combine harvester in. If we were in England this season we could possibly be opening on the 4th of July so would be un furloughed so we had time to get the site tidied up. As we’re in wales we don’t know when we will be opening so the furlough goes on. And the bank balance is not as good as it should be. We do still have jobs and somewhere to live though which is a real bonus.

Out on my bike a couple of days ago I found a different track, google earth is wonderful for looking at the area. Still no one around while I am out only a few sheep who don’t really care, they just look up carry on chewing. The views from this route are so nice. The pic below is from the highest point, not the best of days but still awesome views that I never get tired of looking at.

A bit further on is another track I just had to explore. Found a great little lake and further on is a disused quarry. The track goes further but I will leave that to another day to explore. Also I pass a old roman ruin called Tomen y muir which me and Nikki are going to walk up to.

So that’s us up to date, hopefully the next blog post will be telling you we have been out somewhere. This weekend is the longest day. I feel since COVID-19 everyday has been the longest day. The last photo is on my early morning walk around the site looking for photo opportunity This reed/ leaf looked so peaceful with the morning water droplets on. Stay safe everyone and to those that know us, see you soon hopefully. And to those that don’t know us, maybe one day we will meet on our travels.

We have had a great run of good weather considering everyone said to us it always rains in Wales. I think we have had more BBQs in May than we had all last summer. As I sit here now typing this blog it’s pouring down outside, I can’t see the mountain I normally see out the window and the temperature has dropped by about ten degrees. I normally have the chairs outside by now and sit in the morning sun with a cup of tea. All this is after I get up early and get out on my bike before it’s too hot. Leaving the camper yesterday at 5.15am and doing 32 miles. Last week I did similar silly early morning rides.

With all the free time we have been having because of being furloughed it’s been good to catch up on jobs that need doing and other jobs that just pop up and need doing that aren’t on my list. Washing and polishing the car and camper is always on my list and they are or should I say were looking very shiny up until now. In fact they were shiny on top of shiny. The two photos below are water droplets on a very waxed and shiny car roof and the camper also has a nice shine to it demonstrated in the photo of the reflection.

Other jobs to do are to fix the door, I mentioned this a while ago and am still waiting for a part, a small spring which I am hoping is going to do the job. And now we have another problem, our fridge has gone Kaput. This is a bigger problem than just a spring. It is dead, kaput, out for the count, deceased, knackered what ever you want to call it, it is not coming back to life. I smelt ammonia and that means one thing, it’s lost all it’s coolant. The fridge is ten years old and when you think what the fridges in campers go through with all the miles we do on the lovely smooth roads NOT it’s surprising they work at all. Now our fridge is not like a fridge you have in your house, it might look the same but it runs on 240v, when we’re on hookup, 12v when we’re driving and gas when we’re not on hookup. It also has a oven on top of the fridge all connected and can’t be separated. And just to complicate things you can’t get this model fridge anymore. So the search is on for a replacement and then a dealer who can do the job. And of course get stock of replacement. Nothing is simple living on the road.

On the brighter side of life, walking around the campsite I have managed to get some great photos in the sunlight. The flowers, or weeds to some look like they’re floating, almost like spaceships coming into land on planet Snowdonia. The damsel fly was enjoying the morning sun. It took me ages to get that photo because every time I got close he flew away so I had to follow him until he landed again and try again. The things I do to get these photos for you out there reading this blog. And you just think we sit around all day in the sun drinking beer. The last photo is my favourite for a long time. This is a grass snake and was curled up basking in the sun. I was lucky to spot it and surprised it didn’t slither off as soon as it saw me. Even more surprising I got really close to get the photo and when I say close I mean within a foot of it. If it was an adder I would not have got this close. I got a couple of photos and then stood back and it slithered off into the undergrowth. It was about 3 ft long. That’s the snake not the undergrowth. Really pleased just to see one and even better to get a photo.

So that’s us up to date, still waiting for the welsh leader to say we can go out to play and travel around. And open the campsite. Nikki says I need more peaple to annoy and talk to. Stay safe everyone. We will come out of this mad world soon.

It only seems like last week I was in my fifties and now I have hit the big 60. Did I feel any different when I woke up, no, did I start to wear different clothes, no, have I finally grown up. Don’t answer that if you know me. Growing up is optional and I opted out a long time ago.

I got up in the morning early as normal and the camper had been decorated with banners and balloons just so I didn’t forget how old I was supposed to be. Thanks Nikki. A nice big bag of assorted chocolate and a couple of boxes of real ale which I really like and can’t get around here were there for the taking.

We had planned to have a BBQ with Gerry and Debra the other wardens, it was there anniversary also. the weather was not looking to good but was supposed to get better in the afternoon. So fingers crossed and yes it did Brighton up. While chatting at the BBQ we were discussing what you get when you reach 60. So I can get free travel in London, that’s useful I never go there. I can get a free bus pass in Wales, that’s good I don’t live here. I can get free prescriptions, that’s good I very rarely go to the doctors. So all in all not a lot. We ate and drank until the sun went down and the bugs came out to feast on us, then it was time to call it a day. Debra made me another chocolate cake. If your reading this Bill, i know you follow my blog, I was going to save you a bit but because of lockdown I decided to eat it myself. Sorry. This picture is for you. This is what you could have had.

This lock down is starting to get in my nerves now. Not because I don’t think it’s a good idea but because there is no general rules which apply to everyone. We are in Wales for the season and our rules are different to peaple in England. We are way behind. In England now you can go out and about as long as you return home at night. Here we can go out for shopping and only essential trips. From the first of June here in wales you can go and meet family but only travel five miles but we travel ten miles each way to go to the nearest supermarket. The beach car parks are closed down in Devon but you can go to Tesco and Sainsbury’s and park in there carpark and go in the shop with other peaple about. None of it makes sense. We are allowed out to exercise and luckily we can go out from the site to walk or I can go on my bike into some beautiful scenery and not see anybody.

The reason I am more frustrated is that before my birthday, you know that big day, I decided I was going to have a big present. Normally birthdays are just another day to me and Nikki but we do celebrate the big ones. I wanted a new bike so I started doing my research etc and found the one I wanted. Found a shop with one in stock which was really hard to find because not a lot of shops stock the one I want and being here in the middle of nowhere everything is miles away. We don’t even have a village shop here. Rang the shop and put a deposit on it. So it’s secured and waiting for me to collect. I was hoping that the welsh man who runs Wales and makes all the decisions Mark Drakeford was going to lift the restrictions so that we could go out and about like England. But no he never. He obviously is not a mountain biker and does not understand. So it looks like my new bike will just be sitting there in the shop waiting for the day I can go and pick it up. Until then I just look at it online and dream of the day I can get it and go off to the bike parks and play. That’s in between working of course. In the meantime I can’t even sell my old one because no one can come and look at it.

So that’s us up to date still in lockdown and still furloughed. The sun is still shining with this wonderful spell of nice weather. My garden is doing well, the car and camper are shiny on top of shiny so alls good really.

Being in Wales we are still in lockdown, while England is allowed out to play to a certain degree. I really hope wales lift some restrictions soon. The next update from them is 28th May. We are lucky that we can walk from the site and see beautiful views of mountains and forests, lakes etc and not see another person. A couple of days ago I went out on my bike around the lake and it felt so good I went around again so all in all I did 20 miles and only saw one other person from a distance.

We had heard about a waterfall in a woodland not far from the site so yesterday me and Nikki decided to go and find the gate which takes you to the trail. I have passed the spot before but was on my bike and could not remember seeing any gate. ( probably going to fast ). When ever me and Nikki go out for a walk it’s a standing joke that I say just round the next corner because I always want to go further just to see what’s around the next corner. So we set off to find the gate. Where we thought it was it wasn’t so I turn to Nikki and say come on just around that next corner. It still wasn’t there only sheep in the road. Just as we were about to turn around there it was. It was around the next corner. Most gates have springs on so they shut behind you so the sheep can’t get out. I love this old gate with a block of concrete suspended as a weight and pulley system.

Across the field we go towards the start of the trail, through beautiful woodland. The nature reserve is called coed Llennyrch nature reserve and is a rare Atlantic oak woodland. There are lots of trails through it and they will be walked on another day. We heard a cuckoo but didn’t see him. We walked over this rickety old bridge, no safety net on the sides etc, no health and safety going on here.

We could hear the waterfall and then it came into view through the trees. Now don’t get too excited we’re not talking Niagra falls here it’s just a small waterfall in Wales after a very dry spell but it’s in a beautiful location and right on our doorstep.

The climb down was quite steep and slippery but worth the effort when you got down to the bottom. Like I said not Niagra falls but beautiful anyhow. I can see myself going swimming in the pool on a hot day. I will let the pictures do the talking. You have to imagine the sound of the water cascading down, the birds singing in the trees, the cuckoo doing what he does, cuckooing and at the same time so silent with no one else around. Enjoy the pics.

So glad we went around the next corner and found the gate. We will go back there and explore more. On the way back we pass a nice old stone archway and Nikki always has to have a look in, its only a field with a horse in but she has to have a look.

So that’s us up to date. Hope your all safe and well and we can all get out and about more soon. One final thing, I decided to have a haircut so Nikki got the clippers out and did the deed, I thought it was still too long so got a razor out and trimmed it back to the bone. It will grow. I was eating a squirrel when this photo was taken.

The campsite is not open for business but the bug hotel is up and running. Plenty of rooms with different themes and views. Ground floor is a hedgehog house complete with personal tunnel. Would be nice to think a hedgehog would curl up in there for the winter hibernation. I have filled it with dry leaves, just the sort of thing they like. The rest of the hotel is furnished with bamboo, old wood, slates, tiles and various branches. The whole thing was made using recycled fencing, screws and some slate for the roof from the old bug house.

The rest of the site is looking better everyday with a real good variety of colour. As some flowers die off others appear so it’s constantly changing everywhere.

The bees are busy flying from one flower to the next and so important in the life chain. Wasps are important also so I am told but I don’t like them after being stung by one at Cirencester last year and my whole hand swelling up and starting to travel up my arm. So as long as they leave me alone I leave them alone.

Yesterday me and Nikki had a stroll round the site and when we got back we could not unlock the door so had to get in through the drivers door and somehow I managed to unlock it from inside. Then the fun started taking it all apart and trying to discover what is wrong. I can open and close the door but can’t lock it. So at least we can get in and out. More internet research and no doubt more expense and it will be fixed sometime soon. In the meantime we have a open plan door panel.

Yesterday was VE Day so we decided to have a BBQ and beer with the other wardens on site. We took everything up to a sunny spot on the site and had a good time. Played some old 40’s music, ate chicken, sausages and pork, with a bit of salad and potatoes. Nothing was rationed. We drank beer and wine and enjoyed the evening sun. Debbie made a winston Churchill fruit cake which was a old recipe. I don’t like fruitcake so she made me my own chocolate cake. Lilly their springer spaniel was enjoying running around like a mad thing.

So that’s us up to date. I know every blog post seems like Groundhog Day but hopefully soon we will be able to get out and about and have some pictures of the surrounding area to show you all. In the meantime stay safe and dream of having a piece of this loverly chocolate cake. Shame you can’t have any but I can tell you it’s loverly. Now put your tongue away and stop dribbling.