Didn't go off

 The problem with keeping goats is they have a capacity to explode without warning, goats being a chemistry set on legs with an innate intolerance to changes in Ph caused by any number of reasons amongst which are food, weather, stress, boredom or phases of the moon. So it was with extreme care that TG (Tiny Goat) was encased in hay bales after showing signs of imminent catastrophic rearrangement of body parts.

 TG's best buds were kept occupied with a bad hair day competition while we tried to rearrange TG's internal combustion chambers with tempting greenery.

Naturally the fact that free food was being gathered in one locatiion did not go un-noticed and MBAOSPW was mugged on the lane by Apollo the wonder foal who was later put in jail not for theft but for criminal damage to one of the cars having sat on the bonnet of Eep. Now he's not damaged a car for years when he put the panels in of the Honda but he must have heard us talking this through on the weekend and upped his game.
Good news is TG has not exploded.

Chocolate donkey

 Its been so hot here, between showers

that Mork our chocolate donkey has melted.

Strictly vegan

 This time last year I was cycling non stop (almost) southwards having climbed Ben Nevis in my bid to complete the Pure 3 Peaks challenge in less than 72 hours.

 Today I am 34 pounds heavier and in a bid to be a lightweight so as not to buckle the legs of my pony on my cross Wales 2018 ride (XW18) I have tried to be a vegan. This lasted 48 hours for it is a silly way to eat food.

 Looks like my pony has also given up a strict vegan fayre as he stole a bag of dog food and was helping himself when yours truly discovered the crime.

 Talking horse, my obsession with WW2 has ebbed slightly as I have now revisited the English Civil War

which is why there are some half painted Pophams Horse on the workbench instead of German Paratroopers. Plans to ride across Wales in s similar outfit are probably just rumour...

Rock Gardening

 Its taken a while but the "garden" at Rock HQ now resembles more of a garden than a scale model of the Somme. Ravages of Goat, Donkey, Builders, Dogs, Toddlers and neglect are starting to be undone, mostly by MBAOSPW, but yours truly is now lending hand, rather like the goal hanger taking all the glory.

 However, one section reserved for me only is the Rock Garden, and ours is much bigger than most as these two pics taken by the apprentice snapper. Note to self wellingtons are suitable to going up, coming down not so and the undignified descent has already been erased from the disk if not my memory.

 In the realms of children see and children do, RRMK2 decided to have a go on the rock that fell from the cliff a few years back, watched by Spotty who was not dead at this time.

 Very quickly he made the summit

 before declaring he wanted to have a crack at the big one. Luckily he was diverted from that venture

 by the antics of poultry

and the recently built trugg that now has a strong showing of strawberry and tomato. It also harbours damage from a bored donkey.

Sad tidings

 A very bad day at Rock HQ. Spotty, the star of so many adventures died. The cancer got too much and rather than see it destroy him totally he was put to sleep and helped across the rainbow bridge by our favourite vet. We did have time for a last family photo, hes sat centre with his two litter mates and two younger siblings.

 We also had four short walks, he couldn't manage one last adventure as we had planned, so instead we wandered down the lane a few times with the demi clan.

 As a last act of defiance he took the broom on his last walk, something for me to fetch later, along with countless other items he's hidden on the slopes of the bonsai mountain.

 Looking at him you would not think he was so ill.

 But we knew, he knew, and he, strangely sat and howled for a minute or so, and the vet arrived.

And so he sleeps.

Spoilt for choice

 Here's yours truly stuck in the middle of two all time favourite vehicles, the Willys Jeep and the Kubelwagen.

 Having a unique car, well one of 10 in the country, it would seem fitting that the next vehicle to the stable would be equally different and as I'm not allowed a full sized tank a WW2 German Jeep

 replica would be a good one to have, powered by VW of course.

 So these vehicles were on display at a friends fun day raising money for cancer research. There were boy racers from my day

 plus sports cars I used to own

 as well as conversions I would like

 and a bar!

 Added to this a tank to climb around

 it was true to say were spoilt for choice.

 The boys are in this pic, they can see me, I can see them, just about.

Back in the car park Stan waited patiently. He's a keeper so he's safe for now.

A fresh challenge

 Regular readers will know two things about Rock HQ, 1, Annual Man Tests take place erm...annually, and B, Apollo the wonder foal has led a sheltered life here since he was a puppy.

 Thats about to change for him as he has got himself embroiled in the next man test the XW18 or Cross Wales 2018 ride planned for next year. First part of the challenge for both of us is learning to ride or be ridden dependent on species. As can be seen we are not off to a too promising start! One of us needs to lose to 28 pound of fat gained since last years man test and this years Kilimanjaro climb, the other needs to stand up and stop laughing when told he is in for a 100 mile plus ride. For yours truly seemingly having achieved all ambitions re endurance has led to a relaxation on what I think I can get away with eating. Waistline says otherwise. Hence different challenge.

 Work on the pond continues, this isn't exactly how it looks but suffice to say the crystal clear water does have an elephant overlooking it, not unlike these massive bronze ones found cluttering the water at the local garden centre.

 We also have fish, indoor and outdoor sorts, the indoor ones contained in the rather fetching aquarium blagged from a friend who had outgrown such trivia.

Meantime Spotty is making the most of his time left this side of the rainbow bridge by lapping up fuss at every opportunity.

Contrasts

 This is how my day started, a wander around the bonsai mountain with the clan

 which still includes a desperately poorly Spotty.

 Then on to a city with a proud heritage

that some architect thought would be enhanced by this built next door.