Beside ourselves beside the sea side

 As the unusual solar activity continued we decided that rather than have the boys fire stomp rockets at the cliff risking life and limb collecting spent munitions

 or waste time looking for rocket number 6 (presumed dog chew) we would hit the beach as the forecast was wall to wall sunshine and lots more.

 Except the beach we went to where sea mist put a real dampener on everything just like the weatherman said as we turned towards the seafront, some areas will be 10 to 15 degrees cooler as a result of the mist rolling in.

 This translated to bloody freezing and as yours truly was wearing nothing but shorts sandals and a t shirt it was really brass monkeys. The boys were similarly attired and after ferreting around in the back seat some jumpers were found which made it just bearable to get an ice cream from our favourite ice cream van.

 They look thrilled.

 We had taken Loki along who was introduced to the delights of frozen dairy products.

 As the sun was hiding from us we set off home again to find it so hot all our animals were hiding from it and probably had been since we left.

 Celebrations were called for as it was a bank holiday

 so we all sat in the sun or shade depending on sun factor

 and had the second barbque of the year.

 Staying out until the sun went down. Another 6 weeks or so and the nights start drawing in....

means more time indoors to be a nerd.

Quick...get outside!

 A startling thing happened...a Bank Holiday Weekend with Sunshine!!!

 Not wanting to waste a second of harvesting vitamin D we shot outside and while we had to do some boring stuff like shopping (yawn) we stopped to enjoy the garden at Kenchester and RRMK2 tried to look cool.

 The apprentice still has to learn to hold his head upright but otherwise a good pic :)

 Sunshine means bar b ques means eat outdoors

 means an audience for every mouthful

 so you have to be on your guard or you go hungry.

But at the end of the day you can always enjoy the view.

Red ones do go faster

 Inspired by Lil Bef doing the London Marathon so brilliantly and egged on by Wendy who showed me how to get a medal with a Spitfire on it for 10k of pain the time was right to put the theory to the test and find out if Red Trainers do go faster.

 Suitably attired

 with bike safely locked away

 we (me and the red ones, two of them) set off up the forest trail with the idea that a fat knacker staggering through the trees would not be so visible as one blowing his lungs out of his backside on the roadside.

 Sooner than expected yours truly reached the top.

 To head back don again, my forst just over 5km run is a long time.

Sub 36 mins for a first attempt, I'll take that :)

Still top dog

 I lose count of the number of dogs here at Rock HQ, there a lot. Perhaps 23. Here is Reuben taking 5 before dinner. His brother died today, Morgan, so sorry to hear that news from Nick and Wanda. We forget our Berners are so elderly, anything past 6 years is old for a Berner.

 We have a lot over that age, heres Reuben closest again with Mr Bear and Dotty from the first litter we had so they are nearly 10. Reuben a mere 8.

 This is Ripley, aged 6 and  a bit and totally refusing to ever have puppies which is what we had hoped for with Rocky

 talking of which

 Here he is, 11 years 7 months and still top dog.

We do have one small dog, Arfur. Arfur dog.

The Postman calls

 Bored with the jobs list yours truly took the boys for a stroll

 as despite the weather trying to prove otherwise it is spring and there should be lots to see in the flora and fauna stakes.

 The apprentice who had a camera for his birthday got down to some close up work

 while RRMK2 demonstrated how much he has grown recently by leaping over the style he normally has to be thrown over.

 Mrs Bear on the other paw still needs a helping paw with this one.

 They really enjoyed the fresh air although one of them looks like he having way too much fun.

 In the Oracles shed a parcel awaited so RRMK2 took charge and

 carried it long enough to be photographed before dropping it saying he did not want to be a postman. On the lane we met MBAOSPW and her favourite pony Will.I.Am out for a stroll.

 In the box? Why these magic shoes, red one go faster.

 Dinner was a fun affair with a who could make the muckyist sandwich or Muckywich competition.

The apprentice won...for now.

Catch up corner

 Like buses, no post for ages now a whole rack of them so stand by. Having held the 8 peaks challenge and with the markers still out there yours truly decided that it would be good to get them back again but this time with Keeef on our bikes hence the dayglo.

 We made the top, non stop, some kindly gent held the gate open for us at the entrance to the common, the gate where we would dismount and cry at only being half way up.

 After a mental 1 mile downhill section we parked the bikes in the Oracle's yard and headed up to Worzel summit

 and then hopped back on again to get to Old Radnor Hill summit which is less of a hill and summit thanks to the quarry digging it away. Here is Keef with the Bonsai Mountain in the background.

 Failing to photo Navages here is Herrock

 with Keef blocking out most of Rushock hill behind him and so on to Bradnor

 leaving only an even more insane downhill section before parking in Kington High Stree

 for a compulosry selfie and

 a look at the stats, 4 hours 35. Not bad. I did run it in 4.19 though.

 Rewards for doing so well.

 I did manage for fall off once (sepctacular over the bars style)  and luckily

 have the apprentice who wants to be a paramedic so has his own first aid kit.

He also helps RRMK2 in his quest to become a Mummy.