I heard that...pardon?

Took the night off to go and see Volbeat a Danish heavy metal band who are used to playing stadiums 

of 100000 and who are in the UK for the big festivals but decided on 3 warm up gigs

which is why yours truly 

and the apprentice and MBAOSPW managed to get to see them along with 997 other 

lucky fans. The apprentice loved it but thought the support act were not as good, they being a death metal band I can see his point. 
 

Be prepared

 An expedition is planned and for once I am trying to get ahead of the curve and get stuff sorted days instead of minutes before. This explains why various bits of camping kit adorned the yard checking it for damage and trying to pack it up smaller than it should be by using quantum mechanics whereby a massive amount of material condensed into a smaller than it appears to be holdall which is then further compressed into to back of Moby the big blue 4x4 along with food, kit, climbing kit, kayak, water sports kit 2 kids no dogs prior to a 550 mile road trip. 

Moby is looking forward to getting out as he is fed up of farm work. 

Breaking new ground

Even after all this time

we can still find

new paths 

in the woods

and this one is new to us.

It had been seen often enough but never explored 

so today was the day for a proper exploration and to see where it linked in with the other trails 

and it was pretty interesting 

and the apprentice had lots of fun 

as did Spotty2 and Benson.

There were lots of curiously empty spaces in the thick of the trees

and grassy avenues.

The boys armed themselves with swords in case of Viking attack.

Spotty2 kept watch from a distance as we checked out a strange shelter built in the thickest past of the trees.

Fallen trees made it an exciting challenge on some of the steep bits

with the boys pondering whether their dad would fit through the spaces. Rude. 

Finally it emerged onto a trail we knew 

and so the long walk back began 

with the boys keen to get home in time 

for tea and medals 

which is the only apt reward for true adventurers. 
 

Quick paint job

Moby our big blue 4x4 is only blue because when we fetched him the manufacturer had no plans to make any military ones like what we had before. 18 months on and look what rolls off the production line, military spec Mobys who have had a paint job the same as Stan. Ah well, blue is a good colour. For now.

Talking of military paint the inner nerd does not have too much time on its hands but has managed to paint up these 

for a game called AK47, which may or may not get played. 

Similarly these smaller vehicles for modern day combat games will most likely get put in a box and forgotten about now they are finished. 

This WW1 Rolls Royce armoured car is finally done and will join all the other 

WW1 desert forces

in boxes in the games room while I work on an even more exciting project. Insulating the house!
 

Guidance only

 On my travels the other day came across this, never seen this in the Highway Code. 

Its back!!!

2019 seems like a lifetime ago, but it was the last time the BBMC was held. This annual event involving  a massively pointless man test across almost all of the Black Mountains is a favourite of yours truly for many years.

Hence the early start up the Beer Track out of Llantony Priory 

full of self loathing for being too heavy (again) no training (again) and fighting the urge to punch Keeef in the head who has been training and who has lost weight. 

The weather was incredible, really hot sunny and totally unlike Wales. There have been occasions when I've completed this route in the snow at the same time of year. 

The route varied this year and after 10 miles we were where we usually got to mile 1 so spirits were high 

even though we knew after all the climbs we now had to drop to the valley floor and climb back out onto the peak in the distance, the highest of them in the range.

Things were starting to creak 

but confidence was rising that yours truly would drag his bulk over the finish line in a time close to the last, 30 miles in 10.37.

Halfway DOWN before the big climb back 

the scenery kept my mind off the pain. No it didn't. 

At the top two members of the Longtown Mountain Rescue Team were there to give us encouragement and the great news that we were no actually halfway. This was a bit of a downer actually as my GPS said we were well over halfway. 

Keeef was having toe problems so I gave him my spare spare socks. 

So onwards we trudged in the boiling heat. 

New foals littered the hillsides. 

The 3rd from last Lord Herefords Knob loomed large but past that was Gospel Pass and a water stop. 

There we restocked and a very cheeky labrador ate my last sandwiches which was a tad annoying to say the least. Here we are atop Hay Bluff

and things are unravelling fast, Keeef is very slow. 

And would fall over every mile. This has to be said is slightly funny the first few times but eventually the humour wears thin and its just a boring noise hearing his screams of pain. 

I did give him some sympathy and words of encouragement but they didn't work as much as co codamol and a kick up the arse. 

1 mile on ...he is there if you look. 

Here he is. 

Definitely there, not sure what it was, maybe gout. Whatever it was it added 3 hours to the finish time. 

Finally we were 1 collapse from the end and

crossed the finish line together, still friends and still planning on doing it again. 

One unexpected surprise was a goodie bag given to me by one of our foster carers for being a top bloke. Had something inside it every finisher of the BBMC needs, gin :)