Water marks

Its a long story but instead of doing my usual 10k the other evening (manflu) I had to settle for a walk with a dog, which after MBAOSPW had used my truck and filled it with farm supplies actually transformed into a dogless walk as yours truly did not have time to unload the truck before taking children to scouts. So I wandered lonely as a dogless walker around the very picturskew town of Presteigne, which has a river running through part of it.

This has caused some upset for this particular home owner 

who now needs at least a new kitchen wall. 

 Arty shot of the God dwelling opposite. Its on a hill, sensible. 

Its here

Hardly surprising but the river is back! Months of dry river bed suddenly transformed into a raging brown torrent thanks to 4x the average rainfall for September and at the time of this pic 5 days left to go. 

Naturally Oatey Bikits had to get right in there, unusually on a lead as there are tastywooly backs roaming free range just out of shot. He wouldn't hurt them but they don't want to play chase and the militia have a poor sense of humour when it comes to sheep being worried. 

My 10k medal and t shirt arrived and has to be said that for a 10th anniversary of the event medal and T this is a poor one 

when compared to previous years efforts. Ah well I shall still enter next years... probably. 

Meanwhile... this running kit arrived today, bargain at 100 quid off marked price, 35 for the most garish water and treat carrier ever made. All the gear and trying not to think about the marathon in less than 6 weeks. I hope its true that marathons are 5% training , 5% nutrition and 90% determination. 

 While the river is back, somehow the water from the pond has vanished! These poor fish were found in the nick of time before they were stranded above the waterline. After a forensic examination for clues I found that some K9s had used the pond for a quick drink and knocked the water filter pump pipe out allowing 50000000000 litres of water to drain away. 

The great escape and here come the Germans!

Hard to believe that a year has passed since this K9 arrived, and a year since we took her to Centre Parks to celebrate 

3 out of four of our children's birthdays. September is an expensive month.

We were lucky, friends decended on Rock HQ to look after the critters

while we partied in a luxury villa with its own sauna. 

Ivy behaved during the party, only stealing food she liked.

Weatherwise, the whole of the country seemed to be drowning in a huge raincloud, we were in sunshine

except when indoors playing squash.

Back outdoors

we assembled at the outdoor centre 

for archery.

There are few sports we can all do, this is another. 

Actually we all did well

but naturally competitive dad won, 3rd place, I'll take that. 

More sunshine

time for cocktails

and Latin American food which was not as tasty as it was expensive.

But it did have a robot, RRMK2 thought this was amazing not realising the economic disaster it actually wreaks in the service indusrty.

Dutifully we all posed in appropriate cultural headgear. 

Back to the courts, he who cannot be named got  lesson in Badminton. 

Ivy, she loved the pup cups from another global monster, these are free so thats rebellion as far as I'm concerned. 

The lagoon, more sun, and a zipwire. 

Two victims, I mean offspring, were offered up to the small god of safety gear

and they showed incredible bravery tackling the aerial obstacle course. 

Before being chucked off a huge tower

and surviving to tell the tale.

More sedate skills were learned back indoors

while outside the monsoon that ravaged the rest of the country found us!

This did nothing to spoil RRMK2 birthday

or the dogs ability to hang around and grab mislaid bits of breakfast. 

Late afternoon we drove across the country back to the shire and collected our German who has been lucky enough to get us as a host family for two weeks. 

What could possibly go wrong. Stay tuned. 
 

Yeah I workout

Time waits for snowman, or something similar, and as the days are getting shorter it was time to address the empty log stores and huge pile of potential firewood that has been looking at me since it arrived early spring. 

So part of the day was spent with the noise generating saw cutting up fallen branches around the ranch and 

turning to blocks the enormous potential logs. The idea that I would get this done in a day was to say the least ambitious, especially given my skill with an axe, or lack of. 

But it all burned calories, as did my evening 10k which was quicker than the last 3. 

Getting quicker :) 6 weeks 3 days to the Gower Marathon. 
 

Hes so fluffy

 This is Floof, he is the fluffiest K9 ever, not the healthiest as he has a few gastro problems, but we love him. 

Proud Dad day

Its bot often yours truly gets to dress up, but today I had to raise the bar re clothing and head off to the city to see

Lil Bef our daughter graduate as a Psychotherapist! 

It was a very happy occasion and we all

made the most of the sunshine, me an Elgar, best mates, he's a keen cyclist too,

and watched the new graduate throw her cap around in celebration

before posing for sooooo many pictures

and quaffing a fair amount of bubbly.

Younger bros joined when school released them from their cages

so the tribe we created could have a celebratory meal all paid for by the nice bloke in the dark jacket who is lucky enough to be dating a psychotherapist.