Country Kids: A Cloudy Carnival

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Every Summer our town has a holiday fortnight, culminating in a carnival and fireworks.

Well it used to be a fortnight, and it used to have a parade with about thirty floats in it. It also used to be sunny in the Summer but there you go. I wonder if it was health and safety that put pay to that as well? The dreaded H&S ensured the end of our very popular parade as community groups and schools could no longer afford the spiralling costs of the insurance. We haven't had floats in about ten years, nowadays it's a walking parade which quite frankly, is pants. And because there's no focal point for the day now, it has slowly dwindled to a handful of stalls down the beach front, a few children's rides, and a few bands who take their turn.

Today was carnival day, so we prepared to head down to the beachfront late afternoon. And while we were standing in the porch it started to rain. Just for a change. So we donned waterproofs and wellies, and trundled down anyway.

While everyone else was huddling under any shelter they could find, we splashed through the puddles. All three of us. We had great fun, as did the people watching us. Sometimes you just have to embrace the weather and deal with it.

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Country Kids: Sandcastles

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I've noticed recently that we've stopped making the effort to go and do things on the weekends. We saunter along from household chore to supermarket trip to ironing pile, and at the end of the weekend have very little to show for it. Enough now! The year is passing us by and we're missing out on family time together.

So when Sunday dawned and I excitedly drew back the curtains, I saw… rain. Yet again. Bored of this I decided we'd hit the beach anyway and put The Boy's waterproof trousers and wellies in the porch next to the bucket and spade. We did a last minute toilet trip and the sun came out. A quick change of clothes later (with wet weather gear firmly in the boot) and we headed off for Barry Island.

By the time we'd managed to find a parking space (four laps of the island!) the sun was blazing down and we had a really pleasant two hours building sandcastles, paddling in the sea and eating chips!

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Weekend Activity: First Weekend of Spring

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Saturday morning beckoned, bright and sunny. It was a refreshing change to the grey drudgery of the past week and so, after a slow start to the day, we headed down to Cardiff Bay Barrage to get some fresh air and blow the argumentative cobwebs away.

The Boy is becoming so confident on his scooter, it's fabulous to see. I just need to get daddy to have more confidence; he rushes over everytime he stumbles or crashes, whereas I'm the one who is standing back and saying "stand up then, brush your hands down!" to The Boy. It's hard work, but maybe it's the teacher in me, he'll cry if he's hurt himself and he's got a helmet on to protect his head. It's working too, so those parents who smirk at it can bugger off!

While on the barrage I managed to take these two photos, which I'm quite proud of. There's a lot of interesting angles and lines down there: the whole barrage is a real work of art. In the right hand picture, the 1950s style hut is actually a bright pink, but it didn't come out properly so I desaturated it.

And so to Sunday: I declare the 2012 season of sandcastle building well and truly open!

We built sandcastles, we went paddling in the sea (in our wellies), we played football, we ate sausage and chips on the beach (I had cheese and chips), we scooted along Barry Island promenade and we had a Mr. Creemy ice-cream. It was a balmy 15°C; madness for a Sunday in February!

When we came home, we decided to get a head start on planting some seeds we'd been sent.

I have a feeling that The Boy is going to love gardening this year.

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I'm linking this up to Country Kids

Sunday 26th February 2012 – 'Sandy Feet' (57/366)

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One of my favourite photo projects that gets linked up to Project 366 is from Peg at 'The Tao of Me'. An American photographer, married to a Scottish builder and living in Brazil, Peg has come up with the fabulous theme of 'From Where I Stand' for her own photo a day project. I love the editing style and the different photos that she comes up with, of basically her feet.

Hopefully, she doesn't mind but I've decided this week's theme is going to be emulating hers. And so I bring you my first 'From Where I Stand', or in this case; 'sit'!