Wigwam In The Woods

We picked up my son's two dogs and made our way to one of our favourite local walks. It was at Castle Coch, near Cardiff, where I went yesterday to get the blip that hit the blipfoto highlights. I lost count of the number of hearts! Thanks to all who cast stars and threw hearts.

The walk starts at the castle and follows the old railway track (now a cycle route) towards Nantgarw where there's a steep climb up hill to the ridge. Climbers are rewarded with an amazing view over Caerphilly on the one side and Cardiff and the Bristol Channel on the other. It's then downhill and back through forestry to the castle. About 7 miles. The ferns were very overgrown on the Nantgarw section due to the heat and rain we've had. We got scratched to bits. Amazingly, I wasn't bitten by any insects. That's a first!

I got a superb shot of Castle Coch at the end of the walk that I was very tempted to post, but have chosen this one instead. We came across some wigwams in the woods and the wife couldn't resist taking the dogs in. They're great characters and a joy to take out. I can now understand why people get very attached to their pets.

We've runner beans tonight from a neighbour (Alan) of my daughter who lives in Pontypool. He's 8 allotments and through the summer over the past few years we've bought no end of tomatoes, beetroot, and runner beans. The tomatoes are nothing like those you buy in the supermarket. They're not ready but I'll happily feast on runner beans, boiled potatoes and butter! You know you're getting old when you plan your meals in advance...