Life is less than ordinary for me but i think that is the pull of the stars and the theories of random motion that draws the best of eccentrics to the little sparkly centerpiece in the Heart of Wales
I popped down to our local with John this evening for a quick pint, as one does on a Friday evening . hoping to catch the ‘builders pint’ gatherers. most of whom , including myself have never laid a brick in their lives. Plan was to grab some food and return home – absence of teenager and sheer laziness toward cooking compelled us to the decisive solution, plus possibly the two large glasses of wine I’d knocked back to get over the trauma of herding cats earlier in the afternoon (now, there really is another story).
We have just spend the last two hours with a woman who is now my hero. Aged 91 she’d just ordered her third 1/2 of “Big Red Chopper” and was settling down, for the second time, to her vanilla ice-cream having returned it to the kitchen with the demand of more chocolate sauce. Her where-with-all was more with-all than mine by far and her hearing surpassed both Johns and her sons who were repeatedly asking for repeats because of the irritating background noise. She’s just moved to Llanwrtyd after 60yrs in her old home near Sussex.
On the 10 minute stroll to the town square (before the great ham, eggs and chips followed by summer berry crumble with custard AND ice-cream and drinking with the lovely Merle) we caught up with our Russian neighbours (chandeliers, bullet proof bank glass windows , distillery in the basement, vodka for breakfast – at least that’s what I hope)) They are the loveliest family and brew the best winberry wine in the world. Dimitri is actively involved in the World Alternative Games -particular area of expertise being Russian Egg Roulette. But this particular evening he was standing astride his breeze block front garden pond, wine glass in hand (apparently, for a change, full of blackberry tea). He is supervising the instillation of an irrigation system on the other side of the road to ensure a bumper crop of blackcurrants for his current (excuse the pun ) entrepreneurial project to produce a special welsh herbal tea , “blackcurrant root fiery dragon tea” . Why the hell not.
On return from the pub 5 hours later we notice the irrigation system, namely a hose pipe straight across the road, is effectively installed. I can almost hear the cuttings rooting. It must work , they had , after all, looked into it on Google.
We’re looking forward to our first brew.
NB: this entry was written with love and admiration to our wonderfully eccentric friends and neighbours – no offense is intended or should be taken, you are all my heroes
