Day 1.

15/01/13

Hello world.
Look, it's me, and I look exhausted and whatnot. Now I feel exhausted and sick because I ate too much chocolate.

This was a fantastic day to start 365 with.

Last night, I arranged a birthday night out for Becca, during which we all got rather drunk. Me less so than other people, but such is life. Still enjoyable.
We danced around Yokos, which was empty; had heart to hearts on sofas over the noise of shitty music; and let Deri get hit on by an abundance of gay men in Angel. Deri, Becca and I walked back to Cambrian and Becca got a taxi home. Then Deri and I shared a cigarette that I stole off Moultrie (every time I walk away from him and he's not expecting it, I get a strange sense of satisfaction. It was even better when I took the rollie, had a little conversation with him, then walked off with Becca and Deri, saying "thanks" over my shoulder) at the door to the Cam, once I had got changed from my dress into his pyjama trousers and jumper. There is something inordinately comfortable about men's pyjamas. We then went upstairs and had rum and talked and cuddled and had very little sleep. Then we got up the next morning and I had to wear his clothes, which was unexpected but quite amusing.
He drove me to the stables and helped me sort out my pony. He's ever so lovely with Nomad, seems to understand horses and what they mean to me and he has a way of interacting with Nomad which is really nice to watch. It's interesting. He was raised around horses, so it's interesting seeing how that's effected him.

So once we'd finished sorting out Nomad, we left to go and have some goulash that he has cooked a while ago. He decided to turn right out of the yard then suddenly said, "want to go for a drive?" ... So we did. Then he kept on going and turned around the first bend in the road to show and in front of us were mountains rolling and spiking into the distance, all covered in blankets of snow of varying thicknesses over them.
I don't know what the name of the first place that he took me. But he pulled over into a layby and told me to get out so that he could show me something awesome. So we got out and walked around a corner, and up a little slope to a bench.
"Your surprise is behind that bench."
And behind that bench was a long valley of rolling fields and hills. With beautiful snowy mountains on either side and the fields stretching as far as the land went; we could see to Aberystwyth and hints of the sea through the hills.

Then we drove on and he took me to Devil's Bridge. We couldn't go in because it was so spontaneous that we had no money (it looked pretty closed, too, but still) - or camera, or anything really. The waterfall was spectacular. It is beautiful. It falls and moves so freely down then around the rocks at the bottom. It creates a bubbled, foamy look about it which is truly ethereal.

The best bit was the elan valley. Deri told me that about 100 years ago, the water board bought the land and put down rules which are strictly enforced: no swimming, no new fences, no bonfires... Nothing new or changing. So the whole thing is exactly the same as it was 100 years ago. It's amazing.
We drove past the marshes and the boy was talking about how there are signs saying to not follow the lights which are emitted from the marshes because people see lights in the marshes and follow them, but don't tend to come out again. After them, it was stunning: there were beautiful lakes which were so still that they could have been frozen over. You could have taken a photograph of the lake and snow covered mountains and the browned trees in front of them and not known which way was up thanks to the amazing stillness of the water. There was no movement whatsoever, it was beautiful.
This water eventually led to old, Victorian dams which are fantastically well made. He told me that when the dam is open, there is usually water gushing past, and I've seen footage of it exploding out of the wall. It looks spectacular...shame Birmingham wasn't getting water!

He then drove us back to his, where he gave me some goulash that he cooked and we cuddled up and had a nap before I went up to the yard to sort out and ride young Nomad. It was such a lovely ride, too.

Absolutely fantastic day: a flying start to this here 365! :)

Cait.X