Fan Gyhirych (725m), Fforest Fawr, May 2004
30 July 2004
Welsh 2000 Foot Mountains - Assorted Peaks (2003/2004)
For general reference here are a selection from my Welsh 2000's file for 2004 - so I can remember what they looked like...
25 July 2004
Don't Believe the Forecast...
The reasonably reliable met office Mountain weather forecasts got it wrong - Snowdonia was due to be "Sunny in the morning with clouds building up as the day progresses, at 900m: light winds 10-15mph at cloudbase above the summits".
Well it wasn't - cloudy all day and by 17:00 nasty black clouds on all the high tops, at 600m on the Rhinogs it was so windy I had to kneel down to take steady photographs.
4 Summits visited: Y Garn, Foel Penolau and Moel Ysgyfarnogod - all in the Rhinogs and Moel Penamnen north of Ffestiniog. Foel Penolou has a cool summit - all rock blocks - and eroding very fast - lots of recent rock falls (judging by the difference in colour of the newly exposed faces) and almost every rock you stand on 'wobbles'
Well it wasn't - cloudy all day and by 17:00 nasty black clouds on all the high tops, at 600m on the Rhinogs it was so windy I had to kneel down to take steady photographs.
4 Summits visited: Y Garn, Foel Penolau and Moel Ysgyfarnogod - all in the Rhinogs and Moel Penamnen north of Ffestiniog. Foel Penolou has a cool summit - all rock blocks - and eroding very fast - lots of recent rock falls (judging by the difference in colour of the newly exposed faces) and almost every rock you stand on 'wobbles'
23 July 2004
"The Last Word" - At Last!
New Scientist 24th July 2004, Page 89, Column 4:
or
http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw1101
The Question:
"I attach a photo of a phenomenon that has me baffled. These gelatinous lumps turn up about this time each year, around the perimeter of the pools in my garden. Although they appear at around the time frogs are breeding, they do not seem to be spawn because they don't appear to contain any eggs. The photo shows lumps that have been subject to rain: when fresh they are more angular in shape. They remain in the grass for up to a week, and then disappear as quickly as they appeared.Bob Harbinson , Welshpool, Powys, UK"
My Answer:
"Certain types of compost for flower tubs and baskets contain "water-storing granules that retain hundreds of times their own weight in water". They allow the compost to stay moist for longer, so that plants need watering less frequently.
I used some surplus compost in my strawberry tubs, and after several days of heavy rain angular lumps of "jelly" worked their way to the soil's surface. The longer the lump survived, the more rounded and blob-like it became.David Williams , Bournville, Birmingham, UK"
Ok it turns out that I am most probably wrong and they did not use my photos and the one published in the magazine looks nothing like the original questioners photo.....
Mr Harbinson's Photo:
and my photos:
or
http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw1101
The Question:
"I attach a photo of a phenomenon that has me baffled. These gelatinous lumps turn up about this time each year, around the perimeter of the pools in my garden. Although they appear at around the time frogs are breeding, they do not seem to be spawn because they don't appear to contain any eggs. The photo shows lumps that have been subject to rain: when fresh they are more angular in shape. They remain in the grass for up to a week, and then disappear as quickly as they appeared.Bob Harbinson , Welshpool, Powys, UK"
My Answer:
"Certain types of compost for flower tubs and baskets contain "water-storing granules that retain hundreds of times their own weight in water". They allow the compost to stay moist for longer, so that plants need watering less frequently.
I used some surplus compost in my strawberry tubs, and after several days of heavy rain angular lumps of "jelly" worked their way to the soil's surface. The longer the lump survived, the more rounded and blob-like it became.David Williams , Bournville, Birmingham, UK"
Ok it turns out that I am most probably wrong and they did not use my photos and the one published in the magazine looks nothing like the original questioners photo.....
Mr Harbinson's Photo:
and my photos:
so I guess it really is proto-frog-spawn but I have my 1.5 column inches of fame...
22 July 2004
Nothing interesting here yet
Nothing interesting here yet - nor possibly ever
I am thinking of recording my Welsh 2000's visits here - so on Sunday 18th I climbed Plynlimon:
.
I am using Richard Moss's list - because it is the first one I came across - and originating from the very first comprehensive list (Moss/Rucksack Club 1940, 1" Ordnance Survey, popular edition) has some historical relevance - even if some of the peaks turn out to be random artefacts of the surveyor's or cartographers whim. 180 down, 90ish to go.
I am thinking of recording my Welsh 2000's visits here - so on Sunday 18th I climbed Plynlimon:
.
I am using Richard Moss's list - because it is the first one I came across - and originating from the very first comprehensive list (Moss/Rucksack Club 1940, 1" Ordnance Survey, popular edition) has some historical relevance - even if some of the peaks turn out to be random artefacts of the surveyor's or cartographers whim. 180 down, 90ish to go.
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