A Simple Life of Luxury | Weblog

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Good Morning Ynyslas

Summer is back and temperatures are soaring. Yesterday was lovely here at Ynyslas with a gorgeous quiet morning. I spent most of the day in the garden, doing a few chores, catching up with things, and generally tidying up. It’s become a lovely, peaceful place to sit these days. Not that I’m very good at just...

Uprights to hold boards 0

From Wheelbarrow to Trailer: A Windsurfing Transport Upgrade?

Over the past 20+ years, various trusty wheelbarrows have served me well for getting my windsurf kit to the beach. Loaded up with two boards, 2–3 sails, two masts, two booms, a whole host of fins, extensions, tools and accessories — not to mention a harness, helmet and some spare parts — they’ve done the...

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Making the most of the Wind

You can’t beat sunny days with a decent wind. Not if you’re a windsurfer — and since I’ve been out a few times lately, I think I can once again call myself one. Friday was a little more full-on than expected, with a solid 30-knot wind gusting up to 40 knots at times. There wasn’t much...

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New Board, New Session: Making the Most of the Wind

I finally got to try out one of my new windsurf boards on Sunday. The forecast looked perfect — warm temperatures, a warm sea, and a solid wind that would gradually build throughout the day. The really hot days were behind us, and the sun was shy, but that didn’t matter. The wind was set...

Day Lily 0

Summer Sunshine, Busy Bees, and a Burst of Colour

It’s been the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures at the Borth and Ynyslas Weather Station reaching 28.8°C, and it could get hotter yet. The long days are really helping our solar production too — it’s been a record-breaking year on that front so far, so let’s hope it continues. The bees...

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Lightwind Weapon or Old Man Board?

Windsurfing kit doesn’t come cheap. I rarely — if ever — buy brand-new gear, and some of my boards, sails, and accessories are probably more than 20 years old. But it’s still nice to keep up with the times where I can. The relatively new 2021 Severne Nano 87 that I bought a few years...

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Is It Worth It? Chasing Grams on the Hebridean Way

I’ve been preparing for my summer hike along the Hebridean Way — a two-week, 155 mile adventure across Scotland’s wild Western Isles. With my gear laid out and spreadsheet open, I faced a familiar dilemma: how much is it really worth spending (or sacrificing) to save weight? My base weight is already around 8 kg — pretty lean for a trip...

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Another Sunny Surprise: Our Best Solar Day Yet!

Having recently posted about the Spring that keeps on giving—where I commented on the amazingly sunny weather we’ve had and its positive impact on our solar production—we’ve now broken another record. This time, it’s the highest daily yield since we had our solar panels installed. The previous record was 29.80 kWh, set on June 14th 2023. But yesterday,...

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From Mountain Walk to Kitchen Wall

Do you like our latest framed print for the house? I think we’ll hang it in the kitchen where we’ll see it every day. This latest one was actually a gift from Lizzie herself. She wanted to scramble up and across Crib Goch and was planning to hire a guide. However, Rhys and I wanted...