A Simple Life of Luxury

Tales from a down-shifted family
- Making the most of modest means

Category: General

Caterpillar 0

General / Nature

Caterpillar on our Honeysuckle

I’ve just found a little caterpillar on the honeysuckle, looking for all the world like a little twig. Perfect camouflage, so much so that he almost got pruned along with the other dead twigs. Having looked through some books, it looks most likely to be the caterpillar of an Engrailed Moth.

Cinnabar 0

General

Ceredigion Moths – More new ones

Another good night for moths last night. Relatively warm, still and plenty of things flapping around the moth trap. I took a look before going to bed and a there were already a one new garden records for me to identify –  a very nice little ‘Common Swift’. In the end the haul was just...

Vote for Policies 0

Community / General

Vote for Policies

Sorry, I couldn’t resist a political post here on the weblog! Worse still, this is far too late, but it is interesting. I’ve been complaining about the media coverage in the run up to the election and the fact that there is very little information about the policies of the parties, but more emphasis on...

Trying Times 7

Family / Fitness / General

Trying Times

I used to be quite a good triathlete – But that was 20 years ago now and thing shave changed since then. I’m older, fatter, have less time to train and much much slower. Despite this somehow my sister (Trudi) has talked me into doing a triathlon in May in order to raise money for...

Ceredigion Moth Workshop and Fieldtrip 1

General / Nature

Ceredigion Moth Workshop and Fieldtrip

I had a good day at the Cardiganshire Moth Workshop in Borth on Saturday. There was a good attendance with 12 people there, including some from further south in the County which is promising. We started off going through the contents of some moth traps that had been left out the night before. The one...

Geocaching in Conwy 0

General / Geocaching

Geocaching in Conwy

During my drive to Conwy on Saturday morning I stopped off to do some geocaches. None of them were too extreme, being quick cache-and dashes by the side of the road, but it broke the journey up a little. The first was just a little way south of Conwy called ‘This Daughter became a Conwy...

Conwy Youth Hostel 1

General

Conwy Youth Hostel

I spent the night in Conwy Youth Hostel over the weekend. A very nice hostel with a modernised building just on the edge of Conwy. The food was good and the staff were friendly, but I’m still not completely convinced about Youth Hostels. For a start the shared dorms mean you just don’t know who...

4

Family / General

I Need a Bigger Shed

I’ve just had a clear out in order to fit some new toys in the shed…. There was more in there than I was expecting, some of it will be going on eBay – Two kitesurf board and at least one sailboard, there are a few old sails and booms that will be going to...

1

General / Technology

Computer Help in Aberystwyth & Machynlleth

As part of my job as a freelance website designer I’m always being called upon to help people out with their computers. Anna is the same and we both seem to be the first people friends and family turn to when they need some advice or help. We kind of enjoy helping out too and...