Repair Cafe

We spent part of last Saturday at the Repair Cafe in our town. It was actually a very nice informal way to socialize and meet new people with the repair work as common ground. 

Here's Dale bringing his toolbox up the stairs to start tackling his new role as Fixpert

Lunch is provided for volunteers during the 3 hour session, and people bringing broken items in are encouraged to watch and learn as their appliance is being fixed. They are also provided with tea, coffee and cake to while away the time.

Dale took a hedge trimmer apart and got it working again (he says he didn't really know how he fixed it)

We were also given this 15 page booklet of rules and expectations for volunteers of Repair Cafe Wales to peruse

A few of us walked over to the pub afterwards for a beer and catch up. 

A Decisive Day

It is done. Paradise has been transferred - today we relinquished ownership of our paradise in Maine. While the sale has taken a load off our minds, I couldn't help but feel tearful at the finality of it.

We understand that the new owners are excited about acquiring a natural paradise, so we feel that it's going to be in good hands.

Here in Llanfyllin, we still have

'A Paradise within thee, happier far.—' (John Milton, Paradise Lost)

Invasivore

We've all heard of omnivores, carnivores, insectivores, but what about invasivores?

Yes! It's really quite obvious - someone who eats invasives to help curb their detrimental environmental effects on an area when they become aggressive and outcompete natives.

Anyone have any recipes for Japanese honeysuckle kebab?

or a yucca milkshake?

I know people have tried various ways to use milfoil ... but I'm not sure it tastes any good.

Bisged, Dewi and Trebor

I found this item on my saucer after finishing my tea at a local inn - if you think creatively you can clearly tell what it is!

It's a biscuit, aka bisged!

We also came across a new Christian name we'd not encountered before - Dewi. It's not pronounced like the Dewey decimal system, but more like 'Debbie', but as if you have a speech impediment and can't say your 'b's:  deh-wee. It's a common Welsh masculine name!

Here's another weird one:

Trebor Jones, not Trevor! I think the name was given by someone who'd just had anesthesia at the dentist and couldn't form their lips properly to say Trevor and it stuck!