And so it goes on...

December has been no better than November in terms of the weather. The rain has continued to fall in epic quantities, and everywhere is thoroughly sodden. We've been watching the online river level monitoring in the towns closest to us, and twice in the past month they've been close to reaching their highest ever recorded levels. 

​Last week we had friends visiting, so we ventured out in to the greyness, and somehow avoided the rain.

We went and looked at the local streams, and surveyed the damage that high winds have caused to some trees. 
​At the moment it never seems to properly get light, particularly when the skies are full of nothing but leaden skies. We also went for a walk up to a local deserted slate mine called Ratgoed.

At the end of this valley is a small collection of houses, and buildings, none have mains electric, though there is a phone line. Unlike the quarries at places like Dinorwic the actual workings are now lost in the woods, but the buildings all remain.

This is the chapel that was built for the workers and their families. It's now over 100 years since the site was abandoned, and it's amazing how well the walls have lasted even though the roof is long gone.

This is the stable block for the quarry owners house, and the thick layer of moss has actually held the roof together. 

This is the amazing front door to the main house, looking at it you'd never think you were at the end of a remote welsh valley, a day's journey from the nearest small town. Until recently it was lived in, but is now abandoned and rather sadly is slowly crumbling. The other houses at the end of the valley have now been renovated and are back to being inhabitable, I just hope someone rescues this place before too much damage is done.

And finally, it wouldn't be me if I didn't do a bit of colour spotting...
The air in this area is incredibly clean as it's a long way from major roads, so you get lichen growing in some incredible colours.