A pebbly, stony, rocky post!

The weather was very deceptive - warm sun, cool breeze - lulling us into a false assumption that we wouldn't get burnt.  Luckily we were sufficiently covered and no harm was done.  The pathways to the beach are full of flowering plants - wild geraniums, tiny cream roses, vetches, gorse and many more.

We were entertained by Poppy trying frantically to dig a hole in soft dry sand.  It kept her busy for ages.

The water was too cold for swimming but a fairly deep paddle was most beneficial.

 I took this photo halfway up the hill from the beach when we walked up and paused for a much needed rest - it was like the side of a house.

Just across the road was this plot of land up for development.  It had once been a little quarry.  A great spot for a house but I wouldn't fancy taming the garden.

We could see this ruin from 'our' beach across the bay and had to go for a closer look.   It is known as the Old Salt House and back in the 1750s salt was produced here and shipped out to other parts.  It also has connections with smuggling.

There were all sorts of nooks and crannies, and little walkways.  I think that is my daughter taking a photo of me, taking a photo of her, through that tiny window!

I love these little plants growing out of the walls. 

Another little bay - there are so many round here.

Look at that lovely blue sky - perhaps it is just as well that it didn't stay longer!

We watched this heron fishing for his lunch - he had to be very patient.

And to our surprise and delight we spotted this lovely chap as the tide came in.   Yes, that little blob in the middle of my photo is a seal.  He stayed for a long time and was joined by another.

Above the fields which border the bay was this lovely wooded footpath.  Most of the fields are now campsites for tents and caravans.  The hedgerows are full of birds and all around the edges of the fields we saw rabbits. On one of her explorations my daughter saw a lizard on the path and masses of tiny blue butterflies.  

I love these tangled, windswept little hawthorn trees.

The day before we left The Gower, we decided to go hunting for the standing stones which were marked on our OS map.  There were four or five and we thought it would be straightforward enough to find them.  My son-in-law had rejoined us so we could drive to them all.   Try as we might, we never did find the first two on the list and a local told us that he thought farmers were not keen to publicise them and have people tramping over their land, even though there were public footpaths to them.  The one here turned out to be the other side of a hedge when we followed the suggested footpath - obviously shy of strangers!

We found Arthur's Stone easily enough and on a large expanse of common land so access was easy.  It looks quite small in my photo but was in fact quite hefty.

I wonder what it looked like hundreds of years ago and whether the stones were more formally arranged.

There was no information available so I must try to find out more about it.  Someone had left flowers among the smaller stones and there was brackish water running under the base of it.

I have tried to limit the number of photos so you don't get bored but couldn't resist including this very large dock leaf which has been turned to lace by some tiny creatures. Ideas for synthetic fabrics and soldering iron.