Most of you facebookers will have seen Rooster's swimming lesson yesterday. he is getting over a poorly leg and part of his rehabilitation involved having a swim. So we had to drive him over to Henley in Arden to the equine spa. He went into the stables by the pool and thoroughly read the risk assessment, he then watched a couple of other horses go through their paces, even offering them little wickers of encouragement.
It has to be said that he was a little reticent when it was his turn to go in, I had to take the rubber ring off him , help him into his Speedos and test the water with my elbow to check that it was the correct temperature. Then, with a little encouragement, he launched himself in and, using his tail as a propeller did seven quick lengths.
Ari blotted his copybook again today (I might as well cut and paste that remark). The dog that normally barks the cage down if someone stirs in Hopton Cangeford sat tight lipped as about 150 sheep trotted past his run and invaded the yard. H shot out of the house and addressed them in a voice I know all to well and the ovine ones soon performed a volte face and trotted out of the yard while Ari watched impassively the useless mutt.
Downton did not let us down with all our favourite characters behaving in type. Mr Bates looked mildly annoyed at doing life in jail whilst annoying Anna busied herself trying to get him out. He wants away from you Anna love. Daisy the kitchen maid went on strike without anyone noticing and a tall footman started work to the disapproval of Mr Carson. The romance was supplied when Mary and Matthew made up from some pointless argument by chatting either side of a closed door. They had their eyes closed as Matthew came into the room to kiss her, it must have been a toss up between snogging her or the adjacent lamp standard, which had the same shape and charisma.
The wedding went ahead and Mary arrived at the Church pursued by all the tenants waving flags and cheering, of course they would have been evicted if they hadn't loyally tugged their respective forelocks
