A memorial hunt

I hope you all had a good Christmas with all the presents you wanted and enough turkey, or the vegetarian equivalent, to satisfy the most jaded palate. Our sister site www.ancestrees.org.uk launched it's Christmas advertising campaign at the start of the month and, it has to be said, I was disappointed with the lack of response. I commented on this to H who told me that she was not in the least bit surprised. I had linked the page to all our contacts on facebook and when she showed me how it appeared, well I could understand the luke warm take-up. This is approximately how it looked; thank you fb for automatically choosing the picture to go with my caption (and well done me for not checking)

                                          The Ideal Christmas Gift for Friends and Family.

Horses are even more creatures of habit than I am as Kavi proved a couple of days ago. As you may have noticed it has been a bit wet recently so we have had to tailor our riding to when it is least wet. We normally head out after breakfast and Kavi is happy with this. However on this day it was nicer in the afternoon so we decided to ride then. After fetching them in.

                                                      "I think it's brightening up "

Kavi clearly thought that it was time for an early tea but when the tack appeared and he had his feet picked out and I got mounted a tantrum was well and truly thrown, there were equine toys everywhere,

 What fun we had alternately sulking and shying at blades of grass as we grimly went through Narnia via Stoat Corner past pitying glances from the locals. Still I stayed on and that was a bonus.

Many thanks to those of you who sent kind messages about DJ. As you can imagine Ari has been very subdued so much so that Housemate has moved him indoors, here he is in his new lair;

                          
We were worried that he had lost his mojo but on Boxing day he showed a glimmer of his old self. It was the big hunting day and as a special treat Cruella's daughter the Vowelstrangler was riding. Now she has previous experience with the hounds, in the summer she had come down to ride and had been confronted by DJ who bounded over woofing in her normal friendly manner "Eeek Mummy that doggy smells howwid" she squeaked beating a hasty retreat from our fragrant friend who thought that this was a fine game and chased her round the yard, one squealing, one barking.

She arrived in her full fox bothering kit as (the muzzled) Ari emerged from the tack room. He almost jumped for joy at seeing someone to chase and snarling happily he made the hunter the hunted, his view being to see how she liked being chased by dogs. I managed to grab him before anything drastic happened. He grinned and I'm sure he looked up saying "That one was for you DJ".

Gone but never forgotten

A sad sad day here at Barns Cottage as I have to tell you that our Romping chum DJ is no longer with us. She had been a bit below par for a couple of weeks now, but still got out a couple of times a day to potter around the yard and upturn any buckets that may have needed examination. She will be sorely missed by all of us but especially by her Kennel Mate Ari who came and stood morosely by us when we found her.

You would have needed to have a heart of stone not to laugh when she romped across the yard with her ears flapping in the wind, she even gave to people with visual impairment as her "perfume" meant that she could be appreciated by all.

She was buried behind the house next to the paddock with full doggy honours, and a few tears.

                                     
                                                RIP DJ, tonight she romps in a better place

Cheesey Bees

It was the time of year when we at Km decamp down south for the annual family Christmas and Birthday celebration weekend. This year Reading was the venue and H & I found our hotel in plenty of time to go into town for a couple of liveners before the family event started. We asked the nice receptionist for directions into town; "You turn left out of the Hotel and go past the Garage where you will see the main road. Cross it, when it is safe to do so " I could sense a certain horse nodding in agreement.

                                                 "What an intelligent lady she sounds"

Anyway after a quick half or two we all convened at the poor restaurant that had been chosen to have the ensemble alight there. There is always at least one of the family who will ask for something that is not on the menu. Saturday was no exception, one of them (and you know who you are) decided that four separate menus were not enough. "Can I have a small portion of pasta with a cheese and tomato sauce please ?" "I'll just go and ask chef" said the, shortly to become long suffering waitress. She returns "Yes that will be fine " "Thank you so much, so just a small portion... and I don't want any tomatoes in the sauce Thank You" "So pasta with cheese and tomato sauce without the tomatoes ??" "That would be lovely thank you"

So a fine night was had by all, sadly the next day it was time to take our leave and head for home. We usually travel the same route and have always been intrigued by the sign near Hartpury that advertises one of the seven wonders of Gloucestershire; the Bee Shelter. We had the time so we followed the thronging crowd down the side road agog with what it might be. H opined that it would be like a drop in centre for bees who were down on their luck, a sort of nectar kitchen, if you will. I erred towards it being where the bees stood waiting for the number 36 Bee bus.

                                      A day's entertainment for all the family

No, I'm none the wiser either.

Mens Sana in thingumy doo-dah

To get the perfect physique some people go to the gym, some run marathons, others maintain a strict diet, me, I muck out barns and stables. Yes, you can keep all your fancy cross-trainers, expensive training shoes and lycra. All I need is a wheelbarrow, a pair of wellies and a bobble hat.

My morning domain is the big barn where Rooster and Kavi spend the night, obviously I have to ensure that alll the paperwork and permits are in place before I can go into Rooster's part so I normally wait until he is out in the field. However this morning I was in a bit of a rush and while Kavi was trudging round the horsewalker I went in to do the work. At first he just ignored me as I laboured away picking up the poohs and loading up the wheelbarrow ready to take the contents to the muck heap.  I was making good progress until I heard a thump behind me.

                              "Unguarded trip hazard there mate, I've sorted it now"

So I had an especially long and thorough work out this morning, tomorrow he is so out of the way before I start. Kavi came over afterwards and sighed, I knew how he felt.

Yesterday H took his Roosterishness to a dressage competition with her chum J who had journeyed from North Wales to call out her test. For the uninitiated this is the only occasion when someone can tell H what to do without getting into trouble, as she says obscure things such as "20 metre serpentine A to K". No, I've no idea either.

 Anyway, shall we say that it was not entirely successful, a crestfallen H was discussing what went wrong with J "I wish that I could get inside his head" H sadly said. "There's plenty of room there" J bravely rejoined. Nice one.

The film version of Great Expectations has been released and, as we at BC, love a Dickens (settle down now) we can't wait until late summer 2015 when it will be showing at Ludlow's  multiplex, the Assembly Rooms. Although the cinematic experience has been a bit spoiled in the past. Last time we went you could barely hear the soundtrack for the sound of people eating canapes and uncorking bottles of champagne.

Thanks to Victoria Wood for the title.