Sunday 4 April 2010

No Horses, No Ponies Thank you.

Wow we're really motoring, kicking ass in the garden department. Husband's petrol chainsaw is cooking on gas, if you'll pardon my mixed metaphor. Trees are being felled, parts of the garden revealed for the first time in 10 years. Dizzy Disco is thoroughly enjoying being a part of the gardening team as we attach a tow rope to him, driving off to pull out deep shrub roots.




The stables are really quite busy now, creating a nice steady- if little, income. All welcome. We have three very social parent/child combinations and a lovely man with a hunter and an unbroken Shetland. It's wonderful seeing the stables buzz and my two sproglets are included in mucking out, feeding and grooming. Occasionally, out of the kindness of someone's heart they are put on a horse and walked down to the menage. It's idyllic but I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF GETTING A HORSE. The plan may be to re-start riding lessons next year continuing on from where we left off in Oxford before I was thrown off and needed ankle surgery! So ABSOLUTELY NO horses for the next few years. (Just so we're clear ok?)

The kids are outside most of the time now as the bottom of the bath will testify! The 7yo, a very creative girl, has invented a new game a derivative of paintball - she rolls wet clay, the colour of diarrhea, into a neat golf-sized ball and throws it at her brother. If it hits the 5yo and leaves a mark she scores a point. Generally he thinks this is pretty funny - weirdo! I, being the gardener just use the clay and molehills for planting! Boring I know but that's just me!

The pond is an interesting spot and so far only Daddy has managed to fall in! There are pairs of common newt and millions (I do not exaggerate!) of tadpoles who have escaped the egg sack and are now being predated on by all sorts of creatures that I suspect to be aliens from another planet.

The next door neighbour took his 2 pigs for slaughter. This morning we ate sausages made from the pigs we sporadically helped feed. I'm sure they tasted so nice thanks to that huge apple crumble we gave them in October! My children are beginning to understand the concept of raising meat to eat and with this in mind we are considering raising two little lambs who are mummyless. They are currently residing in a tree farm (no they are not living in the trees silly but rather in one of their barns, raised by two young brothers.) As soon as the lambs are comfortable on the bottle we may be considered for adoption. I had THE conversation with my offspring...

'Now, you understand that we will send these lambs to market when they're older?'
The 7yo nods enthusiastically licking her lips but the 5yo sort of looks at me side-on! I continued:
'You can have one lamb and you can have the other,' I said pointing to each child.
'When we sell your lambs you can use the money we make from the meat to buy something. What would you like to buy?'
The 5yo seemed to immediately approve of this concept.
'I'm getting Star Wars Lego.'
'Good idea. What about you?'
Daughter smiled.
'I'm buying a Shetland Pony and D and L (girls with horses at our stables) are going to break it for me.'

O shit, that SO backfired.

9 comments:

  1. I'm trying to think of what to say to this post, because something just begs to be said. I feel somewhat lazy when hearing of all that you do in your new life out in the country. Of course, I keep myself busy as well, but so far it's too early in the season for me to be getting much in the way of back-breaking manual labor in.

    Good for you in adapting so well to your new life out in the country!

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  2. Do you plan on keeping the dairy well stocked with prosecco? a brilliant idea and do you have any special plans for the garden?

    Be gentle.
    lol!

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  3. I'm so glad I stumbled onto your blog - I love it. The house is unreal! Can't wait to read more!

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  4. Brenda, are you kidding? I'm in awe of your techy skills, updating computers for kids is way out of my league therefore I hide in the garden.

    Natural Selection; I try to keep a good supply of Prosecco (just had another half case delivered in fact) unfortunately with some wonderful friends arriving tomorrow and the sun set to shine ALL weekend it'll be gone by Saturday night! Naughty us. Garden plans evolve - have just started a cider orchard and the veg plot should be awesome thanks to the cow poo delivery. Smells interesting here.

    Cross The Pond: You are so welcome. The house IS unreal. Just been to the building merchants and they sniggered when I gave them my address!! I've interrogated them as to who the comedian was who created the ensuite! They chose the fifth!

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  5. Can't believe I've only just found you! Love your blog, feel we have a little in common - I'm a sheep and arable farmer (and a writer of children's fiction and adult paranormal).

    However, love your post.You have 2 very bright kids there!!

    CJ xx

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  6. There are ponies coming your way - you can fight it but you can never hold them back forever!!!

    Oh, and your house is AMAZING!!!

    xxxx

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  7. Stickhead: sooooo true, but may have adopted my kids to the horsey people who LIVE in the stables currently...it's a plan!

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  8. Having a wonderful catch up and knowing that Will has arrived I guess he's the compriomise - welcome to the world of horse poo ( it's great for the roses!!!!)

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  9. Tattie: Will was not a compromise but rather a complete SURPRISE! My tenants brought him on permanent loan for my children to learn on... I realise that I'm a bit like King Canute here trying to resist the tide!

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The Archers at The Larches

Lou - Chicken whisperer....

Lou - Chicken whisperer....

Snowy and Moon

Snowy and Moon