The Heart of the Home

As the temperatures continue to fall its nice to have the log burner keeping the whole house warm and toasty. Yesterday the temperature touched 0 degrees Celsius but this morning it was -2.5 degrees Celsius. I was up early loading the burner up from the night before, we manage to keep our burner going 24/7 during the Colder months. As number one son had used all of the wood the night before, I was forced to go out into the frosty morning in my dressing gown and a fleece to load up the fireplace with logs for today. I don't mind it cold and crispy, it's the wind and rain that I don't like. Here's hoping for a cold and dry winter with the log burner going full chat and the malt whiskey flowing to keep me warm from the inside also :-)

Ben's first beach trip

On a reasonably bright Saturday afternoon we decided (the Memsahib and I) to take Ben to the beach. I say we decided, it was more our friends Hazel and Louise that decided to go (they also own the horse box) we decided to tag along with our fella. Ben has, I feel safe to say, not been to the beach before and once over the sand dunes he was playing around like a mad thing, dancing and prancing and he almost had me off into the sea. I managed to hold on to him for a while without falling off and then Louise decided to have a go on him. She had him cantering and galloping and pacing and dancing but he never once slowed down or eased up on the pulling. Eventually Louise got back on her horse, Mo and I got back on Ben. Although he was still pulling strongly I managed to control him on the way back to the lorry. The Memsahib had a ride on Louise's eventer, Dynamo and at the end of the afternoon we had all had a thoroughly good time, tally ho! :)

A great wee hack :-)

Friday 21st Sept and a friend of ours is leaving the yard where we keep our horse and moving to another yard. We have decided that we would escort our friend down to her new yard in a group ride as Diamond, her Irish Draught does not box well. It is a gorgeous day as we hack out on a hitherto unexplored route through Annbank and then over towards Sundrum. Ben, our retired trotter, behaves himself beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of riding him today. At the other yard it is time to say goodbye to our friend and also for the Memsahib and I to swap places. You see I rode Ben down to the yard and the Memsahib will ride back, which means I'm on the bike on the way home. Luckily there is more downhill on the way home weeeee!

Rain, rain go away....

Two weeks off work with the aim of painting the back of the house and it must have rained every day so far. Today is a real doozy with the rain coming down like stair rods and the storm drains and ditches around us running like rivers. just popped out to see that everything is ok and had to conduct some remedial work to ensure we stay above the water line. Time to batten the hatches, stoke up the fire and relax with a good book and a nice single malt, Laphroig tonight I think😊

New shoes.

Six weeks have passed since the last set and it's time for some new shoes for the Memsahibs horse, Ben. It's always fascinating to watch the farrier at work and interesting to pick his brains about the anatomy of the hoof, it's a complex piece of work. It looks quite brutal at stages but the horse feels nothing more than some tugging and pulling (if the farrier gets it right). However if a nail goes awry watch out 😳, apparently it would be like having a nail shoved under our finger nail ouch!

Who you looking at?

Whilst walking alongside the river Ayr the other day the Memsahib and I happened on some wooly beef. They were most obliging and stayed still so that we might get some lovely photos with our mobile phones. Feast your eyes on this fella or lady! Not sure as it was lying down 😃

Rest in peace Eric

Tuesday 8th February 2011 and after a very sudden and short illness one of our cats, Erica (Eric for short) had to be put to sleep. The vet said it was either a stroke or some swelling or growth in the brain causing nuerological symptoms. Poor Eric lost co-ordination of her legs over the space of a week and at the end stopped eating drinking and would not even attempt to leave her bed. She was a happy soul to the end and at 17 yrs old had a good innings and I like to think a good life in the countryside. Eric and her sister Pookie lived outside in the garage and kept/keep the mice and rats at bay (Pookie is still with us). They did a good job as I was constantly finding mice entrails scattered over the garage floor and on one occassion a very large rat (in one piece). When the boys were young the cats would come in some nights and sleep on the boys beds but only occassionally as they were not house trained, once the renovations were done they would come in for the early evening and sit on the sofa's with us (Eric especially loved this, Pookie is a bit more feral and doesn't get on with our Lurcher). She has now gone to the big sofa in the sky were the fire is always on, rest in peace Eric you will be missed by us all.

I have delayed publishing this blog as I still find it quite upsetting to read, however rather than leave it in draft form I now feel it deserves to be published to let the world of the intreweb know how well thought of Erica was.