Ups and downs . . . . .

It has been a week of highs and lows.  Sunshine and a promise of summer and days (as today ) of heavy rain.  The forecasters are talking about a sprinkle of snow on Wednesday.  Last Wednesday was glorious.  I rode out with a friend in the morning ( I am giving her a hand with a newly broken horse). Ella was only “backed” three weeks ago. We are trying to get her to stand nice and still for mounting and “educate” her a bit; let her see a few things. To date, until broken in,  she had never been out of a field . It is really late to start on this training as she is 7 yrs old.  Most horses start to be trained at about 3 years old.  She is a bit of a slow learner!   Steering and brakes non-existent really.  We pottered about on the lanes and tracks near her home in the sunshine and the horses got really warm and sweaty.  So my girl had the afternoon back at home, here in her field, without a rug it was so warm.  However, she was then in her heaviest waterproof rug some two days later!  The only “down” was I managed to clip the lorry on one of said friend’s driveway walls.  There is a narrow walled gateway onto her drive where I have to back off a bridge  into the drive  – needs rather a lot of concentration and unfortunately I got distracted by one of her dogs running loose!!.  Anyway, it isn’t too much damage and GOS thinks he can fix it himself.  One of the skirt panels got knocked and dented.

                                           High:   I spotted the first wood bumblebee lumbering about in the garden this week.  The magnolia has broken into flower (at least a month early) and the snakeshead fritillera have suddenly appeared. ( Checkaboard petals of pink and burgundy and one clump of white ones.)  I am really pleased these are thriving as it has taken a while to get then established.  The white heather has been a picture but it is just starting to go over.  The season for some plants has really started early.

 

 

 

These mild sunny days the skylarks are soaring above the hill; singing their hearts out.  We are blessed with lots of these little birds.  So evocative of the british countryside, but it’s recent and dramatic population declines now make it a “Red List ” species.

They really lift the spirits, these little birds. (Vaughan Williams “Lark Ascending” – such a beautiful,   descriptive piece of music. . . .)

No lambs have appeared as yet.  The poor old ewes are very uncomfortable and huff  and puff at night when we pop out check on them.  They have been kept in the last three days as they only paddle about on the mud when it I’d as wet as it has been; bleating hungrily as soon as they see me. …

Hope to goodness  to have news of births next week.