March 2007
Moving on
Thursday 8 March, 2007
Dan has finally decided to take the plunge and resign from his job at the Council and go freelance. But that's not what this diary entry is about.
Partly because Dan will be working away a bit, we decided to approach our neighbour and ask if we could graze Smokey with his horses. A trial period has been agreed so weekend before last (is it that long since we posted anything?), I long reined Smokey from Blackfaulds home. Claire came with me for moral support.
There are three other horses across the road - one retired trotter called Johnny's Decision (Johnny); one trotter called Coalford Legend (Coaly) and a two year old soon-to-be trotter called Winning Hand (Andy). Smokey was turned out with Johnny and Andy and we waited to see what would happen. In an ideal world, we would have kept Smokey in a seperate area for a while, so they could get used to each other. But it's not an ideal world!
Moving on 2
Thursday 8 March, 2007
Now that I've got Smokey at home (or near enough), we had to bring his gig down. We could have put it in a horse trailer, but we, ie Claire and I, decided to drive him home. Now, this was a kind of openended decision because we'd never had him on the road before, so we'd never dealt with sloping surfaces. So for the first time, Smokey would be expected to provide the brakes for the gig on downhill slopes, by taking the weight on the breeching strap of the harness, which runs round his thighs.
Copper
Thursday 15 March, 2007
Today we said "goodbye" to our wee tortie cat, Copper. At close to her 18th birthday, she'd had a good long life and she was so poorly that the decision wasn't hard to make, in the end.
Copper came to live with us three years ago, as a companion for our old cat, Homer. She was a real character - a real "little madam" and I'm sure she must have been a real fiesty youngster. Although she was quite a big cat (a 5kg cat in a 6.5kg body!), she had tiny paws and bustled about - she was a very busy cat, with an agenda to stick to. Like many females, she was quite vocal and was very good at letting you know exactly what you were required to do. Because she didn't go out much latterly, her claws were quite long , and we would hear her tippy tapping on the wooden floor, through to our bedroom in the early morning for a quick cuddle. Because she wasn't able to jump up on to our bed, she would scratch the bedside cabinet and call loudly to be lifted up. Actually, she probably could jump up, but why bother when you have well-trained humans to do the lifting!
Third time lucky?
Thursday 15 March, 2007
We've just started our third attempt at hatching eggs in the incubator. First two times, the damned machine broke down. We've got nine eggs in - temperature is fine, but I'm having a problem keeping the humidity up, so I've resorted to misting twice a day.
Keep everything crossed!!
"I don't believe it"
Wednesday 21 March, 2007
The incubator packed in again - this is the third time this has happened - and the third time we've used it. That is, it has happenend EVERY time we have used it. It has been repaired twice before. This time it goes back forever.
One of the two eggs we opened was fertile. I couldn't bear to open the rest. I am absolutely disgusted / cross / frustrated. The incubator is a Covatutto, in case anyone is thinking of buying one.
Anyone in Central Scotland got a broody hen?
We go driving...
Sunday 25 March, 2007
I've had such a nice weekend (and it's not over yet!). Claire and I took Smokey driving yesterday. It was quite hard work for him - uphill in trot with the gig and two (lightweight) passengers - but he rose to the task. He CAN move when he wants (see him in the field!) but I think his preferred working gait is trot. When he settles into a rhythm, he feels like he could go forever with very little effort.
Claire took some video from the backstep. Note the modern handheld camera techniques - Oscar next year.
Long light evenings
Tuesday 27 March, 2007
Isn't it great now we're on BST? I've just come in from picking horse poo out of Smokey's field. Granted it was getting a little murky by the time I'd finished. However, I got enough to cover about 16 square feet of bed, which is OK for a start.
I'm on holiday from Friday for two weeks so I'm planning to get quite a lot done including what passes for spring cleaning here. I think I feel a list coming on...
Comfort zones
Tuesday 27 March, 2007
I'm not very good at getting out of my comfort zone or even very close to the edge of it. But I've done two things in the last few days that I've never done before.
Firstly, I bought clothes from a second hand shop for the first time ever. Claire and I had a wander round Dunblane on Saturday (after driving and our trip to the Scottish Rock Garden Club Show). Dunblane is quite posh. We had a wee browse in the two secondhand shops and I bought a really nice fleece for £3. I NEVER get a bargain - so this was a real treat. Cassius adopted it immediately (it's kind of lamby) and I had to prise it off him to put it in the wash. Smells of horse poo now, so I think he'll leave it alone.
Remembering Copper
Wednesday 28 March, 2007
We recieved a card through the mail today from our veterinary practice, following Copper's death. I though I was pretty together but the verse in it just broke me up. It's by Isla Paschal Richardson:
...Grieve not,
nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me,
as if I were beside you...
I loved you so -
'twas Heaven here with you.
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