Cows / Workshop / Rohirrim - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 16 December, 2024

by Rosemary at 2:44pm in Smallholding 25 comments Add your own

Monday 9th December

I found Mickey’s passport in the barn last week – in a pool of pee. Don’t ask. I must have had it out for the vet and left it lying somewhere. If you have horses, you’ll know how pungent horse pee is. And clinging. It was banned from the house to dry out but it’s had it. So I set out to get a replacement. It’s issued by the Veteran Horse Society, but the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association has taken over their passport issuing. I sent it to them last week, after emailing a warning.

I didn’t notice I hadn’t transferred ownership so I have to do that before they can do anything about a replacement. So form filled, photos taken and off to get David’s signature, as the seller, tomorrow.

Tuesday 10^th December

Cold, but dry and sunny. Mickey’s passport information now winging its way through the ether. The TGCA have been very helpful (and forgiving about the smell) but what a con the horse passport thing is. It’s £30 to change ownership. When we got Leo, the wee Connemara, I worked out he’d had six owners since he’d been sold as a weanling. Only ONE was on the passport. To change his was £50 to the Connemara Pony Society. No wonder folk don't do it but it makes a mockery of the whole system.

Had a walk round Hospitalfield grounds with Lorna. So much work been done of the gardens. Must go back next year.

Cooper found a box.

Most of Cooper in a box.

Wednesday 11^th December

Even colder, but lovely. No sign of our hedging plants yet, but given how hard the ground is, they wouldn’t be planted anyway. It’s to slacken off next week. Murdo was supposed to be coming tomorrow, but we’ve rearranged for into January.

Keira, Andy’s lurcher, has been here for the day. After a slight bottle brush tail, Dot seems to accept that Keira is no threat. Dan took the three dogs across the golf course for a run; it was happily free of golfers.

I’m off to a workshop in Glasgow tomorrow and Friday. Seemed like a really good idea when I accepted the invitation. Not so much now. The hotel looks nice though, and the restaurant where we’re having dinner.

Thursday 12^th December / Friday 13^th December

Well, that seemed to go fine. Ooh, I’m not a city girl. Too noisy, too many people. Glad to be home and ready to chill.

The hedging plants have arrived, so in addition to our plants, we also have two big bumdles of purple beech to try and accommodate.

Anna sent me some photos of Blizzard, Rora and Bronte. Made my day.

Type your caption here.

Saturday 14^th December

Our 23^rd wedding anniversary. On our honeymoon, we went to see the newly released “The Fellowship of the Ring”. This year, we saw “The War of the Rohirrim”.

Sunday 15^th December

Off to Stirling today to meet Andrew and Janis for lunch, and deliver the honey extractor, and to Waitrose to buy sweetener-free lemonade and all-butter pastry.

Very windy on the way home and overnight.