WEEKEND. (24/05/16)

On Friday afternoon I arrived for horse, dog, hen and sheep sitting duties. The place was a hive of industry with horses being washed, brushed, scrubbed, scraped and plaited. I was exhausted just watching so went for a sit down. Saturday morning it was much the same but with a bit of hoof polishing adding to the mayhem. It was then time to start loading the horses for their weekend jaunt. Horses fall into two broad categories, Those that can’t wait to get into the truck and those that once in do their best to get out again. The majority here like a change of scene so are of the former persuasion. Out of the loose box through the stable and up the ramp with a hapless groom semi airborne bouncing in their wake.
I was feeling the effect of all this activity so after taking the dogs for a wander, collecting the eggs and checking the sheep was more than ready for an early siesta. I made a Spanish Omelette for tea and switched the telly on; I can’t work televisions ..I have been told before to just press the red button on the thin black whatsit and watch what is on. Football was on, better than idiots opening red boxes or EastEnders but not by much. I managed about ten minutes of it then switched it off and started the crossword. I couldn’t finish it so seeking further amusement decided to go for a shower. I had noticed that the football men had rather interesting and adventurous haircuts so spent a while popping my hair this way and that but I just looked a bit daft, come to think about it so did they. I got dried and dressed and switched the TV back on but it was still football, better football as there were lots of people on the grassy pitch bit along with a dozen or so horses and lots of folk in Hi-Viz jackets. I think the latter must have been members of parliament. Our politicians are for ever standing around in goggles and hi-viz clothes. I don’t know why, I suspect they think it makes them look capable of work. It doesn't, it makes them look like something out of a safety clothing catalogue but fatter and thicker. I turned the box off and read a book.
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny. There was only one horse left at home. After a coffee, a good cough and a couple of roll-ups I felt strong enough to feed him and muck out his loose box. Oh what fun, seventeen hands of horse, two dogs, a wheelbarrow , a muck fork and shovel all doing their best to garner the maximum entertainment from the my incompetent loose box ministrations. To cap it all my clean fleece got covered in Rambo dribble.

This is Rambo all ready to go out for a bit of exercise. He does look smart; we got there in the end.
I fed the dogs, my two, Rosa and Mia, collected the eggs from the hens, got pecked by one that had turned broody and objected to being turfed off her clutch then was ready for another sit down…..still couldn’t finish the crossword. I did notice that some TV station I’d never heard of was showing British Super Bike racing in the afternoon. I decided it was time to master the telly controls, took me ages and a couple of dummy runs but it was well worth it, It came from Brands Hatch, brilliant it was. These lads and lasses really do try hard. Shane Byrne won the race I saw and Jenny Tinmouth ended up on her arse in the gravel. It’s a nice bum and she really ought to treat it better. When all this excitement was over I wandered into the kitchen for a cup of tea and found a couple of sparrows flying around. Grabbed them and popped them back outside, found a lamb escapee wandering the garden, after considerable effort I caught it, returned it to it's mum, got a butt on the thigh for my trouble and needed another rest.
I did manage a few minutes with the camera but there were no insects about.
I think these are Spanish White Bluebells.

This looks like a small Welsh Poppy.

I’m back in the glen now and today it’s mowing and the hen run needs scything but first I’ll post this, have breakfast and then take the dogs for a walk.
Enjoy the rest of the week.