I have decided that it was time to update my personal website, as the site that is up at the moment is well out of date. I built the last one in Flash, which took me over a year to do!! But this time I am going to build it using html, and Oh, I'm in trouble there. Learning html is like learning a foreign language and I have always been a bit rubbish at that, but I'm determined. As usual, I have designed the pages for my new site in photoshop, and now have to figure out how they will look in html - not forgetting css!!!
This morning, although it was a beautiful morning, there was a sharpness in the air that said Autumn is on it's way. I never understand why the English always call August summer time, as it is the first month of Autumn. Never mind, the colours all around are gradually changing to burnt oranges and reds and I'm keeping an eye on my log pile! (Chris keeps putting on the fire, delighted that the wood is free. But I keep thinking Oi, wait until it gets cold before you burn away all the logs.)
I joined twitter the other week to help me understand what that is all about. I'm still not quiet clear of the concept, but a web guru suggested the only way to learn about it was to join - which i did. I dutifully put up a sentence or two each day, but i have to say, it has led me onto some interesting blogs - so the pain has been worth it - but it is a terrible time waster!
Now for an update on my animals. Maud is looking trim and in good nick. She had scratched huge holes in her coat whilst she was in her six week confinement and looked very scrappy, but with liberal doses of Skin So Soft rubbed into all her bald patches each day, her coat has grown in really quickly and looks perfect. The down side to laminitis is that both she and Ruth are in the starvation paddock, and they are both grumpy as hell. Two mares in a huff!
Ruth is loosing weight slowly, but she is looking really good. I had planned to take her to North Ayrshire Riding Club show this Saturday, but I have run out of money. But I do plan to take her - I think it will be her - to Strathendrick RC Show in September, which is always the last show of MY season.
Oh, Bazil did a bunk out of the starvation paddock and is with Corrie. He is fat, rude and suffering sweet itch. Gosh, my beautiful boy looks awful. But I'm slapping on the skin so soft and it is making a difference where he has rubbed away big patches of his coat round his bum, but it will take a lot longer for his main to recover. (It is sad that he has rubbed away his main as the locals always referred to him as "the one with the hair!")
Corrie's bruised sole turned out to be a rather nasty abscess. So for weeks I had been soaking her leg in warm water and Epsom salts to draw away the infection. She is sound again, but like the others, she requires the blacksmith to check her out. On the other hand, her lameness gave me the opportunity to practise my horse handling / whispering skills that I learned from one of Kelly Marks books on catching a horse that didn't want to be caught. Trying to join up with a large horse in a 12 acre field is not funny, but because she was very lame with the abscess, she couldn't run too far away. Brilliant - it works & now she lets me wander up to her with head collars and ropes, put them on her, walk her around, faff about with her and she doesn't "bugger off" using all her strength to get away from me like she used to. Brill, brill, brill!
Old chook is still alive and laying. She seems happy enough being on her own, but I think I'd better get her a friend before the winter comes as they will help keep each other warm.
The dogs are fine. Fleur had the runs big time a few weeks ago due to eating nasty things at my mother's house and did require to go to the vet for some medicine, but with in a few days she was back to her happy laughing self. Took Imogen and Fleur to Fennick Agricultural show last weekend at Rowallan to the doggie show. Wow, what a lot of screaming kids and barking dogs that my two were completely bemused by the whole affair. I entered them into three classes - the dog the judge would like to take home - he didn't want either of my two, - the prettiest bitch - he didn't have an opinion about my two, - and finally in the pedigree working dog, including terriers - again the judge didn't think much of my guys, and we went home. Showing dogs is like showing horses, it is definitely a dark art. All the dogs i thought the judge would pick he didn't. He did seem to have a passion for obese Labradors though, so i eventually got some of the dogs in the line up correct, but I wouldn't place a bet in this sport! My guys hated their day out and were thrilled to be back home and running in the fields, hunting bunnies and mice.
