Pavla and Peter's Leaving Party

It was a happy / sad night on Saturday when over 40 of us went to Houston Inn for dinner to celebrate Pavla and Peter's time working at Wardhouse. Dinner was very good and the band were awful, but we all had a great time. Peter was given a "Hey Jimmy" bunnet and Pavla received loads of presents. We will all miss them and wish them good luck in their new careers back home in Prague.

On Sunday, Pavla and I were up early as we were taking Bombay and Maud to the Kilmacolm Riding Club combined training day at Ingleston House. The usual jobs needed to be done - tail washing and mane plating etc, etc, they both looked very smart. Mum was riding Bombay and Pavla was having one last fling on Maud, riding HC in the show jumping element.

Mum was a total bag of nerves, but managed to ride the dressage test and jump a round of showjumping without letting herself down. And Maud was a star as usual, and only knocked one fence down whilst jumping the higher course.

Can I just say congratulations to Moira and Carol for plucking up the courage to compete in the dressage element of the competition and to Innes for a very good display of showjumping. Well done girls! A good day for everyone and a final hurrah to Pavla.

HAS AUTUMN HAS ARRIVED EARLY?

You can just see Corrie, Bazil, Ruth and MooMoo waiting by the fence for carrots last night. Look at the leaves on the ground, the trees are changing rapidly and the conkers are crashing to the ground. The nights are fair drawing in! With the rain, it is just miserable.

Last weekend was a bit of a washout, in fact Sunday the rain was heavy and relentless - I didn't ride Bombay on Sunday - my car had a puncture, so I spent the morning at Kwik Fit, and read the papers whilst waiting for my tyre to be repaired. No work done on the kennels, I'm now beginning to panic that I'll never get it finished.

This weekend is going to be busy. I have an appointment with the vet for both dogs on Saturday morning. They require more metacam and I can't get anymore with out this visit! Then I will ride Bombay for an hour, as he has a event on Sunday and Mum would like the stuffing knocked out of him before she competes. Maud is also going to this training day, but she is only going to do some showjumping with Pavla - so I'll have her tack to clean on Saturday night before I go to Pavla's leaving dinner. (Pavla and Peter are heading back home to Prague on Tuesday.)

Sunday will be just as busy, providing moral support for Mum and help Pavla with Maud. Chris will be working, which I should probably be doing too. I'm in a bit of a spin at the moment, what with work, horses, ponies the dogs and in two weeks time I'm in London for a few days to film a conference and so I feel I'm a little out of control.

Totally Horsed Out!

On Friday it was Chris's Birthday, and each year we do an "activity" day. Last year I took him mountain biking - which he absolutely hated, so this year I booked a picnic lunch trail ride at Brenfield, Lochgilphead. We had a wonderful day and Chris really enjoyed the outing. We rode up in the hills on and off the forestry tracks for three hours - brill - there was only one downside to the day and that was the weather - it was dull and threatened to rain all morning, so we couldn't really see the view! By 4pm it was pouring, but by then it was too late as we had had the horses swimming in the sea and were soaked anyway!

After our ride, we took the dogs to a forestry walk near Cairnban, and let them run about for an hour. By this time we were completely soaked to the skin and had two very wet dogs. So we packed up and went to stay with friends that live nearby and had a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Then when we had managed to dry off, Chris and I went for dinner at the local Inn, which was superb. (Our friends could not join us for dinner, as their daughter was having a Birthday Party that night too.)

Saturday, after a wonderful breakfast, we headed home. I had to get Bombay and Maud ready for Strathendrick Riding Club open show on Sunday. This meant, schooling, brushing, cleaning, plating (Bombay only) and cleaning tack. A very busy and long day. I also had to try and wash out the salt sea water out of my leather riding boots and get them dry for Sunday! I'm happy to report that I did manage to get them clean and almost dry for the show.

My sister prepared a fabulous packed lunch for all the family on Sunday. Her two girls were riding Maud, and they did exceedingly well. Maud was placed 5th in the ridden M&M class, but unplaced in the pony club class. There were so many ponies in the pony club class and all of them very experienced, but our Maud held her own and did her best - she was getting very tired and her class ran for an hour! Bombay too won a 3rd and 5th place in the two classes he was entered in too.

So that's it for another year. I would jut like to take this opportunity to thank my sister and her husband for the fantastic packed lunches they have so generously supplied on each outing and for letting their children compete on Maud help to educate her; the girls for being enthusiastic; Mum and Dad for the use of the horse box and the horse - Bombay; and finally Chris for being there - even if he didn't watched the right classes! Also for looking after my dogs on these days.

Until next spring!

My Window Box

As promised, here is a picture taken the other night of the window box I knocked up at the weekend. I think it looks okay, for the time being anyway.

I will have more to say after the weekend, what with Chris's Birthday "activity day" and Strathendrick Riding Club show on Sunday, to which I'm taking Bombay and Maud.

Alfa still off the road & the footings for the kennels are progressing

I'd just like to thank James for emailing the pictures of Chris working on my car at the weekend & for my sister for taking them.

So whilst Chris & James were stripping the engine of the Alfa, I moved the last two tons of scalpings into the kennel site. A job well done I think! Just need to hire a whacking plate then order up the concrete then that will be it, the footings completed. Now I'm getting inpatient to finish the job, and looking forward to seeing the kennels up and the dogs sun bathing in the runs. I had to nip home to let them out for a pee this afternoon, and felt very sorry to have to lock them back in the house on such a beautiful day..... soon, soon.

I have had to extend the hire of the little rented car until Thursday. I am hoping that my car will be back on the road by then, but it depends on the availability of the parts still required. eg 8 x pistons, a new gasket etc. I have the 8 bent pistons sitting on my kitchen table. They are quite cute looking things, so I think I'll make up a wind chime.

Talking about making things. I have made a window box using the spare off cuts of wood I had left over from the kennel footings. I've stuffed the box with Lavenders and pink Dianthus to add some cheer to the roadside. Apart from moving two tons of stone, I had a busy weekend, what with riding the horses, making a window box, cutting the grass and cooking for Christopher, I'm exhausted and next weekend is going to be hectic, but I'll talk about that later.