Tuesday 27th October
Unseasonably warm here, I have turned the heating off and haven't even had the woodburner going for the last couple of evenings.
Lots going on again as ever. We took Star out to her new home last Thursday, I think she will do well there with Ivy who was already in situ to be companion to an elderly horse who coincidentally passed away the morning that we took her over. Not planned. Emrys, a little section A pony who had been at a loan home for 3 years had to come back to us last Tuesday and went to his new home on Saturday morning. He is a lovely first pony and the children love him. A good match there I think. Alfie and Chico are to go to their new home this weekend to further their training as a driving pair. We may have homes for another couple of animals in the next few days. That is the way it seems to go here, nothing moves for quite some time and then we rehome several in quick succession. My few minutes of fame on BBC Radio Wales was broadcast this last Sunday, since then we have had contact from an animal welfare trust who heard the broadcast and wants to help us. It all helps.
Tomorrow is very interesting. We are involved in a reality nativity that is being filmed for S4C and have been asked to take a donkey along to film the trailers. We are using Eeyore, our 4 year old that came in this spring. All he has to do is walk up and down and be filmed in various poses etc. I have warned the people that you should never act with children or animals but hopefully Eeyore will rise to the occasion and do his stuff. Just in case we need a bribe to get him to move quickly we are taking Millie who has been on the set before and she will make sure he knows the ropes. That and some pony nuts, extra strong mints and a mint and molasses lick thing that he adores. I am a firm believer in bribery at times.
Friday evening is also interesting as Adrian and I are off to a black tie reception in Llanelli where we will receive a donation from the Ray Gravell and Friends Charitable Trust. Needless to say I went into panic mode as I certainly had nothing to wear having got rid of all my posh dresses etc when we moved here. I have borrowed a dress (thanks Julie) and took the bus into Carmarthen yesterday to pick up the rest of the necessities like high heels (ouch), make up (how much?), tights (4 pairs as you never know) and not least a bow tie for Adrian. That proved the most difficult to find actually. Apparently nobody in Wales must go to posh "do's" or at least not round Carmarthen and I went into 6 shops before I could find one. I am clearly out of touch with the shopping world and even more so with fashion. Anyway, I might not look like a goddess but at least I won't disgrace myself and that is the main thing. I quite enjoyed my trip into Carmarthen actually. It gave me an opportunity to wander round on my own and shop by pricing things in various places to get a good deal. And there were lots of them around.
Digit has made a full recovery and should go home soon, he hasn't contracted laminitis as a result of the steroids, sighs of relief all round. We moved lots of horses from field to field today to make the best of the grass that is left and to rest some of the fields for the winter. Which will soon be upon us I fear. It remains to be seen if it is as hard a winter as the last one. At least the pipes shouldn't freeze this time as Adrian has lagged most of them with appropriate foam thingees that will insulate to a really low temperature. I really don't want to go through another big freeze.
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Wednesday 21 October 2009
Wednesday 20th October
Another busy time, also one fraught with the dreaded swine flu. Tabby our groom got it first and is still off sick, Adrian next and then myself though we had a lesser attack, only took us a week or so to recover. Sure makes you feel washed out though. There is a lot of it about, everybody we know has had some contact with someone who has had it. Mind you I am only assuming that the symptoms that we had and which matched those on the website meant that we indeed did have the illness, neither of us went to a doctor, don't think you are supposed to are you? Amazing what Lemsip and whiskey can alleviate.
Still enjoying wonderful autumn weather for the most part. Did rain like hell for most of yesterday and of course that coincided with a visit from a load of school children who came up for the day to "do things." We made sure there was some mucking out to do after which I was bombarded with questions about animals and the farm in general. Post lunch was pony rides for all the children before they had to go about 2pm. We can class the visit as a complete success and have hopes that the children will do some fund raising for us this year in their school. it was a first time for this sort of visit, we have had Brownies and home education groups but this was the first of it's type so we can now launch ourselves on an unsuspecting world.
Only blot on yesterday's landscape came when it was noticed that Digit, a pony here on livery was looking decidedly unwell. His eyes were swollen shut, his gums had lost all their colour and he had lumps all over his body. The vet was called and duly arrived, she expressed her concern and the only thing she could think wass that Digit had some sort of allergic reaction to something, we know not what. Had we not acted as quickly as we did, it could have been much worse. He was pumped with steroids, adrenalin and various other drugs and made a complete recovery even though it took several hours. His owner was here as it happened (she was helping with the school trip) and stayed on with someone else till nearly 11pm last night just to make sure all was well.
Keeping the motivation going for all the fund raising projects is difficult. We had to cancel one due to unforeseen circumstances and now really must get to grips with the rest. It is really easy for me to think there is plenty of time but big events take lots of planning to get right and time slips away so very quickly. The sponsored ride needs to be sorted but I can't do more on that till I have the go ahead from other people on various aspects and so it goes on. Now that the worst of the swine flu is gone and summer activities are finished I shall hopefully get my mind to it more easily.
Another busy time, also one fraught with the dreaded swine flu. Tabby our groom got it first and is still off sick, Adrian next and then myself though we had a lesser attack, only took us a week or so to recover. Sure makes you feel washed out though. There is a lot of it about, everybody we know has had some contact with someone who has had it. Mind you I am only assuming that the symptoms that we had and which matched those on the website meant that we indeed did have the illness, neither of us went to a doctor, don't think you are supposed to are you? Amazing what Lemsip and whiskey can alleviate.
Still enjoying wonderful autumn weather for the most part. Did rain like hell for most of yesterday and of course that coincided with a visit from a load of school children who came up for the day to "do things." We made sure there was some mucking out to do after which I was bombarded with questions about animals and the farm in general. Post lunch was pony rides for all the children before they had to go about 2pm. We can class the visit as a complete success and have hopes that the children will do some fund raising for us this year in their school. it was a first time for this sort of visit, we have had Brownies and home education groups but this was the first of it's type so we can now launch ourselves on an unsuspecting world.
Only blot on yesterday's landscape came when it was noticed that Digit, a pony here on livery was looking decidedly unwell. His eyes were swollen shut, his gums had lost all their colour and he had lumps all over his body. The vet was called and duly arrived, she expressed her concern and the only thing she could think wass that Digit had some sort of allergic reaction to something, we know not what. Had we not acted as quickly as we did, it could have been much worse. He was pumped with steroids, adrenalin and various other drugs and made a complete recovery even though it took several hours. His owner was here as it happened (she was helping with the school trip) and stayed on with someone else till nearly 11pm last night just to make sure all was well.
Keeping the motivation going for all the fund raising projects is difficult. We had to cancel one due to unforeseen circumstances and now really must get to grips with the rest. It is really easy for me to think there is plenty of time but big events take lots of planning to get right and time slips away so very quickly. The sponsored ride needs to be sorted but I can't do more on that till I have the go ahead from other people on various aspects and so it goes on. Now that the worst of the swine flu is gone and summer activities are finished I shall hopefully get my mind to it more easily.
Sunday 4 October 2009
Tuesday 6th October
Crikey, another month has gone by.
September was glorious and dry mostly, sunshine all round.
I have been out and about walking, gardening and doing outdoor things mostly, making the most of the weather. The goats have been enjoying the front paddock, it has a decent shelter in it so they stayed outside for most of the month. The paddock looks pretty good now, they always do a good job of getting rid of the rubbish plants anywhere they go.
We lost another of our cats, Hobo, whom we believe must have had a heart attack. I found him in a state of distress behind the back door one morning. We took him to the vet who I think realised that he probably wouldn't make it but he had a pain killer and antibiotic and we took him home to see how he was in the afternoon. By 4pm when Adrian went to have a look, he had died quietly and without pain in the bedroom curled up on the bed, one of his favourite places. Adrian buried him under a big slab of slate in the back garden, I must assume that the slate has been put there for that purpose previously as it is too big to be there.
Sunday I had to walk over to Bethlehem (no, not that Bethlehem) about 5 miles away I suppose. Not a bad walk and when I finished the business I had there I decided I would walk up Garn Goch, an Iron Age hillfort that sort of overlooks Bethlehem. It was quite a hike up there and I did manage to find myself in the centre of the local hunt on the way up but eventually I reached the top and my goodness what a view.
Crikey, another month has gone by.
September was glorious and dry mostly, sunshine all round.
I have been out and about walking, gardening and doing outdoor things mostly, making the most of the weather. The goats have been enjoying the front paddock, it has a decent shelter in it so they stayed outside for most of the month. The paddock looks pretty good now, they always do a good job of getting rid of the rubbish plants anywhere they go.
We lost another of our cats, Hobo, whom we believe must have had a heart attack. I found him in a state of distress behind the back door one morning. We took him to the vet who I think realised that he probably wouldn't make it but he had a pain killer and antibiotic and we took him home to see how he was in the afternoon. By 4pm when Adrian went to have a look, he had died quietly and without pain in the bedroom curled up on the bed, one of his favourite places. Adrian buried him under a big slab of slate in the back garden, I must assume that the slate has been put there for that purpose previously as it is too big to be there.
Sunday I had to walk over to Bethlehem (no, not that Bethlehem) about 5 miles away I suppose. Not a bad walk and when I finished the business I had there I decided I would walk up Garn Goch, an Iron Age hillfort that sort of overlooks Bethlehem. It was quite a hike up there and I did manage to find myself in the centre of the local hunt on the way up but eventually I reached the top and my goodness what a view.
I walked all the way along the ridge following the valley and don't know just how far you can see but it is obviously for miles.
The weather wasn't brilliant that day as you can see from the haze but I should imagine the view on a sunny day is to die for which is of course why the people would have built it there in the first place I suppose.
Anyway now that the summer is over and the strangles etc has gone, I should have a bit more time to post things.
Friday 4 September 2009
Friday 4th September
And there is a decided chill in the wind today that foretells of autumn I fear.
It would have been nice to have a summer to go before it but I think that is now not going to happen though weathermen have vaguely spoken of an Indian summer this month. I do hope it hurries up.
We had some rain this week though. My God did it rain. Tuesday I think was about the worst, so much rain that the drain at the back of the house to take the ditch run-off got blocked and I opened the door to the downstairs loo to find it swimming in water again. Well, I was wet anyway so another half hour or so clearing the ditch and drain didn't make all that much difference I guess. The good thing is that it has meant plenty of grass for the ponies that need it, the bad being that some of the ponies that don't need rich grass are a bit porkier than we would like to see. We never did get the hay field cut and of course that's gone now but maybe next year we will be successful.
I spent a lot of last weekend and this week clearing out my woodshed for the winter and cutting up all the stuff I could to make room for other wood to dry out. Every woman should have a woodshed, it is a very therapeutic place to be. I have my wind up radio and I potter in there moving bits around, rearranging so that I can find what I want when I want and generally forgetting about everything else. Good for the soul. I may be very glad I did because the wind feels quite keen and I may just decide to light the woodburner this evening. there won't be anywhere in the room to sit then as all available seating will be taken up by basking cats and dogs. I still have the better part of a bag of coal so should it be necessary, I have something put by as it were.
The sadness of the week was losing Sophie, one of our oldest cats. Last December we lost her mother Tula who just walked off one day and never came back. Sophie only about 6 months younger than her mother so we reckon about 14 but had a very bad start to her life, a wild cat born in a ditch in Suffolk. She was always just a bit timid, not very robust but a good little hunter. A month or so ago she started going down hill in the same way that her mother did, lost lots of weight despite always eating and being wormed, became more or less incontinent and wouldn't search for a litter tray or go outside and seemed to have lost the plot a bit though at other times she was the same old Sophie, purring away.
The crunch was on Wednesday, we made the decision and rather than have her wander off like her mother, we took Sophie to the vet for the final act of kindness. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I couldn't stay and watch. I can when one of the horses is dealt with but I just couldn't do it with Sophie.
But there you are, she had a good innings, was a good animal and we did the right thing.
And there is a decided chill in the wind today that foretells of autumn I fear.
It would have been nice to have a summer to go before it but I think that is now not going to happen though weathermen have vaguely spoken of an Indian summer this month. I do hope it hurries up.
We had some rain this week though. My God did it rain. Tuesday I think was about the worst, so much rain that the drain at the back of the house to take the ditch run-off got blocked and I opened the door to the downstairs loo to find it swimming in water again. Well, I was wet anyway so another half hour or so clearing the ditch and drain didn't make all that much difference I guess. The good thing is that it has meant plenty of grass for the ponies that need it, the bad being that some of the ponies that don't need rich grass are a bit porkier than we would like to see. We never did get the hay field cut and of course that's gone now but maybe next year we will be successful.
I spent a lot of last weekend and this week clearing out my woodshed for the winter and cutting up all the stuff I could to make room for other wood to dry out. Every woman should have a woodshed, it is a very therapeutic place to be. I have my wind up radio and I potter in there moving bits around, rearranging so that I can find what I want when I want and generally forgetting about everything else. Good for the soul. I may be very glad I did because the wind feels quite keen and I may just decide to light the woodburner this evening. there won't be anywhere in the room to sit then as all available seating will be taken up by basking cats and dogs. I still have the better part of a bag of coal so should it be necessary, I have something put by as it were.
The sadness of the week was losing Sophie, one of our oldest cats. Last December we lost her mother Tula who just walked off one day and never came back. Sophie only about 6 months younger than her mother so we reckon about 14 but had a very bad start to her life, a wild cat born in a ditch in Suffolk. She was always just a bit timid, not very robust but a good little hunter. A month or so ago she started going down hill in the same way that her mother did, lost lots of weight despite always eating and being wormed, became more or less incontinent and wouldn't search for a litter tray or go outside and seemed to have lost the plot a bit though at other times she was the same old Sophie, purring away.
The crunch was on Wednesday, we made the decision and rather than have her wander off like her mother, we took Sophie to the vet for the final act of kindness. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I couldn't stay and watch. I can when one of the horses is dealt with but I just couldn't do it with Sophie.
But there you are, she had a good innings, was a good animal and we did the right thing.
Sunday 23 August 2009
Sunday 23rd August
Oh look it's raining.
Both tired after yesterday. Together with 3 volunteers and 2 ponies we did pony rides at the Twm Sion Cati Festival all day. It was hard work, a shame that the Festival wasn't better attended but in the long run it probably worked out to our advantage as we had steady trade all day and we couldn't have coped with more than we had. A total of £94 including collection tins isn't bad really. Susie and Sophie coped quite well, in fact Susie had a good blast round the field afterwards as she was still full of beans and Sophie did well for her first outing.
We were cancelled for today, just as well really as the weather has turned foul again and we would have probably wasted our time standing about in the rain. So we have had a quiet day, just Adrian and myself, no volunteers and some space to breathe.
I decided to take myself off for a walk, going nowhere in particular, just needed to go somewhere on my own for a while so I put a map in my backpack along with a fleece and a waterproof (what else) and headed off. Didn't even have a mobile phone or any money now I come to think about it so it is just as well I came to no harm as I would have had no means of calling for help or money for a phone box, not that there were any where I ended up.
I walked for several miles, I guess with a vague thought about heading eventually for Lyn y Fan, nothing fixed about getting there, just the direction really. I stopped for a break and consulted my map to find that I wasn't all that far from where I have learned that the author of "The Wind in the Ash Tree", Janine MacMullen lives. At least I knew the me mentioning her in previous posts as being a bit of an inspiration.
Well, you have to go and check it out don't you so I set off down a very steep lane that I knew was going to feel a lot steeper when I was trying to climb back up. There was a drive about half way down the lane and I stood at the end of the drive and had a look. I couldn't see much and I would never have gone any further, she doesn't know me from Adam and anyway we crave our own privacy so respect other's. Certainly it was a white house behind a wall with several outbuildings. Couldn't initally see an ash tree until the breeze moved a sycamore to reveal a huge ash tree in the front garden. Even then I couldn't be sure, there are lots of ash trees in Wales after all.
I thought about moving on back up the lane; ok. it was probably her house, might never know different but I would assume so. Then just as I as turning away, the breeze moved another tree and I saw the wind vane on the chimney, a unicorn. That told me all I wanted to know. It is her house, I found it.
I stood there for some minutes, blatantly staring at the place, no one appeared to be about. Have to say at that moment, as I stood there I felt really strange. It was different to how I felt when I went to Thomas Hardy's house or Ann Hathaway's cottage or even when I went to Charles Dickens' house years ago. They were all famous authors, world famous and I doubt that Ms MacMullen has a following quite so large as any of them but I as still felt a bit humbled.
With things the way they are here at the moment, I didn't know if I should praise or curse her really. Perhaps I should look upon it as a bit of an omen that things will get better for us in the near future. Ms McMullen stuck it through good and bad times. We should do the same, things can only get better.
Oh look it's raining.
Both tired after yesterday. Together with 3 volunteers and 2 ponies we did pony rides at the Twm Sion Cati Festival all day. It was hard work, a shame that the Festival wasn't better attended but in the long run it probably worked out to our advantage as we had steady trade all day and we couldn't have coped with more than we had. A total of £94 including collection tins isn't bad really. Susie and Sophie coped quite well, in fact Susie had a good blast round the field afterwards as she was still full of beans and Sophie did well for her first outing.
We were cancelled for today, just as well really as the weather has turned foul again and we would have probably wasted our time standing about in the rain. So we have had a quiet day, just Adrian and myself, no volunteers and some space to breathe.
I decided to take myself off for a walk, going nowhere in particular, just needed to go somewhere on my own for a while so I put a map in my backpack along with a fleece and a waterproof (what else) and headed off. Didn't even have a mobile phone or any money now I come to think about it so it is just as well I came to no harm as I would have had no means of calling for help or money for a phone box, not that there were any where I ended up.
I walked for several miles, I guess with a vague thought about heading eventually for Lyn y Fan, nothing fixed about getting there, just the direction really. I stopped for a break and consulted my map to find that I wasn't all that far from where I have learned that the author of "The Wind in the Ash Tree", Janine MacMullen lives. At least I knew the me mentioning her in previous posts as being a bit of an inspiration.
Well, you have to go and check it out don't you so I set off down a very steep lane that I knew was going to feel a lot steeper when I was trying to climb back up. There was a drive about half way down the lane and I stood at the end of the drive and had a look. I couldn't see much and I would never have gone any further, she doesn't know me from Adam and anyway we crave our own privacy so respect other's. Certainly it was a white house behind a wall with several outbuildings. Couldn't initally see an ash tree until the breeze moved a sycamore to reveal a huge ash tree in the front garden. Even then I couldn't be sure, there are lots of ash trees in Wales after all.
I thought about moving on back up the lane; ok. it was probably her house, might never know different but I would assume so. Then just as I as turning away, the breeze moved another tree and I saw the wind vane on the chimney, a unicorn. That told me all I wanted to know. It is her house, I found it.
I stood there for some minutes, blatantly staring at the place, no one appeared to be about. Have to say at that moment, as I stood there I felt really strange. It was different to how I felt when I went to Thomas Hardy's house or Ann Hathaway's cottage or even when I went to Charles Dickens' house years ago. They were all famous authors, world famous and I doubt that Ms MacMullen has a following quite so large as any of them but I as still felt a bit humbled.
With things the way they are here at the moment, I didn't know if I should praise or curse her really. Perhaps I should look upon it as a bit of an omen that things will get better for us in the near future. Ms McMullen stuck it through good and bad times. We should do the same, things can only get better.
Friday 21 August 2009
Friday August 21st
It has been a long time since last I posted.
In m own case it could be said that I am suffering from a bit of a melt down. Maybe it is lack of sunshine, maybe we are both just burnt out. It has been a tough 3 years or nearly so as we will have been here 3 years on the 17th October. In that time we have both worked ourselves silly, putting in so many hours I couldn't begin to even count, certainly Adrian has and it is beginning to tell on us.
In the year since August '08 year alone we have had flood and tempest, frost, snow, frozen pipes that meant no water on site for 11 days, strangles, conjunctivitis, ring worm, being told by 2 major charities that we should close, we have done open days, events, trips here and there to deliver ponies, collect ponies, collect hay and feed, been to welfare meetings to raise awareness of equine welfare. We have struggled to get more money into the Trust all the time, relentless in our quest to keep afloat here, to push the place into the 21st century and wake up the Sleeping Beauty that we know is the Lluest Horse and PonyTrust.
We have learned to live on less money because there simply is none. All the things I came here to do, my writing, make butter, bread, my garden, my goats; everything has had to take a back seat to bringing money into the Trust. Adrian is still working 80 hours a week, few rest days, he has never taken all his holiday allocation and we are still running 1 groom short.
Where this is all going to lead to I really don't know. We are due to go to the Falkland Islands for a visit there (Adrian is a Falklands veteran and he is being sponsored to work with some of their horses) but that isn't until November and between now and then we have to carry on, we can't give in, we can't say no we won't do it because the animals still must be fed and mucked out and tended and the fund raising must go on and on and on.
Next year is the 25th anniversay of the founding of the Trust. I hope that it will prove to be a better year for us, that we can slow down just a bit and enjoy being here again. At the moment I have to say that I'm not enjoying it much at all.
It has been a long time since last I posted.
In m own case it could be said that I am suffering from a bit of a melt down. Maybe it is lack of sunshine, maybe we are both just burnt out. It has been a tough 3 years or nearly so as we will have been here 3 years on the 17th October. In that time we have both worked ourselves silly, putting in so many hours I couldn't begin to even count, certainly Adrian has and it is beginning to tell on us.
In the year since August '08 year alone we have had flood and tempest, frost, snow, frozen pipes that meant no water on site for 11 days, strangles, conjunctivitis, ring worm, being told by 2 major charities that we should close, we have done open days, events, trips here and there to deliver ponies, collect ponies, collect hay and feed, been to welfare meetings to raise awareness of equine welfare. We have struggled to get more money into the Trust all the time, relentless in our quest to keep afloat here, to push the place into the 21st century and wake up the Sleeping Beauty that we know is the Lluest Horse and PonyTrust.
We have learned to live on less money because there simply is none. All the things I came here to do, my writing, make butter, bread, my garden, my goats; everything has had to take a back seat to bringing money into the Trust. Adrian is still working 80 hours a week, few rest days, he has never taken all his holiday allocation and we are still running 1 groom short.
Where this is all going to lead to I really don't know. We are due to go to the Falkland Islands for a visit there (Adrian is a Falklands veteran and he is being sponsored to work with some of their horses) but that isn't until November and between now and then we have to carry on, we can't give in, we can't say no we won't do it because the animals still must be fed and mucked out and tended and the fund raising must go on and on and on.
Next year is the 25th anniversay of the founding of the Trust. I hope that it will prove to be a better year for us, that we can slow down just a bit and enjoy being here again. At the moment I have to say that I'm not enjoying it much at all.
Monday 10 August 2009
Monday the 10th August
I have to say I am finding it incredibly hard to find time to update myself here. By the time I have downloaded photographs, updated 3 other sites and done everything else, the day is gone and I am ready for my bed.
Not to say there isn't a lot going on other than just computers. At the moment it is all about events and fund raising things. The 2nd of August was the pub olympics which was a lot of fun, organised by Tabby and Julie it started at 3pm but due to visit0rs that arrived at the farm and required a full tour, we didn't get there till nearly 5 and had to rush through our events. Am I proud to announce that Adrian and I would have got the booby prize for the worst score of the event? Well sort of. It was a great afternoon though, people were very supportive of the Trust and it makes you feel good.
Since then it has been lots of comings and goings in a way, a couple of horses have come in for remedial training etc and it seems like we have been out and about a lot lately though I would have to look at my other diary to tell you what we have been doing.
So having done that ....
We hosted a group called Interplay one day. They are a charity that integrates special needs children into activities round and about south Wales and we first met them at the Waterfront Museum in March. Adrian was day off really but we helped Tabby and another volunteer get sorted in time for Interplay's arrival before we had to shoot off into Llandeilo. The group of 15 had lunch then did some grooming and were so pleased at how the children reacted that they will bring another group up to us later this month. They would like to do more here but we lack the facilities really. Everybody ends up using my downstairs loo and the house is not our own when that happens.
I was thrilled when the sun finally came out, we had 5 whole days of sunshine. Unfortunately the grass is so long now that I couldn't cut it the first couple of days, then we were busy and now it has rained again. Always the way I am afraid.
We spent 3 days doing various events that meant we were out with a variety of animals. First was the Grandparent's Intergenerational Activities Day at the National Botanical Gardens and then 2 days at the Waterfront Museum in Swansea where the donkeys took part in a "Miner's Seaside Holiday" exhibition.
Bit of a rant coming so prepare yourselves.
Parents, please look after your children. Anybody who has anything at all to do with horses and donkeys can tell you they can be dangerous. We police our animals, don't expect us to police your children as well. The number of children that headed straight for the back end of the animals while their parents stood back watching them is not to be believed. All of us were having to say, "Don't stand at the back end, mind your feet, don't crowd the donkeys, watch yourselves." The doting parents stood idly by while we kept a fixed smile on our faces while thinking seriously about murder or at least ABH in a lot of cases. Poking a donkey with a walking stick is not a good idea, nor is stabbing my dog with a sharp stick either. We have to be polite and courteous, it is a shame so many young children aren't taught the basics as well. NO, it isn't a mule, it isn't a cow, it isn't a yak, it is a donkey but no she won't appreciate you stuffing your fingers in her ears.
It's no wonder we are tired at the end of an event.
I have to say I am finding it incredibly hard to find time to update myself here. By the time I have downloaded photographs, updated 3 other sites and done everything else, the day is gone and I am ready for my bed.
Not to say there isn't a lot going on other than just computers. At the moment it is all about events and fund raising things. The 2nd of August was the pub olympics which was a lot of fun, organised by Tabby and Julie it started at 3pm but due to visit0rs that arrived at the farm and required a full tour, we didn't get there till nearly 5 and had to rush through our events. Am I proud to announce that Adrian and I would have got the booby prize for the worst score of the event? Well sort of. It was a great afternoon though, people were very supportive of the Trust and it makes you feel good.
Since then it has been lots of comings and goings in a way, a couple of horses have come in for remedial training etc and it seems like we have been out and about a lot lately though I would have to look at my other diary to tell you what we have been doing.
So having done that ....
We hosted a group called Interplay one day. They are a charity that integrates special needs children into activities round and about south Wales and we first met them at the Waterfront Museum in March. Adrian was day off really but we helped Tabby and another volunteer get sorted in time for Interplay's arrival before we had to shoot off into Llandeilo. The group of 15 had lunch then did some grooming and were so pleased at how the children reacted that they will bring another group up to us later this month. They would like to do more here but we lack the facilities really. Everybody ends up using my downstairs loo and the house is not our own when that happens.
I was thrilled when the sun finally came out, we had 5 whole days of sunshine. Unfortunately the grass is so long now that I couldn't cut it the first couple of days, then we were busy and now it has rained again. Always the way I am afraid.
We spent 3 days doing various events that meant we were out with a variety of animals. First was the Grandparent's Intergenerational Activities Day at the National Botanical Gardens and then 2 days at the Waterfront Museum in Swansea where the donkeys took part in a "Miner's Seaside Holiday" exhibition.
Bit of a rant coming so prepare yourselves.
Parents, please look after your children. Anybody who has anything at all to do with horses and donkeys can tell you they can be dangerous. We police our animals, don't expect us to police your children as well. The number of children that headed straight for the back end of the animals while their parents stood back watching them is not to be believed. All of us were having to say, "Don't stand at the back end, mind your feet, don't crowd the donkeys, watch yourselves." The doting parents stood idly by while we kept a fixed smile on our faces while thinking seriously about murder or at least ABH in a lot of cases. Poking a donkey with a walking stick is not a good idea, nor is stabbing my dog with a sharp stick either. We have to be polite and courteous, it is a shame so many young children aren't taught the basics as well. NO, it isn't a mule, it isn't a cow, it isn't a yak, it is a donkey but no she won't appreciate you stuffing your fingers in her ears.
It's no wonder we are tired at the end of an event.
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