| Hooray! Since the last newsletter Armstrong Equine yard has a load of hard-standing areas, roadway and a roundabout. This will make it much easier for horseboxes and avoid the dreading reversing (precariously near to the pond!). Horseboxes are not amphibious. The landscaping looks a bit patchy but as the plants grow the gaps will be filled. Most flowers are pink to match Armstrong Equine colours….. Charlotte had better rent the place for a long time, I cannot see some ‘hairy arsed light engineering workers’ loving the pinkness in years to come! |  |
 | Isn’t this spring weather great? We love the long light evenings and dry fields. It’s great having horses out all the time. There was just the most beautiful sky a while ago, I took this while checking the cows & calves. Silaging starts within a week or so. The little foal is beautiful, so bouncy. I think Poppy is a very lucky girl to be able to study at her desk by the window and watch the foal growing, seemingly by the day. |
We had a lovely day with the reception class of Hope Brook School. They behaved perfectly and loved the jumping demonstration by Charlotte (who made it look effortless as always!). Before long the children cheered each time he jumped clear and went “oooh” when he clipped a pole. The horse, ‘Little Man’, was brilliant and seemed totally unaffected by the mob. Bud demonstrated how to round up cattle and they all had tea on the lawn sitting on straw bales which we later turned into a bale tunnel. Thank you Charlotte and Armstrong Equine team, Luke and Poppy for helping make the visit fun and safe.
 | We also had Ross Motor Sports club come for the annual rally. It went off very smoothly and the bacon rolls/cream teas sold very well. We had my good old wood burning Rayburn (poor man’s Aga) going flat out, more like a kiln, we could have fired pottery in it. We all had to have baths to use the hot water before it boiled in the tank. Once gone you would hardly know they had been on the field, there was practically no damage and we were the cleanest family in the village. Again thanks for my team of helpers, Poppy, Jess and Becky. |
| Holiday cottage exceeding expectations. We hope to have shooting parties there during the winter months to ensure all year round income. Hopefully that means I can tarmac the drive by the cottages. |  |
 | Here is the arena membrane going down….what a job! Could have done with my principal ‘bed maker’ at the cottage, Sharon. Thank goodness it was not a windy day.  |
Roy our digger driver was full of encouragement muttering that “if the wind picks up now we’ve had it”. Suddenly putting a king size duvet cover on doesn’t scare me anymore.
 | Thank you so much to Will Smith who helped us out over the half term holiday. All cattle yards cleaned out which is great.  |
| Have done something impulsive and purchased (from eBay) a lovely old Victorian range cooker, I don’t actually have a place to put it yet but maybe the barn conversion if we EVER get it done. Stove is called ‘Betsy’ according to the old couple I got it from, I promised them she would be loved and looked after. It took SIX of us (four of which were farmers) to lift the thing; we were panting, sweating and straining, after which the lovely elderly couple told us they have ‘gradually’ got it out of their house themselves. Yep, just the two of them! Wonder if they want a job? |  Betsy |
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