Longhope Diary February 2016

11/2/2016

OK….now we have had enough of the rain. At first it was necessary… then it was a bit of a bore, eventually very serious with floods etc. Now I have had ENOUGH. I am sure when you live/work rurally you are so much more aware of the weather. In part this is due to the multiple clothes changes in a day, the washing machine is continually churning round and round and the roof is leaking where it has never leaked before. Pneumonia in the calf shed has been awful, the worst we have ever known and Mike has had a cough/chest infection which nearly finished him off. I have to collect children from the bus stop as I am’ just about soft enough’ to feel sorry for them walking a mile in the rain (not like in my day of course - we had to walk miles in all-weather).

Horses have to stay in as much as possible (thank goodness for the hard standing areas) and if there is any plus side (for us, not necessarily horse owners) the forage sales are up, thus proving that every cloud has a silver lining.

Much debate in our house at present as to whether we invest in a new building for farm (hopefully making money) or a new roof on house (no capital return but necessary). I’m not one for scare tactics but have advised Mike to always wear pyjamas to bed, then if the roof caves in at least when the emergency services pull us (or our bodies) out from the rotten timbers we will be respectable.

This appears to have no effect whatsoever on Mike who can only see the joy of a new machinery shed (maybe we could move in there?) Worse still, he has talked me around…How did that happen?

At long last I have my rouges gallery in the holiday cottage. I put a door with 15 small glass windows horizontally on the wall, painted it then put a row of metal hooks along the bottom for coats etc. I now fill each pane with pictures of dogs on holiday in the cottage. It makes the dog room really rather jolly and a bit more personal. I love it when people email dog pics.

BEFORE

Izi will be joining Sharon & I on the ‘clean team’. It means we can get the extra odd jobs done without looking completely shell-shocked by the finish. You can have an immaculate cottage and delicious cream tea (with owner looking like a hag) or lower cleaning standards (if make-up and/or hairbrush are used). It’s a ‘no brainer’ and I don’t think I have scared anybody yet. I felt so sorry for the guest who stayed for a long weekend, during which it did not stop raining once. They were so philosophical and merely said “what can we expect with a break in January at least the cottage was cosy?” I am amazed that we are fully booked bar 4 days in February, to quote Jamie Lawson “I never expected that”.

AFTER

Spring is not far off, this I know as Sophie the gardener has come out of hibernation and is busy with borders once again. This lady has talent and knows about plants. I am eagerly awaiting the beds around Armstrong Equine filling with colour now we are in year two. I am told Sophie has planted some pink ‘things’ in the shape of a horseshoe.

James is back to help us out for a few days a week. This is brilliant, I felt as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So far he and Mike have not had too many rows even though Mike forgets that James is now a ‘proper grown up’ and not 17 (those were the days!). They don’t know it but even when they do argue it sounds like a Monty Python sketch. The funniest was when Mike threatened to dock £10 from an 18 year old James’s wage for going to the loo at the wrong time. Meanwhile I sat back and laughed until I had tears pouring down my cheeks which probably didn’t help matters.

Bengi, the biggest softie horse in the yard, went off to a loan home on approval…..they did not approve and described him as uncontrollable and dangerous. Honestly I just could not believe it, nor does anybody here. He was greeted back with cuddles, carrots and lots of attention. Maybe he had a plan all along? If only I could ride, Bengi is exactly the type of horse I would want. When I first came to the farm I thought ‘a horse was a horse’ but now I know that they all have such complex and different personalities. In fairness as I only do turnout, rugs, feed and stables I am asking little of them and only see the best side.

Richard the fencing man is here at the moment and already has made a big difference. Luke our old apprentice pops in to see us from time to time which is great as I miss him and Nye’s album is coming out in February. A busy month ahead.