EQUINE FRIENDS

These three are firm friends;Diamond and, er, two others.  Diamond was whinnying for them and looking around when I first saw him:

He soon found one of them:

Then two were three:

A lot of bonding went on:

Here two of them are, relaxing with a grown up:

Two mares grooming:

The sky was stormy in the distance. My favourite kind of light for photography: sun in the foreground and dark skies in the background. The colours really were this vibrant.

The Kestrel has been around again:

These next ones are just views of the landscape over the last week; different every day and one of the reasons I love this place so much. 

That's my shadow in the early morning sun: 

Half term is in full swing although OB is completely exhausted after his week in Brixham. He had a fantastic time and I'm SO grateful to his teacher for getting him through it. A child with Aspergers can be a challenge in new situations with big challenges. They wrote a postcard home on the first evening and OB wrote:

'I want to cry. I'm very homesick. I will try and cry before bed. I love you.'

As I reached for the car keys, I read the note his teacher had written on the edge of the card saying that this was a temporary blip and that he was fine. I reluctantly put the keys back. A brilliant example of the Aspergers mind: not thinking of the impact actions might have. I was SO pleased to have him home on Friday. He was very tearful as he was missing his friends that night. Much better now and he and his friend staying with us were so tired tonight they crawled up to bed at 7.30 and were both asleep ten minutes later! Right, I'd better light the fire or we will have no hot water tomorrow. So, until next time, have a great week and here are my very active canine boys.

PREENING

I took this series of photos just before we went to Cornwall back in August and they've been sitting in a folder waiting for the right moment. OB is away all week and I have a decorating job to do for our new neighbour, which is taking up a lot of my time. Perfect timing. I imagine this little juvenile Robin is now sporting a fine red breast, but at the time, as you can see, the merest flush was appearing. It flew from the fence above to a metal stake in our vegetable patch...........

and the preening began......

A change of position......

Not quite happy..........

Done. 

OB's teacher posted on their class blog this morning, which was a huge relief. There was a picture of him raft building. We're allowed no contact at all, so seeing him looking happy was lovely. Only three more days to go. The house feels so empty and, of course, excessively quiet. 

Christmas card orders are enough to go to the printers so if anyone else is interested, there should be enough to go round. The wind today has been pretty extreme, but we've had worse and I think we've escaped the worst down here in the South West. I feel for any of you further North. So, until next time, here are the photo-shy boys from a couple of weeks ago when there was sun. It seems an age ago. Autumn is most certainly here. Have a good week wherever you are. 

CHRISTMAS CARDS, LIGHTING STRIKES AGAIN AND THE GOLDEN PLOVERS ARE BACK

Many apologies for my absence; we had ANOTHER lightning strike last Wednesday and have had no internet until last night. How depressingly reliant I am on it. I felt panicky, isolated and desperate. But I'm back and have picked these four favourite snowy scenes for Christmas cards but need to know how many of you are interested this year. After last year's financial loss due to my forgetting Etsy's commission, I've had to build that in this time and am wondering if eBay might be a better bet. Your opinions would be appreciated as well as any definite orders as I'll have to talk to the printer as soon as possible. I thought a pack of eight 12x12cm cards, two of each design and MUCH better quality than last year having discovered my lovely printers in Cornwall. The company supports the Woodland Trust and only uses carbon captured papers which are sustainably sourced. £6.00 for eight plus £1.30 postage in the UK. I'll have to check outside the UK. I think two packs would still be okay at £1.30 P&P as I will pack them flat like last year, but more than that could move out of the 'large letter' format. Do let me know if you're interested.

For the last few weeks we have had a builder in hacking the render off the house as it was falling off all over the place.....too much sand in the mix. This is what it looked like when he'd done half of it; what looks like lovely granite blocks revealed on the left are actually horrible concrete ones, hence the render.

He has put polystyrene insulation all over the wall before the render goes on:

The rains came then......update soon I hope.

The Golden Plover flock is back. I was so delighted when I heard their distinctive call overhead the other day. They fly round and round for half an hour at a time.........

................before landing and pottering about on the same patch of ground every day. I'm hoping to get some better shots than this soon but Jack is NOT helping matters as you can imagine. I think their markings are just beautiful. 

I don't know this foal or its mother but it's very sweet:

Rainbow cow:

View through the Beech and wall:

Shelter belt rainbows:

The Long Stone or Three Boys as it's known. It marks the boundary of three parishes:

Bronze age hut circle with a view:

It's good to be back in the cyber-world. Birthdays are coming up and I was beginning to panic. OB goes on his residential week in Brixham next Monday and there were things I wanted to bid on on eBay. Never mind. I'm labeling EVERYTHING, even his socks. I find a biro is good for writing on clothes. It never comes out and is much cheaper than a so called laundry marker. My tip for the day. So, until next time, hope you've had a good week - I'm about to go and attempt to find out from all those of you who write blogs - and here are the boys in the browning grass of Autumn. Don't forget to let me know about those cards.......thank you!