THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

14 March 2013

SCORHILL TOR ON A MISSION AND A VISITOR


A beautiful, cold, crisp and sunny day, so Snippet and I set out on a longer than usual walk in search of Betty and the herd. I thought I'd seen them at a distance on the other side of the valley near Scorhill Tor (pronounced scorrill) so we set off down to the river. On the way, we saw these lovely ponies basking:




Ridiculous hair-do


Snippet was having a great time rushing around at full speed in the parched grass.




Over the river and up the other side, looking back upstream.....



....and over to Kestor in the distance


The pony herd does not include Betty. Some of them look familiar but I am disappointed.


I climb Scorhill Tor, which isn't difficult, and look back over the valley where I can just glimpse our house between the trees. We can just see the tor from our bedroom window.  And then over to the high moor. I so rarely come over here; it's nice to get a different perspective. I was hoping for some reptile sightings given the strength of the sun, but was disappointed there too. 






I rushed home as I was meeting partner at the potential house for us and my Mum. It would have been fantastic for us, but the section for my mum was dark and cold and North facing. Not good for my Mother who feels the cold and loves the light. Never mind.....we'll keep looking. 

The last couple of days have brought a visitor over the mud filled cattle grid and up the drive. She has taken up residence in a scrubby bit of land next to the holiday home bungalow up here. The owners only visit rarely so she is safe grazing there. She is VERY heavily pregnant and looks about to pop. She's causing some chaos at night, invading unfenced bits of garden, but ours isn't one of them and I'm sort of hoping she has the foal in here. She looks very like number one foal's mum from last year but I'm not sure. Here she is:


I'll leave you with Trigger looking furry this morning in the sunshine. No signs of summer coat yet. It would normally be coming out in hanks by now. Until next time...






14 comments:

  1. All your photos are great i really love the horses

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  2. Lovely photos, as always. Sorry you didn't find Betty. I was surprised at the amount of greys, as I didn't realize this was one of the commoner colours (do you ever see it in the show ring I wonder?)

    Lovely photo of Trigger. Sensible lad not to start moulting yet!

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  3. Julie - They are particularly gorgeous ones aren't they? I love those two bays.

    BB - Not in the show ring very much at all in my limited experience, but extremely common out there.

    I'm very grateful not to be covered in fur I must say. I'm hoping it will all come out in the space of a week!

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  4. Very hairy ponies! My pony's winter coat would come out in clumps if it was a late moult. He'd let me pull it out (gently!) and I could make him have a 'tide mark' as I worked down each side!

    We've our son's Golden Retriever at our place for a month and I can't believe how much she's moulting - I'm vacuuming every other day and it's driving me crazy! I'm used to a clean and tidy house! I hope your moulting problems are short lived - being dark it'd be even worse.

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  5. It looks like foals on the moor are fairly imminent?

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  6. Lovely photos of your world!! I do hope you find Betty and the herd! The others are really beautiful, even with a ridiculous hair-do's! :-)

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  7. I drove across the moors on Tuesday, I thought of you as I was inspired to take my camera. I got a few lovely shots (not as good as yours; but a start) x

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  8. Virginia - I love the idea of tide marks!

    Rusty D - Last year it started in very early April with the last one being born very late in August. The herd I followed were hanging round here for a while before they started which is why I'm concerned I won't have any to follow this year!

    Kim - It really is ridiculous. I'm tempted to go out with some scissors!

    Jopsy - Looking forward to seeing them on YOUR BLOG!

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  9. Lovely photos of the landscape and the horses Em, not forgetting Snippet of course. What a great place it is for a dog, so much exploring to do. I love that 'ridiculous' hairdo :-)

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  10. How that pony hasn't got caught up in something I don't know!

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  11. Loved all the pony photos! Maybe Betty's owner hasn't turned her back out on the moors.

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  12. Really beautiful photos. Love the horse ones - must show them to my daughter :) Good luck with the house hunting!

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  13. Just loved the pony photos, they seem to thrive in the harsh condition of the moors. Lucky you to have such a place to walk. And also luck with house hunting, fraught with all the problems it can bring ;) x

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  14. Gail - When I spoke to her owners before Christmas, they said she was staying out all winter, so she must just be somewhere I can't see her. I just don't have the time to search those further reaches at the moment.

    Ragged R - I love house hunting...it's all the stuff leading up to the moving that's so stressful! We have another one to go and look at which is closer to the moor than the last, which makes us feel more comfortable.

    Thelma - I'm extremely lucky and the idea of moving from here is pretty daunting. To be able to just step out into it the way we do is such a privilege.

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