APRIL BITS AND PIECES

I've had no internet for four days now; it's been very challenging, especially as I'm in the midst of a mother crisis. On Tuesday, she was in a panic and said she couldn't cope any more. Since then, I've been in a whirlwind of arranging carers and looking for a respite place to bridge the time before her hip is replaced. Now, with a delightful commode and people coming in to help her (and me), the respite is no longer needed and she feels capable of staying in her lovely bungalow. I'm relieved as I can't manage it all on my own, especially as it's lawn mowing and gardening season as well as all her paperwork and, well, everything else too. Aging can be a terrible thing. 

OB takes his SATS next week and is very nervous about them poor love. There's so much pressure on kids these days. I never had homework OR tests at primary school. Did you? He'll have a room on his own in case of tics distracting the others, and a dedicated teaching assistant with him. We're so lucky to have such a supportive school.

I will be 51 next Friday. Rather an anti-climax after last year's fabulous day I fear. Slightly concerned that, the usually incessantly pestering M, hasn't asked me what I'd like as a present. My childhood birthdays were always pretty awful and, as an adult, I make a show of not caring whether I get nice things or even, perhaps, a party, while my pathetic inner child is screaming "Where's my ****ing present!". Perhaps I need to talk about this.....it's been a hard week. I'll try not to back the car into a wall the day before if you remember that eye wateringly badly timed incident last year. 

Trigger is going on holiday for about four weeks from Tuesday, to some friends whose ponies I've been helping get halter trained over the last couple of months. It will be a walk of a couple of hours but worth it as he'll have grass and company and his little paddock might recover a bit. I'll try and take pictures on the journey for next time. 

Time for a selection of pictures from April. they would have been nearer the end of that month had it not been for crises and internet issues. I didn't think it would be back till the middle of next week so I'm amazed to be posting at all. First a couple of sheep. Eyes and ears....

That bit of grass looks like white wool coming out of her mouth:

Fresh green of new Beech leaves. I do love that curve of more in the distance coming out too:

Fresh Hawthorn leaves and an old berry:

Remember the Dun pony I thought didn't look like the rest of them out there? Well here she is a couple of days before I managed to catch her and return her to her owner, who was delighted to have her back. Her name is Tilly:

New foals......this one has a mark like a tick and, since OB calls his tic supressing exercised 'tic tac's', that's what we've christened her (that means she's probably male knowing me): Tic Tac:

Another one....no name yet as I haven't got a decent picture of it's markings:

One of the gelding protectorate rolling a bit too close to a drop:

This year's herd on the move:

Skylark refusing to look at the camera:

Beautiful Buzzard:

Meadow Pipit singing and doing its Skylark impression:

Closer to the ground:

A lone Pheasant out on the moor looking a bit lost:

Kestrel about to drop on its prey:

Metal bird (Lynx I think) over Chagford:

Crossed vapour trails over Kestor:

This hasn't come out quite how it looked....I was trying to show the impact of a field of oil seed rape in an otherwise green landscape. Someone is stealing the show:

I love the colours of the trees in this one:

A few extra pictures from that day in Westwood Ho!....

The pebble ridge:

Jack and Finnian, who has a distinct height advantage!

The surfers prepare:

Scuba Jack?

Don't know what possessed me to take this. It was a beautiful day at a remote part of the river where I knew there was no chance of anyone disturbing me, my back was killing me, so I lay down on a rock and took this:

Then I heard some quacking......

All on his own in the middle of nowhere:

Mr Woodpecker giving me a hard stare:

The Bumble-footed Chaffinch is still going strong. 

I have a million things to catch up on so I'd better get on. I have no idea what you're all up to but will try and catch up over the weekend. Some more followers which is fantastic. Welcome and thank you. So, until next time, here is Snippet just after his haircut and Jack out cold, or warm, on my new wood-chip area. Have a lovely weekend!

BLOG #251

Oh my goodness..........I feel like I've been trying to write this for weeks and I can't think of a witty, pithy or even informative title so hence the number. Sorry. Where is the time going? Since we last 'spoke', OB has had his 11th birthday and his tic suppression exercises from Great Ormond Street have been all consuming. His progression has been amazingly speedy, thanks to that young sponge of a brain no doubt, but it can take up all our spare time. The longer he does it for, the less time there is for anything else and he's been doing some incredible times; some over an hour. Also, I seem to be plagued with things not working which then need sorting out with emails or phone calls. Jack's spray collar malfunctioned after one use and, having had a very snotty email from the company I bought it from which was totally uncalled for; I was extremely polite suggesting that the fact that the box had obviously been previously opened was unacceptable, I then got through to the manufacturers. A lovely woman there told me to whack it on the table and stick a biro in the nozzle. Job done. Let's hope it has an effect now....

I saw the specialist diabetic nurse at the hospital last week, who was absolutely lovely and ordered me some new insulin pens on which I can dial up half units. This will be really helpful as someone who is, as she put it, very insulin sensitive. They also have a digital readout on the end that tells you what you last injected and how long ago it was. This may sound unnecessary but I quite often go into ground hog day mode and can't remember if I've injected or not. So, even if I don't get the pump I want, at least I now have some jaunty red pens. This morning I was able to order the blood glucose monitoring system I've been waiting for since December. Yesterday the company's computer system crashed with the huge volume of us trying to place our orders! Very excited. Will report back as to how it's going. 

Right, some photos. Mrs Woodpecker is much less shy than her male partner and has let me get quite close to the window to photograph her. Isn't she beautiful?

I've had a few encounters with the beautiful dun pony over the last few weeks. She comes straight up to me and definitely wants attention. I'm wondering if she might have been abandoned; there are no other ponies like her and she suddenly appeared with a group I know well. I've never seen a dun coloured pony in this area. There's nothing more engaging that an animal who seeks out your attention and I'd love to pop her in my pocket and take her home. 

A couple of last year's foals checking out the dogs:

Two of the three sisters:

Sheltering from the wind:

When I was talking to our local Peregrine expert after my sighting, I asked if they would take a Golden Plover because I keep finding feathers in the area where I often photograph them. He said they definitely would and that they would leave feathers intact rather than crushing them as a fox might. I often find wing feathers, which are nice, but fairly ordinary. These, however, are the tiny ones that make up the stunning triangle markings on their breasts. I took them home.

Meadow Pipits turning their backs on me:

An unusually lone Starling which was just sitting in the grass:

Wood Pigeon preening:

Jack being Jack:

I love the colours in this one, even if it is just a rock. Kestor is in the distance out of focus:

It's been slightly foggy recently, particularly around the time of the eclipse, and the light has been beautiful through it. 

Last Friday swailing took place just outside our hamlet and up and around Kestor. The next morning the ponies and sheep were on it looking for new shoots. It stank for days.

On Friday we also found out that, despite hours and hours of form filling, Devon County Council have refused our request for a Statutory Assessment for OB. Everyone is pretty disappointed after so much hard work but we have to move forward and hope that his secondary school can provide what he needs within a non-statutory framework. God - I'm starting to sound like them. I have high hopes of the school and we CAN reapply if things don't work out, but it's definitely a set back. We'll keep fighting.....

So, until next time here are the boys, one of whom will be back in training today. Have a lovely week and I'm off to try and catch up with some of your blogs....a rare treat!