ENGLAND'S BROWN AND PLEASANT LAND

This is our town Chagford from up on our part of the moor yesterday. It was a bit hazy but you get the general idea. Thank goodness the rain has come in force today and things might start to go green again, but anywhere cultivated looks like it's been toasted and makes the usually bleak moorland look like lush pasture:

Parched grassy bits on Kestor Rocks

Our desert island in a moorland sea

Chagford again

I'be been keeping an eye out for Tornado over the past few days and, on one of the occasions I saw her, she was very much living up to her name. Most of the shots, from a great distance, were too blurry with speed but this one was okay as she slithered to a halt after much prancing. The faithful bay gelding from last year is keeping watch over her; I say her because after a close look I can see no obvious evidence of coltness. Knowing my abilities in this field I should look forward to the next post reversing my decision.

A few more of her. I'm a bit smitten....

Oh dear....what's that in the nether department? I give up. 

The bad hair mother and daughter were in evidence yesterday, still sporting their ridiculous fur coats. Here's the daughter with what looks like an aunt:

Origami Boy is well and truly in holiday mode, so long walks aren't really happening. However, he does love whacking a tennis ball for Snippet which get's him excercised in a concentrated kind of way:

 

There are lots of young Chaffinches around on the feeder at the moment:

The sole Blue Tit juvenile is nearly grown up:

Blackbird juveniles are appearing for the first time:

There are two broods of Great Tits around now. First, nearly mature:

And the second, still fluffy with gapes:

The first Thrush for ages:

The gorse is flowering AGAIN. This is the third time this year!

                                      

Meadowsweet is  looking beautiful around our neighbour's pond:

Spear Thistle are flowering everywhere:

Our Runner Beans are going a bit mad. Origami Boy has grabbed this one out of his window and tied it to his desk drawer with a piece of string:

We shouldn't have sown the second lot of salad when we did.....it's ready much too soon and we're handing bags of out to everyone we know:

I'm managing to write this in a brief window between holiday activities and bed. Hayfever is keeping me awake half the night at the moment, as the pollen gently descends from the stratosphere into my nostrils via the battle ground that is the windows. I would like them closed as a barrier to the sneezey stuff, whereas my partner likes them wide open. An age old argument I'm sure. I grump out of bed in the small hours of the morning, snuffling like a truffle pig, and slam them closed, only to find them open again in the morning. Tonight, I'm trying some drowsy making antihistamine tablets in the hope of killing two birds with one pill but we'll see.  Until my next available moment for communication, here's Snippet after my latest dog grooming exercise with the clippers. This is what he was like as a puppy....he'll be bald before you know it....

FIRST BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY AND THANK YOU ALL

Today, one year ago, the 29th of March, I wrote my first post. I wondered if anyone would ever read it and whether I'd be able to think of anything to write about or photograph. I must admit that it has become an important part of my life and an incredible help in filling the gap that not being able to ride any more left. I'm so grateful to every one who follows and leaves comments. I've met some fabulous people, if not face to face obviously, and found huge support in difficult times. I never expected that when I started. I imagined it would be a lonely experience, speaking into a void but how wrong I was. Thank you all. Today has been a good day, culminating in a Chinese takeaway from Exeter; a rare treat when you live where we do. Yesterday wasn't so good when I realised I couldn't find my purse and my precious glasses that I use for computer work broke. I have no idea what happened to the purse, but I've cancelled the cards and will be okay without the 27 pence it contained! The week old  drivers licence and photos of Origami boy as a baby are more of a wrench. The glasses have been mended with a plaster, Jack Duckworth style. Coronation Street is my secret indulgence....not so secret now. Amongst the relative rubbish are characters that have made me cry and laugh. No other soap like it. Probably best to stop there I think! Here are the glasses; not a great look for the school library.

Triggers 'companions' are still staying away but at least I've found them amongst the gorse forest now. I was starting to get worried that they'd somehow managed to escape. I would not have been popular. Here's one of them, skulking and looking warily at me. 

And Trigger eating his breakfast off the frosty ground. He prefers that to a bucket so I just tip it out now rather than watch him chucking it about with his nose.

On our way back from the school Easter service yesterday, Origami Boy and I followed Daisy up the drive on her way to her late afternoon and night time residence. She's getting very slow now.

 She was out on the moor this morning again looking rather beautiful:

A few more pictures from the last couple of days:

Bird table pictures:

Male Blackbird

Female Blackbird

The Mistle Thrush

Male Chaffinch just taking off

I hope you all have a great Easter weekend and thanks so much again for following and reading this. How strange that I have 52 followers after 52 weeks.....until next time, here's Snippet with a stick today.

A BIRTHDAY, FROZEN PIPES AND A HOLIDAY FOR TRIGGER

Goodness it's been cold. A bit better today but, looking out of the window, I see it is snowing again. Trigger's trough has had an inch of ice over it twice a day, to be perforated with a metal stake and then hacked at to make a drinking hole. Yesterday was Origami Boy's ninth birthday and we woke to the pounding of feet down the corridor at 5.55am. Lavatory flushed, I noted there was no noise of the cistern filling and then, no hand-washing water. This is VERY odd as we have tanks in the loft that fill slowly from the bore hole and then have their contents pumped to most of the taps in the house. Even if the pipes from the bore hole freeze, we always have the tanks to back us up. The downstairs lavatory and washing machine run directly from the bore hole so we usually have water one way or another. NOT today. The window in the loft had blown out and icy North Easterly winds had been wafting over the tanks, pipes and pump and had frozen them overnight. The pipes from the bore hole had also frozen so we had about a litre of water in a bottle to do teeth but nothing else. Poor Origami Boy spent his birthday breakfast alone whist partner and I took fan heaters into the loft and ran around fetching water for flushing from the nearby stream. I feel terrible about it. At least he has his party on Saturday, taking four friends to the hell that is Crealy Adventure Park. Still, a middle aged woman's hell is a nine year old boy's heaven so we will fix smiles on our faces and wrap up warm. The water is back now thank goodness and the snow is beginning to recede. It's snowing again quite a lot now which is a bit of a worry though. Anyway, here are some pictures from yesterday. I could only have my hand out of my gloves for a minute to turn on the camera before the cold became too much!

This strange ice structure was hanging off Kestor Rocks. As you can see from the next two pictures, there appears to be nothing inside the beautiful leaf shape but I'm assuming there must have been a blade of grass at least for it to build up around.

Snow bath

I had good news yesterday in that the farmer who rents the fields up here, including Trigger's paddock, has said I can put him in with their three Dartmoors for a month in one of their fields next to the cattle grid as you come onto the moor. It's about half a mile from home and I'll pass it twice a day anyway. It solves a problem for the moment. Here it is. You can see his new companions snoozing in yesterday's brief spell of sunshine. It's a risk putting him in with an established threesome but one I'm prepared to take in the face of bald paddock and lonely pony. All being well, I'll be moving him on Sunday.

The Mistle Thrush is back. Yesterday I caught it eating porridge. I was spotted and off it flew.

Today, I managed to photograph this Buzzard on the wing. Not brilliant but better than I've managed before.

Then, on the way up the drive, I spotted this character staring at us from the huge Beech tree. He's not Snippet's greatest fan and Snippet would have him for breakfast. 

Plans are afoot regarding all our futures. My Mum has expressed an interest in us pooling our resources and buying somewhere that could accommodate us all and be split into two separate dwellings. It means we are unlikely to live out on the moor as Mum is not keen, but she understands that we can't live in the village, so a compromise will have to be found. What it does mean is that we can look at somewhere with enough space for Trigger too which would be great, in case I can't find the right home for him. It will take time I should think, but partner and I are looking at somewhere tomorrow....you never know. Anyway, I'm rambling and really need to do some serious housework and party planning.  Where did those nine years go? Until next time......here's Snip enjoying the snow.