OK I have a beef today, I rarely buy clothes which is probably pretty obvious to anyone who sees what I wear. I loath buying clothes, cloth shopping is my worst nightmare and I go through shops like the proverbial whirlwind. I am not even that enamored of buying stuff online, because I am always worried about sending it back. However I did buy a couple of really nice jerseys from a company called Woolovers. So when I saw their stand at the Bath and West in June, I bought a couple more, but they did not have the ones I wanted in stock so they promised to send them on their return after the show. Needless to say I sort of forgot about them with the rush of life here. However they rather stupidly email me adverts on a regular basis, so that reminded me. Eventually after 6 weeks (!) they arrived, actually I don’t like one of them! Unwisely I ordered some more. I ordered them in July, not one arrived in what could be called a minorly reasonable time and I am still waiting for the last one. I think they are trying to catch the bloody sheep to make the things. So take my advice, they are nice jerseys, but unless you don’t mind dying of old age or pneumonia with winter coming along, waiting for the damn things don’t buy from them!! Oh and apparently they have not heard of apologising either!!

I just had an interesting email from Amazon too, they occasionally send me recommendations of things that would interest me, not sure they really have my measure, but I was amused this morning to be offered two books written by – myself!!

The local hunt met here yesterday and parked in our car park, at about 10.00 am they were loading up horses to leave but one chap had a horse that would not load, we all offered to help but he said no, two hours later the bloody horse was still standing half way up the ramp. He asked if he could leave it in one of my fields, and so he did, however he needs to learn to shut a gate properly, because about ¾ of an hour later a lady came in and said there is a horse walking down the road – on its own. So about four of us rapidly went to look, as it saw Holly it started to trot, so Adam and Linda got in his van, I grabbed Mollie’s head collar and John was ahead of me in the road. I was tearing down the road – OK not tearing as I can’t exactly tear these day, but a reasonable trot I would say, and a very kind lady offered me a lift. We drove about ½ a mile before we caught up with Adam behind the horse, and a nasty corner followed by the town coming up. So I encouraged Adam to push on and over take the damn thing, and he brilliantly did so and then swerved his van across the whole road and stopped it! I got out and managed to put Mollie’s head collar on the beast, although it was far too small and would not do up and John and I walked and trotted it back to the Centre and tied up the gate with various bits of rope so it could not get out again. The owners arrived late afternoon and had Jan not by chance been in the Car park we would not have known they were taking the horse, and then can you believe it the chap’s mother led the damn thing 11 miles home!!! It would not be my horse for very long I have to say!!

What with the very strong winds that we have had for about four days now, which sadly have ripped off a quarter of my beautiful Liquid Amber tree, the hunt meeting close by, and the wayward horse, Mollie was extremely wound up and our lesson was done with no rider and on a lunge line, and still she was pretty firey!! The wind has dropped today and I am teaching in the afternoon on the five day course. Our American guest has arrived and is still sleeping off the jet lag, the weather is glorious and I am going to take Mollie out now and see if she is a little calmer before her next lesson on Friday. At least today we should be able to fly the young falcons as we have not dared in the last few days. Oh and the Steller’s was amazing on Monday – above tree height and looking great in the wind!

Following is a little treat from the EU!

All You Need To Know About European Bureaucracy.

And worst still WE paid some flaming idiot to write it and even worse, could we survive without it – I suspect we could! Let’s get out of the EU!