JPJ's Weblog

Rain rain and more rain, apparently this has been the wettest April on record, well hooray for that!! My field is soggy, the ponds all three (one you don’t normally see!) are bursting and over flowing, on Sunday we had a very pretty Dutch Elm disease resistance Elm snapped in two, I had planted it probably 30 years ago and we had exposed it in taking down the hedge. It had a large split in it and I was debating what to do about it, I don’t have that problem now, but it was such a nice tree and having bought and planted it, it was personal as it were, now it will be firewood, when the field is dry enough for me to get down there with a trailer to move it.

It was not only raining solidly through Sunday but it was cold as well, I guess we have been spoilt over the last two years with very dry springs, I have to say I prefer them!! At least I don’t have to water any new trees planted and the hose pipe ban does not affect us in that way anymore.

I went with Anabelle to the local garden centre yesterday and spend the vouchers I had from my staff and my sister, I have a nice lot of plants to put in, however the ground will have to dry out a little after last night when the rain was torrential, the courtyard flooded so there is some cleaning up there to do, but the rest of the place seems OK so far and our barrier for the weighing room worked well – it was not flooded.

Art’s shoe is back on – just – the problem with them pulling off a shoe is that they damage the hoof, it’s a shame we can’t glue it back on, but I am told that it does not work well and it is very expensive!! Won’t bother with that then. Sorrel might be pregnant, she was mated over a week ago to a handsome boy, whom, come to think of I don’t even know his name!! We all think she is in pup, but time will tell I guess. Leaf and Shasta are teething, so nothing is safe, beware anyone who is staying next month, put your stuff away and shut the doors, or it will get chewed!

It’s the Falconer’s Fair this coming weekend (the Sunday and Monday) I hope I can get into the arena with the Landrover and trailer, if the ground is as wet as it is here it will be interesting, here is hoping for a beautiful weekend, we could do with the visitors here – I know, anyone who was going to Badminton Horse Trials, come and see us instead, you will enjoy it!!

The building of the new website is slowly moving on, I am learning stuff that I thought I never would (not sure I want to, but needs must etc.) I think it will be good and it will be more available to all those people who are constantly looking at their damn Iphones or similar. It never fails to amaze me how much people are on the phone now. How did we all manage to live without talking to someone on the phone, whom we were going to see later than day, I just can’t imagine. My JCB phone stays firmly in a drawer unless I am actually leaving the premises to go somewhere for a day, or to look for a lost bird.

Hector, the Lanner who was a stunning flying bird on demonstration, his chicks went back to him and mum yesterday and we are really looking forward to flying some of the young later in the year. The Tawny Eagles are looking well as are the Grey Buzzard Eagles, it will be tempting to get them out and train them, but I really want to give them time to mature mentally before we do, it makes for a much nicer bird in the long run.

Pictures to cheer us up, with colour and sun......ah well back to the website and the rain………………………