The sun shone and there were horseflies

Finally - a sunny day.  Felt about 20C.  Wonderful.  Went for a lovely ride on Ystad Waun with Finn.  Felt a bit guilty about not going to the injured jockeys fundraising event but the first decent day of weather in weeks couldnt be lost.  What felt like billions of horseflies on the yard getting ready and then loads more on the mountain aswell.  As if they'd suddenly hatched out in the good weather.  But they didnt spoil our ride.  Once Ari and Hamlet were settled, we had a lovely time.  A few good canters and one good hard gallop too.  All we need now is to have a few weeks of this sort of weather.  Some hope!

Book clubs as work avoidance

Inspired by this evening's episode of the Archers, I have decided to try to set up a book club.  The sort that involves hanging out in someone's house talking about a book, drinking wine and eating cake.  Not necessarily a highbrow book either.  Although I personally wouldnt mind the odd Booker prize winner.  Currently reading One Day, as recommended by Marcus Junior-in-London and finding it a bit too pop fiction after finishing Gabriel Garcia Marquez book night give-away.  Anyway, there's initial enthusiasm from Llanharan in the shape of Rebecca so I'm feeling hopeful.  Another call about Hamlet and again I was too honest about his fear of cars but it was definitely closer to the home we want for him this time and I probably should have been less honest.  Exmoor staghounds so perfect but a gentleman who had lost his confidence in falls and wanted to ride out with a six year old, including on country lanes.  Hmmm.  Looks like we may have Ham for another year and I might have to invest in some road training for him.  Finn away again, this time in Glanllyn but he starts at Llanhari on Monday.  Luckily I've got Friday off for hunt ball preparations and can go over and buy school uniform too.  Looking forward to new Llanhari routine, to working from home much more and saving money on diesel.  Work life balance should be much improved, not to mention increased hours of sleep achieved.  Still, back to it now.  Not much more required on the organisation of the book club project tonight.  It's on facebook now so I guess I just sit back and wait...

The heating's on, the sheep are damp and it's sodding June

Someone said today that July was going to be scorchio.  Yeah right.  In Spain maybe.  Not in sodding Wales.  The sheep have been shorn and they're bleating outside because they're cold and wet.  If they were my sheep I'd bring them into the sitting room.  Watching the BBC news  Cant believe teachers are moaning about having to work to 66 because everyone is living longer.  They should be celebrating the fact that their long holidays and relatively easy life mean that they live longer.  Fiona Bruce has a snazzy new pair of spectacles.  Of course, given the fact that this is the first time I've seen the news on tv for months, she may have had them for years.  Actually saw her being imitated on the Fast Show before I saw her for real.  She's really quite like her imitator.  Dont think I'll bother watching till the end for the weather forecast, given that I already know what they're going to say.

Drunk in charge of a herd and a bag of salt and vinegar twirls

Mr Siebert's German wine seems to be quite potent.  One glass and I'm eating a bag of something distinctly unhealthy and writing inappropriate comments on facebook.  Marcus Most-Junior is fast asleep upstairs, recovering from his 24 hour sleepless return from Germany by land and sea.  I think I'm going to drive to the hunt ball.  I clearly cant take alchohol any longer and still remember the hangover after the last one.  Not worth it.  Besides, time has come to save money and start saving for the cowboy trip when Marcus Most-J finishes his GCSEs.  Unfortunately the other key point regarding the hunt ball is the fact that I cant actually manage to look reasonably slim in the dress yet.  Tried it on last night for the first time since bargain basement purchase at Xmas.  Xmas being one of my slimmest times of year.  Disaster.  Intention to diet lasted approximately ten minutes and is now not being assisted by consumption of said bag of salt and vinegar twirls.  It's 7 days tomorrow.  I need to not eat for a week.  Wont improve the hip situation but might help the stomach.  It's the only way.  The bag is going back in the pantry.  Now.  ok, gone.  And now it's pouring down.  And now I'm thinking that I shouldnt have left the horses out...  I'm going out to check if they're not in fact hanging about in the wood now, wishing they'd come in earlier when I called them.  My horses are such wusses.  Everybody else's horses stay out in the summer and so there's no mucking out.  Mine?  Oh no.  We'll come in and eat lots of expensive hay Mum, if that's ok with you.  Well, if it means I dont have toss and turn all night wonder if they're being stolen by .... well, people who steal horses ... then it's definitely worth it.  Even with a glass of wine I reckon I can get across the mud in my wellies.  In fact, what could be nicer than a walk in the rain when you're semi pissed and need to exercise off a bag of crisps?

Are you nearly here yet?

Dear Finn

You'll be on the bus on your way back now.  Today I have been missing you a lot so I'm glad you're heading towards me.  The sun came out today at last and it was about 17C which seemed positively tropical compared to what we've been used to.  It'll have to stay warm for a long time though to dry up all the mud in the back field and wood now.  The pond between field 2 and 3 is a right old swamp again - nearly to the top of my wellies this evening.  I pulled out more balsam and listened to my Spanish podcasts after mucking out this evening.  All animals are well.  Bandit would be in meltdown if he knew you were coming back tomorrow. I'm working in Swansea tomorrow morning  so I'll try and swing by the house and pick him up on my way over to get you.  Miss James said you'd be back in time for the buses with a bit of luck so I'll make sure I'm there for 3pm.  Call me on the mobile if it looks like it'll be earlier.  Safe journey and try to bring the nice German weather back with you :) xxx

A very busy week of mostly things I dont want to do

Hola Finn
Sitting in the office at home contemplating lo que tengo hacer esta semana and it's mostly boring work stuff that I dont want to do.  What's more, the weather is still bloody miserable outside.  There's actually a drought in the East of England where Frances lives but here in Wales it's still raining.  It's only drizzle today though so I have put the horses out.  Bluebell on the other hand is refusing to come out of his stable.  The dogs enjoyed their run around at Barry Knap yesterday even though it was blowing a gale and pouring with rain.  You know those pretty pink flowers that grow wild on the industrial estate - the ones I tried to transplant into our garden without as much luck as I had with the daisies?  Well there are pink ones and white ones growing all along the pebbles at the top of Barry Knap beach now.  They look really pretty and there were so many hundreds of little shootlets that I thought it would be ok if I took a few roots.  I've got them in a cup of water in the kitchen now, ready to attempt transplanting again. 
Hope you get to do something nice on German Bank Holiday Monday and that it's not football again!!

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain. It must be Wales

Hello Finn

Well you're definitely better off in Germany today.  Weather is bloody awful.  Typical Welsh summer weather.  The sooner we move to Spain the better.  Horses and dogs are all stir crazy so I'm going to have to let the horses out for an hour in first field at least.  Dont worry, I wont let Icy eat too much grass.  I'm going to take the dogs to Barry Knap.  Need to visit Rick's bench because it would have been his 67th birthday today.  Sorry to hear that you're having to endure a lot of football today.  Hope you get to do something more fun tomorrow.  Mannheim sounded nice though, and I liked the pic of you and Daf trying stuff out at the German techniquest.  Hope you're impressed that I've taught Grandma how to comment on a blog.  We had a fab day at Hereford College yesterday.  Asked all the right questions I think.  It was funny meeting some of the farriery students - they all looked just like you (tall, fluffy haired, horse mad and wearing joules polo shirts :)).  Everyone was really friendly and the girls at the livery yard were very enthusiastic to hear that they might have someone coming who'd want to have a horse on the yard in livery and hunt with the Golden Valley.  Have been sorting out kit for you for Glanllyn.  You'll be pleased to hear that the weather looks like it might start to improve.  No guarantees about North Wales though ...
Enjoy the sunshine while you can xxx

Letters to Finn yn yr Almaen 1

Hola Finn

Hoy dw i wedi bod yn gweithio muy caled yn y swyddfa at home.  Dydy Bandit ddim yn very happy o gwbl ond he's not whining any more at least.  Espero que your trip hasnt been too tiring.  Te y Dafydd probably wedi bwyta too much chocolate ar y daith.  I hope nobody is now enfermo.  It wouldnt been good to arrive at the Barbig household and throw up.  Creo que you must be there in Grunstadt by now.  What did los Barbigs make of their presents? 

I miss you :(  but the animals are keeping me company and la casa is very tawel so I can catch up on my work.  Look after Hubert.  He will have had a bumpy journey clutching your hairbrush with his magnetic hooves.  Send me a text asi que I know that your mobile works from Germany.  I've sent you a couple in reply to your delightful one on departure - "go away".  Humphh. 

Cwtch mawr xxx

The good and the bad about anchovies

Waved off Marcus Junior and am now in a quiet house with a whining jack russell.  Probably shouldnt have had anchovies on the going-away pizza.  Now I'm going to have to drink and pee all night.  Why are salty things so delicious?  Ended up eating whole tin because Finn fished (pardon the pun) them all off his pizza onto mine.  Yum.  It's now midnight and, two bottles of water later, I might as well move my mattress into the bathroom.  Or maybe get a potty.  Finn and Neil spent the evening writing dodgy things on the Grunstadt wikipedia page.  Hope the Mayor doesnt notice.  Impressed that Grunstadt even has its own youtube channel.  Looks very pretty.  At least the weather might be better than here.   A bit nippy again these last couple of days and no shortage of rain. 

So much to do, so little time

It would be wonderful if sometimes it was possible to acquire just a few extra hours in particular days.  I shouldnt really be sitting here doing this.  I should be mucking out and bringing in the horses and walking the dogs whilst simultaneously doing laundry for the German trip on Wednesday and going online to check that the mobile phone will send texts from Grundstadt.  Organised-Mother-of-Many-Children and I have made a pact - no to i-pods but yes to mobile phones with headphones and downloaded music.  A good compromise we thought - and still one that breaks the school rules so we felt we couldnt be accused of being completely square.  But no, two teenage long faces.  And a protest from Marcus Junior that whatever happened he couldnt be parted from his leather jacket (even more valuable and likely to be lost than the i-pod).  He's going to have to be frisked before getting on the bus.  The decision re non-attendance at schools sports day prior to the 24 hour overnight bus trip still hangs in the balance.  Casting vote goes to the Fathers.  Anyway, Welsh offerings to German families are at least purchased so that's one thing off the list.  Right, mucking out next ....

Grundstadt is probably sufficiently far south

Contemplating preparations for Marcus Junior's trip to Germany on school exchange Wednesday.  Last night located Grundstadt on map to find out whether location can be classified as 'north' ie where the ecoli outbreak is.  Came to conclusion that  loss of £230 is worth avoidance of exposure to deadly dodgy cucumber disease.  Refuse to accept Spain is to blame of course.  Problem is surely related to German over-consumption of processed meat I feel.  However, it looks like G is middle to south so I'm thinking that's within allowable parental risk category.  Still surprised we havent heard a peep from German teacher organising the trip who must be a) aware that all parents have access to tv and radio news and b) in possession of everyone's email address.  Or is it the case that teachers really do just curl up in a cave somewhere during school holidays and hibernate?  Organised-Parent-Of-Many-Children says she hasnt sorted out euros or clothes yet so feeling a bit better about the fact that Marcus Junior has chosen to wear some of the clothes I had washed and ironed ready to pack this weekend.  Have purchased bumper pack of lucozade for Germany-bound 24 hour bus/ferry journey that follows school sports day on Wednesday.  So whilst Marcus Junior wont arrive fresh as a daisy, he'll at least be pumped so full of e numbers that he'll be able to manage a sweet smile and a hello in the appropriate language on arrival at the residence of Sounding-Quite-Strict-And-Definitely-Religious German counterpart.

Everything's early except the sun

It's grey out there and yesterday I had to put the heating on.   But it's June, as of today.  My favourite month because that's when the sun shines in Wales.  At least, it did for the last couple of years according to my weather diary.  Everything else is early this year.  Bluebells before my birthday.  Swallows before my neighbour/ex-husband's.  But we did have sun in April, so I suppose it came early too, in a way.  And now I'd like it back again.  I do hope June doesnt let me down.  It's usually the only month I dont wish we lived in Andalucia instead of Wales.  But I shouldnt complain.  We have a big patch of spotty marsh orchids in the back field and yesterday they were covered with common blue butterflies, my Mother said.  I'm interpreting this not just as flowers coming early and the onward progression of climate change, but also the result of our efforts in better grazing management.  Not sure CCW would agree but without my beloved Shamara (RIP) we are down to three equines instead of four and I guess that helps.

Pirates of the Caribbean tonight.  Second viewing but you can never get too much Penelope Cruz in my opinion.  This one is much more Zorro/Catherine Zeta Jones than the previous Pirates.  Makes you (me) want to take up fencing.