Jenny and Fifi Triumph!

Went to watch my sis and her huge giant baby horse, Fionn, who is now almost five, at their first ever riding club lesson yesterday.  They did so well and looked so good, I was proud as punch of both of them.

He was pretty excited on the inside, but as she said, he made good choices to look and learn instead of being silly, and he was so interested in everything, and they looked quite the team. You'd never know how green he was.   

There were times when he was moving in the most beautiful self carriage, and he has such a lovely rhythm, and Jen wisely hasn't rushed this big baby out of rhythm by hurrying him.  She has let him come to his balance and more impulsion in his own time, and this is the result.   

 She was so happy, and who could blame her!

 He even lined up like an old horse in between his turns.

Though he did have fun while he was waiting, by knocking over the chair and dressage marker.  He didn't even scare himself when he did that.  He is going to be one cool cookie!

 

 He is so intelligent and loves to poke his nose into everything.

In the afternoon they had another lesson, all very low key to make sure he had a good day and ended on a good note, and he even got to do some tiny jumps out on the cross country, which he also enjoyed. With generations of Eventers and Irish hunters in his pedigree, he is surely born to jump!

They were both magnificent. It is no easy to thing to raise a young horse, especially a huge one, and Jen has worked so hard, bravely and carefully at getting every stage of his training just right.   Now she is getting to the stage where they can go out and have fun together at last!

Go Jen and Fionn!

 
In other news, the little chookies only took two nights to work out how to get up to the high perch, and the gap on the perch between the two halves of the flock is narrowing. I got this pic of one of our Bronzewing pigeons yesterday evening when putting away the big girls.  I have never got so close to one as I can get to this well-fed bugger!  He thinks he owns the chook pen now and picks at scratch at my feet like another chicken!

   
I'd be happier if he used some of all that food he and his friends are stealing to lay me an egg.  :D

I am up and down for energy still.  I've managed to go back to lyre playing after the longest break ever.  I was playing Mondream yesterday and Andrew popped out to let me know he was off to do some computer support for a friend, and I had to laugh at the company that came and went with him.

     
 The pied piper of Tuppys and chickens.  :D

Today I did manage to make two lovely almost-paleo fruitcakes for him.  Fruitcake is one of his favorites.  They have vanilla and fresh zest of lemons and oranges in them, so the smell in the cottage as they cool off right now is insane.  I add a teaspoon each of cinnamon and mixed spice, and use butter instead of oil, and low GI cane sugar instead of coconut sugar.  Just in case you want to try that recipe and have it come out like mine.    

I'm determined to get a least some word of my novel today.  I think I've had a whole month off due to this stoopid flu!  I'm feeling better about it now as my health returns.  I know where I'm going and have the brain power now to do it.   Not far to go!

The dogs enjoyed the cuppa time at Mum's this morning. I liked the juxtaposition of the two young ones, brother and sister, off sunning, while the two older ones, grandmother and daughter, sleep nearby at our feet.  One of each colour at each position!

     
  

 

Winter Colds and Spring Flowers,

We're still snotty here and still minding mum's two snuggly Yellow Labs, so there's been a lot more of this:

And some of this too.  Angus loves to snuggle on the bed but he is totally crap at it.  It's elbows to the nose and feet to the kidneys all the way.   

Which reminds me of this meme, which always amuses me because it's true, for some dogs at least.

We've been staggering outside for little walks and up to the block too, just a bit later when the air is warmer.  We had a bit of a rainy one up at the block the other day.  Man, drying off four Labs by toweling them off is better than a gym workout!

We know that spring is just around the corner because the Wattles, Hakeas and Lucerne trees are all flowering.  I just love the cascading habit of the Lucerne trees.

The bees love them too.  It's good to know we can help them get through the winter by having so much early-flowering goodness available for them. 

I managed to write my novel words all last week so am very proud of myself for keeping that going, snot and all.  Music playing had to be curtailed to pure music as any attempts to sing caused coughing, but I did play every day, still, lyre and guitar most days.  Am currently practicing my version of Jabberwocky so that I can be ready to video it for you, and have started work on a composition of my own about Odin and his horse, Sleipnir.  I have the chorus and one musical bridge worked out nicely but the verses, both lyrics and music, need more work.       

I did manage to keep up with my baking.  Rosie likes to sit right next to where I do my mixing in case anything yummy falls off the counter, but she ended up in the exactly the wrong place the other day when I got a bit wild with the flour.

 

Sorry baby!  And it doesn't even taste nice!
      
We had to miss Fireys this weekend due to the attack of the snot-monster but I did manage to get Sawyers Valley Volunteer Bushfire Brigade's website news done for the month. If you'd like to see what we've been up to, go here.   

A Week of Weather Changes

Friday it was so lovely and warm in Perth city, so much so that we were way too hot in our Firey gear when collecting for the annual street appeal for all the bushfire brigades.

Andrew had to strip down to his sexy red braces! 

That's my sister, Jen and my Bro-in-Law too. There were 16 of us from our brigade out on the day, which is great because the takings get divided equally per person/hours. Jen might have had the best donation of the day; a hundred dollar bill from one feller who she said was covered in tattoos.  As they say, you should never judge a book by its cover!

Charles from our brigade was there for his 20th street appeal.  What can you say about that kind of dedication, except three cheers for Charles!

Saturday, just to be totally different, was stormy and wild. A good day for resting by the potbelly after Fireys and reading a good book, complete with Labradors of course.

The book is called "The Apple Orchard," by Susan Wiggs.  Andyroo put me onto it. It's a sweet read.

The girls are loving the fire. You can see Rosie's matching shaved patches on her front legs from having her drip in.  So far so good, though we had to put her back on her cortisone and cross fingers her tum handles it. She really is just too itchy to do without it.  We'll see how she goes now she is fully transferred over to the crocodile and tapioca roll we are getting her.  Geez, we eat way cheaper than she currently is!  :) 

I know that's a bit of a dark photo but at least no demon eyes from the flash.  :) Tuppy is bad for it, I think because she is constantly so adrenalised that her pupils are huge.

This was an odd weather phenomenon we saw this week.

The sun was behind the trees and behind the clouds.  Spooky!

At least all the rain has brought back some green grass as last!  Woo hoo!

Every year these trees take more nutrient from the paddock and the grassed area gets a bit less, but it doesn't matter any more, because we all do is mow it anyway, now there are no horses.

It's the season for baking too. This almond flour, pear and apple tart with rice-milk custard was part of Andyroo's birthday prezzie this year.  :) 

 
The crust recipe comes from Elana's kitchen.  It's a bit rich for me but he loves it.  :)

I also finished these gold wrist warmers for him a day late.  He liked the look of mine so much he wanted a pair too!

We have another storm forecast for tonight and early Tuesday  morning.  Fingers crossed all our trees have their toes down nice and deep...