a brief anantomy

The lovely Abbey, she has a four reasonable feet, now barefoot and recovering after many years of shoeing and showjumping, her feet are improving all the time but she is not 100% sound.

this is her front right hoof, called the off fore, after being trimmed just over a month ago, I have been taking occasional photographs to show the improvements.

this is the bottom of the same hoof at the time of trim, this is the hoof that now has the deep cut in it.
photograph of internal hoof borrowed from Natural Horse Trim
you can see in this detailed(and very real!!) anatomy that the frog covers and protects the digital cushion which protects the insides of a very complicated process. its designed by nature to be perfect just as it is. no shoes thankyou. Abbey has a very deep cut, if it gets infection in the frog that is not good. if it is deep enough to get infection in the digital cusion that is even worse. if it had been deep enough to get as far as the bones she would be in pony pastures over the rainbow by now. the broken bottle neck has caused a cut which is at the deepest part of the frog which is why she is still with us. although Abbey is not lamed by this I am on high alert to prevent infection and will be for some time.

Sow Your Own

Cafe Direct are running a campaign to encourage everyody to grow their own vegetables, no matter where, no matter how much or how little space there is. They are encouraging use of any type of container and are running a competition for the most imaginative entry.

celebrities have donated items to be used as mini-gardens, this a Stella McCartney handbag

this Pearl Lowe donated tea set is getting an airing as a salad garden, how many of us have tea sets that we never use?

more information and ideas on their site at Sow Your Own.

glass bottle neck

right into Abbey's frog, and unable to tell really how deep it went. I have been cleaning daily with a bleach solution, covering it with a babys nappy and duck-tape. she has been turned out and always comes in with the dressing off but I still think its better to be out and moving.

she did this a week ago and I have been holding my breath waiting to see how lame she comes up because deep infection would mean an operation.

she's not lame.

still weeding

I managed to get my grass cut and my ten minutes of weeding done just before it rained. the blue poppy is out and there are more buds so hopefully lots more to come. I have planted out cabbages, broccoli and sprouts from the greenhouse, I wanted to do it last weekend but the weather forecast said too cold...its meant to be a bit warmer this week.....well not freezing anyway! they are under a layer of fleece till they are a bit bigger and more aclimatized.

I am still continuing my Quantum Savvy horsemanship with Abbey but seem to be stuck on the begining of Level 2, since last September acutally....she is too spooky and although it all seems good in practice whevever I tape an assignment to email to them she is 'not doing it'. or is that me not able to manage her correctly...I have an instructor coming this weekend so hopefully will get some strategy tips for the moments that are causing the lack of progression.

of Clydesdales

West Glen Clydesdales from Kilmacolm, its not often you get to see such stunning horses out and about, here they are at the Kilmacolm showground.

and this pair from Shewalton Clydesdales, the chap on the right is only three, what a well behaved youngster!!!

and this wee poppet is only three weeks old and a champion first prize lady already!! she is not bothered by it.....

a wee bitty bigger than my wee Abbey for sure!! so gentle and well behaved. it was lovely to see them pulling their rigs and to be alowed to get close to them, and their owners having the patience too to stand and talk to everybody.

work work work

potatoes in the green house, about to be put outside as I will be needing the room, I like to do this as it provides some early treats for a couple of meals hopefully. the carrotts in pots aren't doing so well.

outside potatoes not doing a thing yet which shows what a difference the shelter of the greenhouse makes.

'something' is chewing on the fritilliarys.....

inside...fascinating!

its been all work and no play here, like the 'running faster to stand still' thing, I am so tired. a couple of days off coming up so a lot of sleeping in to be done I think! I would also like to get started on planting seeds in the garden beds, lots of plans! less running around to do as Abbey is now 'out' 24/7 for the summer, hope its a warm one! its nice to go up and ride and not have to muck out, carry hay and water all the time. she does get worried that this means she won't get a dinner every day......she gets a small token dinner.

Abbey and Buttons

perhaps I ought to change my blog name to clairespony, she takes up more time and money than anything else! love every minute! 

15.10.2021, edit to add...

High on the Mountain,

written by Ola Belle Reed.

 

High on the mountain oh wind a blowing free thinking about the days that used to be.
High on the mountain standing all alone wondering where the years of my life have flown.

As I look at the valleys down below they were as green just as far as I could see.
As my memory turned oh how my heart did yearn for you and the days that used to be.

High on the mountain oh wind a blowing free thinking about the days that used to be.
High on the mountain standing all alone wondering where the years of my life have flown.

Oh, I wonder if you ever think of me or if time has blotted out your memory.
As I listen to that breeze whisper gently through the trees I'll always cherish what you meant to me.

High on the mountain oh wind a blowing free thinking about the days that used to be.
High on the mountain standing all alone wondering where the years of my life have flown.

 

sunshine

out for a nice ride on Abbey this morning, very brave along the road, over a wooden bridge, she does not like the bit of path where there is stream on one side with traffic on its opposite shore. maybe go down there and hang about one day, to chill....... hope the weather stays warm!

this is us coming in from the field after her roll in the dirt, it's clean dirt....

and I need to borrow a bigger mower to get my lawn started off, this picture taken a few years ago when it was 'new to me'. it won't cope with heavy long grass/moss. I did my ten minutes of weeding today, almost thought about doing more but a coffee was calling my name!!

I have started weeding...

I love all the varietys of daffodils and colours and forms, sure they must have names but I am a great loser of labels. there is so much weeding to catch up on in the flower beds, it never got done last year, when I had time the weather was not too great and when it was nice I played with Abbey instead......I have decided to do it in ten minute chunks, then I won't get fed up or too sore and it should all get done eventually. ten minutes done today.

raindrops caught on the leaves of an aquilegia, it was a lovely day, with a couple of short showers

emerging rhubarb, its not very sweet so this may get replaced if I can discover a nicer one.

prime ratter to fat housecat...still in bed!!

as I sit shivering....

the days get longer and more welcome colour appears. when it was bitterly cold weather it did not seem so bad as the sun was shining. now the rain and wind are turning our higher temperatures (8 C) into a damp, cold, miserable spring time.

these little daffodils are about 6 inches high, very dainty and out earlier than the bigger varieties.

dinky little things.

and the hellebores have flowered, they looked practically dead with no buds but have very quicly responded to the rise in temperature.

funny how hellebores always nod their heads down ways, turning them up shows such beauty.

nothing much doing outside in the veggy plots, they wer turned over and covered in home compost at the end of last year, just this front one to finish off. I kept aggravating my back so did a little at a time, it all gets done eventually.

onions coming up in the greenhouse.

good germination from a three year old packet of brussels sprout seeds, I sprinkled the whole lot out so lots of pinching out to do here, I'll wait till they are a wee bit bigger and then add the pinched ones to the top of a salad...waste not want not. the greenhouse temperature gauge showed 0C to 24C, what a difference for the poor wee things to have to cope with, wish I had auto windows, or didn't have to work and I could stay home and open and close the door as necessary.

splashes of colour

very unkempt garden awaiting much weeding.......little splashes of colour appear..

these are so beautiful, I always forget they are there until they appear...

Smokey Tiptoes, camoflage against the stones, she's getting fat! from prime ratter to fat house cat in one change of owner.....

the crocus are another splash of colour, there are a couple of groups of these, mostly I plant crocus and they are never seen again....my Mum gave me these bulbs.

and the Snow Flakes come out in their little hidden spot, right between the rowan and the compost bin.

spring is not quite here....yet

wrapped up four seed trays of onions, planted a couple of days ago. they may be some time coming up...I usually do them round about christmas or new year.......onions may be small this year then! under the yellow wrap(old daffodil bag) are spring onions. there are also three small pots of carrots for an early treat off to the right. I think I might start tomatoes and some other things in the house now, its getting on in time(indeed it never stops and sometimes runs quick?)and I don't want things to be too far behind for the growing season. I also might put some potatoes in buckets into the greenhouse this weekend.

the greenhouse min/max themometer this morning showing a low of -5C and a high for yesterday of 18C, I did leave the greenhouse door open during yesterday and its open today. the only problem with manual opening and closing is that I will not be home from work till 10pm and it will be below freezing by then, the onion seeds will just have to cope.

its a stunning morning, went for a short ride on Abbey just to practise opening and closing gates. her bed, and night feed and hay, is all ready for Fiona to bring her in tonight.

starting to get spring fever

greenhouse glass washed inside and out, so you can see right through now! it was a warm enough day yesterday to get this done, I think its still a bit cold to start planting but I'll probably start fairly soon. my seed order has arrived and the garden plan made.
and the snowdrops are out, they tend to be closed tight in the freezing mornings and open out a bit as the day goes on. its forecast to be really cold this weekend.
the underneath view of a double snowdrop, very pretty.
the helleborus are still not fully open, pretty to look at the undeneath though, like the snowdrops.

goodbye old friend

picture taken at the caravan garden in 2004.May supervises my weeding

my gardening friend May died this morning, she's not been well for a long time. she was a very big source of my gardening knowlege and a big donator of some beautiful plants. she'll be able to watch me weeding from her gardening heaven now. I wrote of her before in this previous post on May's gardens

nearly snowdrops!

slowly, slowly the snowdrops start to peep out, there are some up at the farm in flower already-in a sheltered bit of woodland.

the catkins come out on the twisted hazel.

watching a Parelli Clinic