weeds the world over!

oregano that self seeds, its very pretty.....in the cold frames amongst other weeds(and I found a few plant pots in there when I had a look, I wondered where they had gone!)

loverly for attracting bees!

beautiful little creatures.

I'm not sure what this is, not a bee anyway.

and here is a lovely calabrese head, just ready for eating. there were four of them so eat two over a couple of days and chopped up the other two ready for use and have frozen them.

salad!

the last of the carrots from pots in the greehouse, some salad leaves and an 'Sacha's Altai' tomato, just ripe enough for salad. very nice. there was a bigger and redder tomato but it didn't survive long enough to have its picture taken.......

The Guardian commercial - Points Of View

good point!! I'd like to say it too!!

frog update

over the last couple of weeks its just looked like it was disintegrating.... this is it tidied up by the hoof trimmer, he has removed some of the overhanging bits and pieces, it still gets cleaned daily. hopefully it will all grow out and look as nice as it did before.

still raining

its been good this week to eat potatoes, courgettes, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions from the garden. I wish I was more organised and had some fruit..the gooseberrys have suffered with the cold, I thought one had died off but its coming up from the roots now, maybe some fruit next year.
its been raincoats on and raincoats off for the showers, change about every five minutes.....I had the strange experience of driving home in the bright sunshine with my windscreen wipers on full for the very heavy rain.....somwhat strange....a bit like riding with your eyes closed just to see what its like......
here's Abbey wearing her new wooly girth cover, nice and white before it gets dirty. it does come in brown which I would have prefered, but it is a luxury item so had to go with the cheapest version...so this is how I ride out, rope headcollar on.
Parelli antagonists need not comment thankyou, your comments will be deleted.

new to me lap top

all things on hold while I figure it out and transfer stuff. if I forget to visit anybody's blog its because I have lost you in transition....please leave a message in comments and I'll add you to my list of places to visit.

it rains it pours

and the rain is a good thing! my garden is really dry and the vegetables have been getting watered with the hose a lot. I have not watered the flowering plants or hedge as they have looked okay. Its lovely to have such a long spell of dry summer weather...very unusual for here.
The horses water has been very low in their streams too.
Here's Abbey looking lovely, her bottom lip hangs out when she is relaxed. I have just woken her up here so her lip is reasonably relaxed but not totally. her lip is a good indicator of her mood, I have photographs where its tight closed.....and she is anxious/scared and there are photographs when her bottom lip is way hanging down which means she is totally chilled out and relaxed.

This is the long grass from where the daffodils were growing in the lawn, these patches are left uncut to allow the daffodil leaves to gather energy for the bulbs to flower next year. The other patches have been cut down now but Smokey has been enjoying jumping in and out of the long grass here.....so this bit might just have to be an official wild patch.......

This tree growing package arrived this morning from Ecover, along with some products to sample for review and a reusable shopping bag. The seed information says to soak the seeds and then to put them in the fridge for a month....that must be to immitate a winter coming into spring to get the seeds to grow, what a lovely idea.

These are the products I am going to try. Multisurface Cleaner for house or garden....I have heard its really good for plastic garden furniture...unfortunately I don't have any so it will be put to good use cleaning my front door(pvc-its meant to be white!) and all my pots and trays for the greenhouse. The Power Cleaner sugests its good for bar-b-q's...again I don't have one but it will get good use on my cooker hob and grill.

Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner....well that will obviously come in very useful, as I work as a receptionist and often go to work after seeing Abbey and my hands and nails have that 'ground in dirt' look!!

and Biodegradable Compostable Bin Bags, they are made from potato starch and biopolymers, and say they will start to bio-degrade in a week...interesting.

Updates on these as and when used.

update on moan

Saturday morning after a good nights sleep, I am going out to be positive. planning a good play with Abbey(horses have the an ability to cheer you up under any circumstances), some gardening and some sitting with cats.
'sitting with cats' is a lovely pastime, I often try to combine it with reading but the cats have developed 'story sitting', which means of course they sit on top of the book so they can have all your attention......

moan

Another day goes by I still haven't won the lottery.
I sometimes wish I could take myself, my cats, my pony and my garden away from the small minded opinionated crap that keeps walking over the top of me.
Sometimes I really should know better and not even start off with a hello....its usually bound to degenerate into what happened today. It'll happen again too.

food!!

picture hasn't come out in the centre...wonder why? it'll be one of those 'did what you told it to do not what you want it to do' computer things.......that's also a horsey thing....leads to much confusion....

photograph of my first bucket of potatoes last week, I have scoffed them all and am now onto my second bucket. the second bucket has a few bigger ones in it which shows what an extra week of growing can do. They were planted in buckets in the greenhouse in February - four buckets in all, two left in the greenhouse, two put outside after most of the frosts(they take up a lot of 'air space' with their massive amount of leaves) next to be eaten will be the two put outside. The rest of the potatoes were put into buckets as those two were put outside, so they will be ready to eat later on. I still have a few very, very wrinkley seed potatoes that would probably still grow some crop if I put them in now. Growing potatoes in buckets does not give the biggest crop but it is good for where there is not space enough for a big patch and it makes them very easy to harvest, just tip out another bucket and your done!

I have made the decision to leave Quantum Savvy .....to progress means following the 'programme' to the letter involving riding bareback at the canter.....not brave enough.....putting a bridle and bit on Abbey..... don't want to..... and riding at the gallop......really don't want to!! I will be joining the worldwide Parelli programme, it gives more scope for progressing in the areas you are capable of/comfortable with. For instance I could get up to level three in ground-work while staying at level two for riding. It also makes great ....how to describe it?....."forgivness" of your horses character, Abbey gets very scared sometimes, Parelli encourages relationship with your horse before anything. I hope we can afford it thought as its really a pricey thing to join. My buddy Annie has already defected over and has kindly bought and said she will share with me all the DVD educational stuff. We will have to buy new t-shirts to go with it as well.......

is summer here to stay?

its so nice to suddenly have everything erupt in the garden, weeds included. its good and warm, a couple of days of rain here and there. hope the warm summer weather is here to stay.

my gardening friend May gave me a bit of root for these orange poppys, she said every garden should have them.

and my blue poppy keeps flowering, I was worried it might not make it through the severe frosts, being one of the few plants I have actually paid money for!

and onions, out in the ground, I have planted out brassicas, and these onions. I have been out sowing carrrots, parsnips, beetroot, beans and peas. the greenhouse has tomato plants growing, still sheltereing some potatoes which I hope to eat soon, still some seedlings to be planted out...courgettes and a pumpkin, and some tall things, the name escapes me....they are very nice steamed and dipped in butter...if they survive they are a biennial so no fruits till next year.

I also forget what its called when you forget certain words for things.....some form of dementia....

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.