Horses and boats.

This is Juniper. She is a 17 year old Highland that came for the weekend while her owner is on holiday. I miss Bertie, his lovely blonde rump which was often near my back garden fence and his thick, unruly two tone mane. Most of all I miss riding him, so willing and happy.
Sadly, his owner sold him as she didn't much like him and that's the way it is. You need to bond with your horse for it to work and their partnership was never going to work.
I just couldn't ride him for long because of his extremely broad back and my now wearing out hip joints. Our last ride was just an hour and a half and I had to get off and walk...mind you, it was a shorter ride if we could have cantered a bit but horse owner doesn't want to push her horse, Basil, as she fears he is suffering from fatigue.
However, Juniper came and I've ridden her once before on home ground and despite being in a strange place, she was forward and unflappable. Only the golfers unnerved her a bit and we did a 90 minute ride with very little pain for me, so despite her being very fat...she isn't as broad backed and my riding career isn't over.
Sorry for all this detail...it means a lot to me!
On Wednesday, I ventured through the rapids of the Spey with members of the Spey Valley Paddlers Group. The water was high and fast and therefore the rocky bits were easier but the converging waters of the Spey and Avon, created waves like a surf beach.
I enjoyed every last minute of our 90 minute paddle and feel confident in my boat and my river. I wish I could have taken photos but it was a trifle wet, not rain as it was a dry and clear day, but because of the waves and the speed we careered down river. Yipee!!
Ralph pulled/tore a calf muscle today on the usual dog walk and had to hobble home. He is now sitting with his leg up, pondering a summer of inactivity.

Updates.

It is a month since my last post...better bring you up to date and record for all time the months of May and June in Speyside and beyond.

First; trips away have included, Gairloch, Newton Stewart again and Braemar. Next one; West Highland Way.
Second; the house is still being decorated inside and out and the vegetables are making slow progress in the garden.
Third; Horse...Bertie went yesterday. I had one last ride of this lovely boy and then he was off to a riding place near Aviemore. I will have to pay to ride him now but at least I will get to have a nice canter on him and he won't be so lonely as he has been. I was heartbroken though as to me he is the perfect horse...just too wide and not having my own land presented difficulties.
Fourth; Land. Getting nowhere except for some allotments which are underway in Grantown. I am now on the official allotment group and we will hopefully be getting one sooner or later.
Fifth; Railway. Ralph is still training to be a fireman but was severly compromised yesterday when the train was started and moved while he was between the carriages....I was nearly a widow. Not good.
Canoe; I bought a lightweight canoe then found out it was kneeling only...whoops. It will have to go back down to Leeds for re-sale, totally unused! What a twit, I had no idea kneeling ones existed. (I've got bad knees) Finally got some bars and Ralph invented a device so I can load my own kyack (but that was only yesterday so still have no trips to report).
Sixth; Visitors, brother and mum in law. 2 others that were expected are ill. Very very sad situation.

Lastly; Dad. He continues to be frail and ill much of the time with glimpses of health every few days. He's not happy and it is hard to be a carer.

Oh...weather! Well, we still haven't had the extremes that others have had. Mostly just dull and showers while England drowned. 3 hot days this week so a bit of gardening...then rain today, hence the catch up.

Happy summer!

Holidays!

This beautiful blue loch is in South West Scotland. How lucky we were with the weather as it rains and rains in south west Scotland. The wee figure that you see is Ralph, taking a refreshind dip in Loch Enoch. It was half way round a walk I was looking out for my Club weekend in June. I hope the weather is as good.
After Newton Stewart, we had 3 days in Wastwater. Whatr a stunning place the youth hostel is in!
Then it was down to a damp and dreary York for a few days. We had a nice walk on Sutton Bank, but York lies on a flat plain which is wet and featureless. The weather is usually good being on the east side and without hills and M-i-L s garden is a wondrously productive site.
I'm glad to be back in a place where the hills are.

The crofters Home.

It was actually pitch black inside. How people used to live...

This post is out of sequence but I can't move it...

While the rest of the country drowns...

How wonderful to live in the north east this year! I can't imagine what the fields of Sandal Farm look like and although I desperately miss my animals, I do have the sun as compensation and my new wide ranging chickens who are now foraging in the garden, being stalked by Moss.
This untidy bit of garden is at the front and gets the sun all day. You can see beyond the sprawling heathers, there is a cleared piece of land which now has 10 strawberry plants on it. , carefully netted to prevent hungry little beaks getting to the flowers and fruits and also slug pellets, which although are pet friendly, I'm certain will do no critter any good.
The hens are obviously used to being handled and one came and sat on my lap while I forlornly nursed a cold yesterday. They don't seem to have got the idea of putting themselves to bed at night but are easily plucked from the ground and put back in their run.
Whenever we are absent, the chickens will live in their house and run so they don't need to be locked up evry night.
They won't like it, after they've enjoyed the freedom of the garden but better that than death by cat.

Enough of the April Showers but I've got a job.

The rain comes over in sharp heavy showers which leaves huge puddles on the roads and the Mossie has turned into a nightmare bog. The horses are standing as still as they can on the highest parts of the land. In between showers, the sun is actually very hot and the vegetation and tarmac steams as the surfaces rapidly dry off.

Talking of steam, this is the engine that Ralph, as a trainee fireman/stoker, has had a hand in making go forward. It is the job of the driver to ensure forward motion but it is the fireman who provides and regulates the fuel to propel the beauty forward. He has spent 2 days on the plate and will take him a while to be fully trained up (no pun intended).  On his other days he has replaced a washbasin, cleaned up wheel cogs so they turn, rubbed down, greased, drilled holes, scrapped off dirt and rust...and so on. Ralph is very good at the minute tasks that refurbishment of vehicles entails but here he is also enjoying the comaraderie of an all male enviroment. Being in the clothing industry, then nursing, it is almost a unique experience. He comes home with a dirty face and his hands are a disgrace, so it is just as well he isn't nursing. Patients would run a mile.

Yes, I have a job. Same as I was doing in Bradford only instead of Pakistani wives, it's Eastern European staff. There are many many of them and they are delightful! Good fun, committed and hard working.

Hurray!





Highland Life Museum.

Free entry. A lovely sunny day. Interesting and not one bit stuffy.

The house is an example of one that I may have lived in in Grantown on Spey a few years back. There were also older examples of how the MacDonalds may have lived in their Glen when life was cold and harsh.

I have lots of photos but Blogspot only seems to accept one or 2 at a time. Best go on the website to see what is there.

What I really liked was that the buildings were inhabited by local people and so their stories were real. The bicycle repair man who loved clocks and so built a lean-to on his house in the twon of Nairn so he could indulge his hobby, collecting, repairing and inventing wierd and wonderful machinery in order to do so. His workshop looked like my dad's. Everything was saved and mostly stored. But some things were made use of, his iron bedstead was cut in half length ways and made into gutters on his shed. How unique and inventive.

I wonder what possible use my dad had for the collection of castor wheels he collected, or the old irons. He won't have any use now though; age has made work in his garage impossible. He is still hoping that Ralph will take up where he left off and Ralph is busy donating it all to the Steam Railway. Now that's another post.