I got up early this morning to see how the Geese with the Goslings had got on over night. As every year, the Goslings had gone. The Geese were on the pond next to the lake, calling and looking for their missing Goslings. When they saw me they came in my direction, calling a little louder as if I may of known where their Goslings were. Cats, Rats, Carrion or Fox, I have never found out what takes them every year. I could well be a combination of all or some. It is very sad. The Geese will stay around for a few days before leaving, returning now and then for an hour or so throughout the summer. It does not matter how many times the Goslings are taken, it no less sad for the Geese, they always swim around the lake looking so proud with the Gosling in a flotilla. They will return next year. No matter how much I try to stop them from staying, they always nest on the island. The other pair of Geese still return most days, they could try to nest on the island, once the others leave.
We introduced Lady and the Filly with Bliss and Misty in the field this morning. Lady decided that she did not want to be with the youngsters, I thought that we may well have had a disaster the way Lady was panicking, and trying to get out of the field. You may have seen her galloping at full speed up and down the field, three or four times, the Filly was hardly able to keep up with her. We were by the gate, she was running at full speed towards the gate, if we had not had been there waving our arms, she would have gone through. At one time Bliss and Misty decided to go a little nearer to Lady, she lunged at them, Bliss being very lucky not to have been bitten. Once Lady had calmed down a little, we let Woody out. Most of the time when she was first let out, Woody was staying close by Lady, giving the Foal a little more protection. The youngsters are keeping their distance from Lady the Foal and Woody, although Woody will try to make the youngster part of her herd, whilst Breeze is not about. The Horses don’t take long to settle and they will soon start to accept each other and get a little closer. Breeze and Arnie when let out with Bliss and Misty, surprised me, by all but ignoring the youngsters. She will start herding them over the next days and will be a good friend to them.
A little while back I was moaning about the lack of rain and how the grass had not grown. It has made up for it now. I think I like the global warming better. We have had so much rain in the past few days that the Horse field is starting to get very muddy near the gate. It seems that the only time the forecaster get it half right is when there is wall to wall sunshine. Five to six years ago we were making the hay. To make good hay you need a minimum of five days of good hot sun shine. The grass it mowed, then turned every day, some times twice so that it fully dries, only when fully dried can it be baled up. What you don’t want is it to be rained on after it is made. Any damp will make mouldy hay, making it useless. On the fifth or sixth day the grass was fully dried, we had made very good hay. We could have baled it that day, being pushed for time we checked the BBC local forecast. The forecaster told us, continued wall to wall sunshine, with no chance of rain. We decided to leave the baling until the next day. When I woke next morning it had poured of rain overnight. I was so annoyed after listening to the forecaster the previous night, that I phoned the BBC, I even managed to speak to the forecaster. I was even more annoyed when he told me that he had seen on the south coast that there could be a chance of rain, coming in my direction, but as it seemed that it would not amount to much, he did not mention it. I could not believe what I was hearing, this was harvesting and hay making time, and it was not worth mentioning. As it happened after the hay had dried again we did make good hay. I even got an apology from the Met Office.
I have checked out the Swallows nest and there are five eggs.
I have left messages for the past three days for the Veterinary to phone me with what they have discussed about Woody, I am still waiting. She is up and down from day to day. You may have seen her in the field with Bliss and Misty. She was running around, rounding them up as if she was as fit as a fiddle.