There are five new photographs on the Photo page, starting from number six.
Frenchman called Christian Moullec who trained Geese to follow his microlite in order to fly South for the winter. Julia.
This is my big lump of a cat Smudge laid on my son’s knee. She loves him to bits.
Lynne.
Olden day Horse Drawn Bus advertising Morrisons. Morrisons started up their first shop in Bradford.
Shire horse displaying how they move the tree trunks in the forest. Elsie.
Evening Mr Farmer, Hope you are not too wet on the farm today, I attach (hopefully) a picture from last summer of a Hummingbird Hawk moth, it was fascinating watch it at the time, it was the first time I had ever seen one. Jan.
The area that you may have seen Lady and Willow in is the area we made for Gypsy and Willow when willow is weaned. It is about 35 feet long by fifteen feet wide, a good area for two youngsters to be together in. It is always best to let youngsters be together in the same enclosure. It teaches them to accept other Horses in confined areas, as well as sharing feed. A lot of Horses can be real mean a feeding times with both humans and other Horses. Youngsters being together learn that there is no risk to their feed from other Horses.
We have had to put Lady and Willow in the area for Gypsy and Willow as the fields are very wet, and are being poached. Other than Smuggler and Sonny all of the Horses are stabled or exercising in the corral in front of one of the stable blocks. It has meant moving Horses about during the day so that they all get time to exercise. By the middle of next week the stable that we are enlarging and the corral in front will be finished. All of the Horses will then be able to choose if they go into the stable or stay out. This is the first year that we have let them be free range in the corral in front of the stables. Even in the rain they choose to be outside. We are not complaining as the stables are easier to muck out.
I like you, enjoyed Lynne’s Squiggle story. It must have made me remember about a Jackdaw that my Cousin Desmond raised, for I woke up this morning with it on my mind. I don’t know how Desmond got the Jackdaw. Being a bit of a scaly, he could well had raided the nest that it came from. I was a school boy at the time and would visit Desmond’s Family in a small village not far from Didcot in Berkshire in the school summer holidays. Although I lived in the countryside at a very young age, my visits to my relations in Berkshire were my earliest memories of the freedom of the countryside. With living in London they were wonderful times. I should think that my memories of the visits stayed with me, and were the reason for me wanting to live in the countryside.
Desmond’s Jackdaw was meant to be kept outside in a ram shackled aviary that he had made, but he always left the aviary door open allowing the Jackdaw to get into the house. Many a morning we would be woken by the Jackdaw sitting at the end of our bed. Would Aunt Flo would let Desmond know what for. Nothing shiny could be left out in the house, for as soon as the Jackdaw caught a glance of it, it was gone, never to be seen again.
Where ever we went on our adventures, the Jackdaw would be on Desmond shoulder or flying above us. I went to a different type of school than my Cousins in Berkshire, that meant that I was still on holiday when they returned to school. The Jackdaw would always fly to school with Desmond, disappearing until home time, when he would be found waiting on the school gate to accompany Desmond home. Lynne’s story has helped to bring back very happy memories.