Well I once again feel like extract of old dead car batteries,
. . . with maybe a few flat tyres thrown in, but I’m listening to Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (announced by the presenter as Tallis Thomas: you didn’t quite hear him slapping himself on the forehead before the mike went off, but I could intuit the sweep of the palm of the hand toward the upper part of the head) so I cannot be anything other than happy. At least so long as I don’t try to move and find out that I can’t. Sigh. When the ME first landed* there were days when I couldn’t even type. As I remind myself now when the bad days seem to be going on rather a long time.
I did ride this morning. Which may have been a mistake, but flrilp** it. I don’t want Connie to forget me. I don’t want her not to whinny when she sees me. Mind you, I can see the speech bubble forming over her head as she points her ears at me: Carrot Lady! The fact that she’s going to have to suffer through a lot of girth-tightening, trotting, cantering, half-passing***, cows,† and other devilry first is a bit daunting, but Connie believes in bearing one’s trials hopefully. And that’s Carrot and Apple Lady, I’ll have you know. Last time I ran out of apples for horses†† there weren’t any little ones at the greengrocer††† and I found myself balking at paying large-apple prices. I’ll just bring her another carrot, I thought. We have more carrots than we know what to do with.‡
Connie was outraged. She kept looking for her apple. She didn’t want me to leave because I hadn’t given her her apple. So, oppressed and browbeaten, I crept off to the greengrocers again and bought large apples. She was grandly and gallantly glad to see me again today despite my dereliction of duty last time, and was obviously perfectly confident that she’d got her point across and there would be an apple. There was an apple.‡‡
Jenny was conspicuously gentle with me however. Although maybe she was just being gentle with Connie: the vet was leaving as I was arriving, having given all the horses on the yard their flu jabs, and you don’t want to work them hard right after this. Jenny says flu jabs aren’t nearly as dramatic as they used to be, however, and, for example, Connie will be fine by Saturday. She’ll probably be scintillating with fresh antibodies and inclined to cavort in the treetops, like someone in Crouching Przewalski, ‡‡‡ Hidden Orthomyxoviridae.
* * *
* Houston, we have a problem
** Fram, fotzit, fandango, farthingale, fistula, festinate, F%$£”!!!! it. You get the idea.
*** Especially half-passing: I mean the suffering part. Make up your mind up there, her ears say trenchantly.^
^ Certainly ears can be trenchant. Any rider can tell you.
† I think I’ve mentioned before there are cows in the field next to the outdoor riding ring. Every time we go out there Connie has to look them over closely to make sure before she turns her mind to higher matters that none of them has morphed into the Black Beast of Devon (and moved east) since the last time we were out there. Today they were all lying down. Our cows lie down a lot. And it rains a lot. I told Jenny the Ten Cows in a Field Method of Forecasting the Weather^. She, a farm girl born and bred, was amused. She said, One of my clients said, do they have legs?^^ –That’s how much it rains here.^^^
^ I’ve already told you this. Four cows lying down, 40% chance of rain. Eight cows lying down, 80% chance of rain. Etc.
^^ Hellhounds and I were recently walking past a field full of sheep, as we so often are. I wish to emphasise that there was a fence between us and the sheep: when we’re all on the same side of the fence I keep hellhounds on short lead. Sheep, for obscure reasons, often lie next to the fence with their backs to it: I’m talking about a naked wire fence, so it doesn’t give much visual impression of protection, although I guess it must to sheep. The hellhounds are thrilled by sheep.+ I attempt to be quelling about this thrilledness, but ‘safe to stock’ is never going to be a testworthy proposition with hellhounds, so it doesn’t matter all that much. I keep them somewhat reeled in, and we keep going. We passed, however, what was evidently an especially tempting sheep, lying against the fence, and Darkness made a little rush at it. It was really a very little rush; I didn’t even hit the brake. But the sheep leaped to its feet, began to dart away . . . and fell over. Rolled over on its back and waved its feet frantically in the air before it scrambled back up again and tried with the darting thing again. They just don’t make sheep the way they used to.
+ Shoulder development ahoy. One of these days I’m accidentally going to pull a bell right out of its frame in the belfry.
^^^ But speaking of cows: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/26/1 You have to scroll down to the bottom. I always thought things clustered around having their tails to the prevailing wind.
†† ‘Horse apples’ being open to misconstruction. Fram, festinate and horse apple it.
††† The size called fun size. Tell me why a small apple is any funner [sic] than a large apple.
‡ Our organic veggie box scheme is always thrusting carrots on us. Most popular veg in the UK: carrots, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. I will only eat carrots and onions, and Peter is not wildly fond of onions. That leaves a lot of carrots. Some of which now get passed on to Connie. And the problem with this country is obvious: it doesn’t like its dark leafy greens.
‡‡ I think I’m just so intoxicated by having some animal in my life eager to eat something I give it that I get a little light-headed. I’m obliged to be happy because I’m listening to Vaughan Williams, but I’m feeling a little under siege by the fact that I have two hellhounds lying on the floor next to their untouched dinner bowls looking fixedly in the other direction.
‡‡‡ Also while out walking hellhounds, although not the same walk or the same day, we were passed by two dazzlingly beautiful and well-turned-out horses, both of them with ‘I am expensive and I am worth every farthing‘ stamped on them like one of those enormous German warmblood brands. The big grey in the lead in particular looked like the sort of horse that judges automatically give top marks to because he so obviously expects it.^ He gave us a friendly if lofty look and was undismayed by hellhounds, who were behaving themselves,^^ but about ten feet past us–I was grateful for the ten feet–he did a proper Connie shy, which ends in the Four-Legged Spraddle, the butt well down and the tail flat . . . and is about the most undignified thing you can imagine. When you’re sitting on it its lack of dignity is probably not the first thing in your mind, but I was greatly entertained by seeing this paragon of high-mettled steeds shying like a middle-aged, grass-bellied Connemara-cross mare. Oh Percival,^^^ said his rider fondly, who appeared to be glued to her saddle, drat her.
^ Yes, I know grey horses never win. This one does. And don’t forget Blue Horse Matinee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw&NR=1 –Gods. I’ve just been rewatching this, I think for the first time since I started riding again. Gods. Half-pass at the canter. And I’ve seen Jenny riding Connie: Connie could do canter pirouettes now, and make a start on passage. I have to get good before Connie gets too old.
^^ Although I had them by the harness so it wouldn’t have mattered if they weren’t.
^^^ Mortimer, Pauncefoot, Cloudesley, Winstanleigh, Aelfric, one of those type of name
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“But the sheep leaped to its feet, began to dart away . . . and fell over. Rolled over on its back and waved its feet frantically in the air before it scrambled back up again and tried with the darting thing again. ”
This made me laugh so barkingly loud that both cats did the whole “startled into flight” thing, complete with bushy tail, followed by accusing eyes.
And I’m laughing again as I read this through to proof. Bwah! It is SUCH a vivid mental picture.
*dissolves into helpless giggles*
Oh good. We aim to amuse. :)
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Hahaha. Connie has you trained. That’s awesome. Go Connie.
Glad you got to ride her today. Even if the ME disapproves, I think the rest of you will appreciate having gone. Besides, creature who wants food from you.
Dear hellhounds, you must eat.
Connie has you trained.
******** I am her *slave.* She merely orders me . . . :)
Dear hellhounds, you must eat.
******** Some eating did eventually occur. Sigh.
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Oh I am glad you rode today, however spoon consuming it might be. I thought, having got some pictures of the first part of my holidays onto Flickr to tempt your appetite with Greek food so
stuffed vine leaves http://www.flickr.com/photos/susan_from_athens/2799475059/
stuffed zucchini flowers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susan_from_athens/2799430255/
some delicious octopus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susan_from_athens/2800326084/
and as its virtual and won’t harm you some bougatsa (virtual dairy is the way to go)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susan_from_athens/2799490619/
I love the sheep stories. What with b_twin_1 I have been looking at sheep and as I was in the Lake District (part 3 of vacation) and on the Cumbria moors I have seen an awful lot. The closest definition is Silly Billies. Sheep appear to be remarkably common sense and survival instinct free. Also hard to photograph in anything but the mouth down while cropping grass pose. Or the showing us your appreciation pose (in Crete):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susan_from_athens/2799444341/in/photostream/
Hope you feel better very soon indeed!
Thank you! I think Cumbrian sheep are BRIGHTER than Hampshire sheep however. :)
Sheep appear to be remarkably common sense and survival instinct free.
******** The local farmer I know best won’t run them for exactly this reason, although he hires out his fields to sheep farmers sometimes. If it’s him I have to go report to he always has a word or two to say on sheep intellect. :) But there’s a smallholding series in a magazine I subscribe to that says sheep are much maligned and he’s pretty sensible so there’s obviously two sides to this story.
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Re sheep story: LMAO
They are so funny when they do that. My horse did it the other day too but not quite as completely.
Fences (*especially* the plain wire ones) are so comfy to lean against. (Well most farmers don’t go and put recliners in their pastures for the sheep and so they have improvise!)
You turned up to see Connie without an apple?! I’m surprised she forgave you!!
Take it easy…..
I never knew from sheep till I moved over here. I thought that business about pregnant sheep getting stuck on their backs was a *myth*. Till I was out riding (years ago) with a farmer’s wife and she got off her horse to yank a stranded sheep over on its side again. Since then I’ve done it a few times myself–go and tell the farmer after, of course. I could use an adult ed class in how to do it the RIGHT way though . . .
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I had a ram get flat on his back one day. Like a table he was .. .with the 4 legs forlornly waving in the breeze. That ram was a real character. I think we called him “Keg”.
I could use an adult ed class in how to do it the RIGHT way though . . .
LOL Sometimes the right way is whatever works! But as a general rule if they have been lying on one side for too long then you need to get them on the other side – just as if you had a limb that had “fallen asleep”. And if you can sit them up that is good but make sure it is the opposite to the side they were lying (we call it “cast” when they can’t get up). If you try to stand them up then it best to hang on to them for a while as they stand there so they don’t try to dash off (and then fall over….) before the blood circulates around their legs properly.
Yes, I’m used to ‘cast’ in horses. I’ve only ever had to de-cast a horse by myself ONCE, and it involved the TAIL, and then LEAPING ASIDE QUICKLY. Not a fun time for either of us.
I have specialised in whatever works with sheep. One flailed so much that I had to rock her with my feet, I couldn’t figure out how to get close to her without a face full of hoof. ONce she was up she stood there quite a while swaying however and by that time she’d decided I was the Forces for Good after all. Others have been easier, you can kind of prop them up gradually (meanwhile wondering about ticks and fleas and anything else that may be living in that wool you have an armful of). Thanks. I’m glad the professionals have to wing it somewhat too.
(meanwhile wondering about ticks and fleas and anything else that may be living in that wool you have an armful of)
Fleas – no
Ticks – dunno about the UK.. possible … but over here no…..
Lice – maybe, but it would be species specific
Lamb cuteness: http://b-twin-1.livejournal.com/
There was an apple.‡‡
Pushover. :)
YOu betcha. Startle me and I fall over REALLY easily, and wave all my legs in the air. :)
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Startle me and I fall over REALLY easily, and wave all my legs in the air. :)
Bet you’d feel pretty sheepish if that happened.
Yeah, ok, that was a baaaaad pun… :)
Boooooo! :)
I thought that business about pregnant sheep getting stuck on their backs was a *myth*.
I have never heard that about a pregnant sheep. I wonder how far away modern sheep are from the wild stock that they came from? I can’t imagine much success in a wild population that has to call “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”. There must be a video somewhere on Utube of this phenomenon.
Hope you don’t have to count spoons tomorrow.
I wonder how far away modern sheep are from the wild stock that they came from?
********* My thoughts exactly. They’ve been bred to have more wool and more babies. Twins in a heavily-woolled ewe = possible stranding, I assume.
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I can’t imagine much success in a wild population that has to call “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”.
Well, the wolves would be happy to help out. Population control. Certainly with full fleece and heavy in lamb would be tricky. A lot of people (especially here) would not lamb down ewes with full fleece. Even in winter lambing.
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I see that Connie is still working on training Her Human. What? No apple?
Sheep. Rolling sheep. Is that better than flying sheep? Imagine the commercial possibilities… Sheep are very dim.
Hellhounds, a word in your beautiful shell-like ears: Do your HellGoddess a favor. Eat Something! (Not someone, please, I’m sure Robin and Peter prefer all their bodily appendages attached and undamaged.)
Robin, I hope you feel better soon. [Purple sparkly healing vibes and hugs, as per usual]
Thank you! :)
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Sheep sound exactly like there’s someone hiding behind a boulder or tree nearby, saying, “Bahh! Bahhh!” My husband was not sure that the first sheep he saw up close that weren’t on a plate were making that noise, because it was too perfect. He looked around for someone hiding behind a boulder for a while, and then gave up.
And maybe they’re FAINTING SHEEP? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg
Fainting goats, please. :) LIke minds and all that, see above. (Or possibly below. I think I read these in reverse order back here in Site Admin.)
One of the things that amuses me about sheep is how VARIABLE their baaing is. Every sheep her own voice. :)
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Every sheep her own voice. :)
Yes. I can still pick out my bottle-reared pets by voice alone. :)
Have you seen the fainting goats?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmJDDC0e0bw
(I’m at work and couldn’t play the video with sound, so have no idea what those people are saying.)
OH GODS. THIS IS WAY TOO SILLY. . . . Unfortunately, animal nut that I am, I have to wonder about the human wisdom of BREEDING the poor things. This doesn’t seem to me a GOOD thing to breed FOR.
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Black Beast of Devon … okay, no clue about this creature, but I am intruiged. I shall go Googling.
Yay for getting in a ride on Connie, despite ME.
“Fun” size = we can charge you more for a “cute” idea! Either that, or you get the adorable “mini”s *rolls eyes*
Question: If hellhound food was “fun” sized, would they eat it? Probably not, because they sound smart, but you never know … ;)
Hellhounds don’t believe in food as fun. But then chocolate is toxic to dogs.
I hope you found some Black Beasts of Devon. Apparently there really are a few escaped leopards out there. Or something.
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I would like to take this opportunity to mention how entertained I am by your footnotes. They are not only great fun but have the fringe benefit of providing excellent hand and arm excercise as I scroll back and forth between blog and footnote. Today’s footnotes, for some reason, have me particularly tickled. In particular, the following link:
But speaking of cows: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/26/1 You have to scroll down to the bottom. I always thought things clustered around having their tails to the prevailing wind.
Hooray! A surefire way of finding north! I will never be lost again!!
Compass AND rain predictor! Cows RULE! :)
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I would send soup AND apples, if I could–also some of the miracle zucchini/chocolate/orange cake that a weekend guest showed up with. And spoons–I’d send spoons. Always seems like you use the ones you have so well.
Sheep! Spent several years loving sheep from a great distance, but it took only a few days of working on a sheep farm in Scotland to get over that. I swear their heads are wool all the way through. But then I see a field of them looking all woolly and sweet, and I’m charmed all over again.
Well I actually do like sheep. And I believe the smallholding guy that they have brains if you give them a chance. And the woolly-faced ones are cuter than teddy bears.
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Mm, chocolate, zucchini and orange cake. Sounds nice. Is there a recipe? My sister makes a pretty good beetroot and chocolate cake (she started one day in desperation because her organic box people would keep sending her beetroots.)
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*****She…was obviously perfectly confident that she’d got her point across and there would be an apple. There was an apple.*****
Yes, of course there was. I love this story. Thank you.
*****Certainly ears can be trenchant.*****
My cat certainly makes some pointed comments with her ears. Too bad humans have lost this ability. Although, come to think of it, public speaking would be even more daunting if you had to look out over a crowd of expressive ears.
public speaking would be even more daunting if you had to look out over a crowd of expressive ears.
******** ROTFL!!!! As someone who has done quite a lot of it, YESSSSS!
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Oh my, the public speaking at expressive ear comments is awesome!!!
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You are so vivid. Thank you. Feel free to have my spoons. My mother in law is flatly refusing to get dressed and go anywhere these days, and it’s not safe to leave her alone. So for ten more days I can’t use them anyway. I will be sitting in a chair and reading things I can read through interruption and knitting things that take no serious counting and trying not to comment on her taste in old movies.
Oh dear! Good luck!
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Yes, I know grey horses never win. This one does.
This one too. Or used to, anyway; she’s retired now.
And this fellow is pretty spectacular as well.
She was grandly and gallantly glad to see me again today despite my dereliction of duty last time, and was obviously perfectly confident that she’d got her point across and there would be an apple. There was an apple.
Heh. Eternal optimism pays off! My retired horse is like this about bananas. Never should have introduced him to them. The other one won’t have anything to do with bananas; he’s strictly a carrot kind of guy. Once in a while he gets an apple or pear or stud muffin. . .
STUD MUFFIN? Golly, American slang has *changed* . . .
Horses that jump can be grey, because it’s a question of poles knocked down, or not. Dressage for better or worse is very subjective by the judge. The second photo–yeep. That’s some fence. The first one however comes up on my screen about one inch square. Any chance of a bigger version?
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Yep. Stud muffins.
Is this picture any better? Hunters must have different criteria than dressage. ;)
What’s wrong with poor Idaho?
Is this picture any better?
********* Yes, thank you. Wow.
Oh, I just noticed that they won’t ship to Idaho. Heh.
I wish Rox Dene’s owner would put out a video of her; they haven’t done it yet and thus far have no plans to.
I’d love to see a video, if they ever do.
****I’m feeling a little under siege by the fact that I have two hellhounds lying on the floor next to their untouched dinner bowls looking fixedly in the other direction.****
Probably thinking that the stuff is too boring to bother with eating and that if they ignore it, it won’t be there. Or, who knows, maybe waiting for it to morph into something else. Or just doing their bit to give you grey hairs. :)
You can put on your Bad Influence hat–I’ve been here much too late catching up on the last couple of days and should have been in bed at least an hour ago. We are leaving tomorrow to go fetch the puppy, and I’m not sure how much computer access I will have (or time either, especially when we get into hotels with a 10-week-old puppy). We do have a name for him–”Great Catch” will be part of his registered name, and his call name will be Ted or Teddy for Ted Williams. I always thought of Williams as a hitter, but my husband says no, he was a good fielder too. Drove four hours to Wisconsin and back today taking the Alpha Bitch (full disclosure: her name is Tasha, after all these months I suppose I can give up the nom de blog) to stay with the handlers while we are gone. I am really glad I’m not going to be driving tomorrow! I should have pictures to post once we get back.
I hope the ME is retreating.
I’m sorry to hear that ME continues its guerilla warfare. It strikes me that your daily blog could be something like a soup ladle in the spoon category. While your blog community loves checking in to see what the go is in Hampshire each day, your continued good health is much more important to us – what if you couldn’t write any more books? DISASTER!!
When your publisher said ‘tour or blog’, did they seriously expect you to still be writing a daily blog over a year later?
If you had chosen the tour option and the ME had hit, you couldn’t have gone on with it. You could apply the same reasoning to blogging.
I know you’ve talked about the discipline of writing and posting each day, but there would still be discipline involved if you decided that you would post every Tuesday, or on the 1st of every month, or whatever (whenever you felt like it!)
I’m sorry if I sound like someone’s mother, but I just want you to know that we (your community) know that we are spoiled by you, and that you wouldn’t be letting anyone down if you said that the spoons were limited and that the soup ladle had to become a teaspoon.
I’m thinking about all these things I just haven’t reached any conclusions yet. :) But thanks for the vote of confidence (and reassurance).
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My brother’s a shepherd in Sussex and his sheep are usually fenced in with electric fences, to discourage them from straying. The dogs do not like electric fences,* and even when they are off they won’t go through them without a great deal of encouragement.
Hope you feel better soon.
* Nor do I – especially not when they bite you in rude places when you are trying to climb over them.
One of my least favourite things is the electric fence BLOCKING A LEGITIMATE PUBLIC FOOTPATH STILE. Which I then have to heave two-ton hellhounds over–including hoicking up trailing legs–I tell myself that their extreme relaxation is TRUST and FLATTERING but I wish they’d be a little more NERVOUS and CURL UP BETTER.
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Suburban deer are clearly an early stage in sheep evolution (devolution, for a process of becoming less survival-fitted)?
Anyway, I know this because I resent the local deer who are very abundant and show up to eat my roses etc frequently. One one occasion they were standing around on my drive, eating, and I went out and yelled and flapped my arms. Deer( with contemptuous look):”What? You got some kinda problem, lady?”
I snatched up a bamboo garden pole and sprinted towards them, bellowing like some Neanderthal javelin thrower. They gave me a look of stark horror, and one of them – yes – FELL OVER.
They are destined to become sheep.
LOL!
If you have the time and patience, I do recommend the peanut-butter-baited electric fence (as per Yolande in SUNSHINE). It works in this world too.
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Sheep just don’t seem to have dignity the way other grazers do! What a wonderful image that is :-) I wish the German study had looked to see if sheep line up according to magnetic fields too (I can just imagine them being sheepish exceptions).
Horse-sized apples… (careful phrasing noted!) I was thrilled to find a whole range of these (more my size, since I know no horses to give them to, alas) in my local farmers market. So small, so crisp and tasty. I like my apples to look real, yet be without worms, and these were just right. Mmmm.
Don’t forget you are also Connie’s ear cleaning lady. I’d send you (for Connie) apples from our trees – it is an apple year* this year – but unfortunately it isn’t practical. And there must be orchards galore in south England anyway.
*Last year was a snake year, and I *much* prefer apple years.
Yes it’s an apple year here too. I can hardly get *past* the tiny apple tree in my tiny cottage garden, it’s so bowed down with apples.
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All my current horses seem to think carrots and apples equally yummy. My QH Smoke, who several years ago went on to whatever award awaits really fabulous trail horses, hated apples. At one point, I was sure I could change his mind by just getting him to try one. I gave him a carrot piece, and then slipped him an apple wedge, while letting him see another carrot piece in my hand. He spit out the apple piece, and I have rarely seen such a look of complete disgust on an equine face.
Have you tried grapes or watermelon rind with Connie. They are usually a hit around here, if you can get the new horse to observe a horse who already likes them eating them.
No, but she thoroughly approves of pears. Drambuie doesn’t like apples!
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*****I’m listening to Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis*****
Wow. Talk about Jungian synchronicity. As I started to read this latest blog entry, I had just turned on the Tallis Fantasia to block out the guy in the office next door, who was, as usual, bellowing away on a conference call to the point where I couldn’t concentrate on anything. (Yes, he knows he’s loud and he keeps his door shut, but I can hear him through the *walls*.)
*****Also while out walking hellhounds, although not the same walk or the same day, we were passed by two dazzlingly beautiful and well-turned-out horses*****
For a hack? Must be owned by people rich enough to have grooms. I never see people over here do that for hacking; in fact, one of the reasons I don’t show is because I hate all the fuss about getting all decked out, although I admit it IS beautiful, and I’d be delighted to look like that if someone else did all the work….
Judith
I’m so glad to have found your blog!
And if it helps at all (don’t know if it will) my parents dog didn’t eat – until my sister got cats. The competition to eat his dinner made him eat a little before the marauding moggies got it all!
CATS?? No, no, I can’t face cats AND hellhounds . . .
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Sometimes competition works, and sometimes it doesn’t. You never know with bad eaters, that’s what drives you screaming nuts!
Chaos, who is the WORSE eater, will, if I don’t stop it, sit there looking disinterested/aggrieved while Darkness, in one of his hoover moments, hoovers up Chaos’ food. ARRRRRGH. Darkness, however, is the one who in other moments simply turns OFF. Chaos will usually eat a mouthful eventually. Usually.
“Well I once again feel like extract of old dead car batteries,
. . . with maybe a few flat tyres thrown in, but I’m listening to Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (announced by the presenter as Tallis Thomas: you didn’t quite hear him slapping himself on the forehead before the mike went off, but I could intuit the sweep of the palm of the hand toward the upper part of the head) so I cannot be anything other than happy. ”
I don’t have ME (mine is a different soul-sapper), but I wanted to tell you that I just started watching the “Buffy” series–and that’s making me happy. Weird convergence of things: recommendations from a couple of my students that I might like “Firefly,” and even if I didn’t, I needed to see “Buffy”; along with this blog and your references to Joss Whedon; plus, something a friend said about vampire TV shows (I was watching Kolchack at the time). I’m enjoying the show–only in the first season, so I expect things will gel a bit more s it goes along–but, it lifts my mood.
Buffy is, you know, the Man. Or the Woman. :) But if we’re going to talk about vampire TV, there’s a very underrated short British series called Ultraviolet.
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But if we’re going to talk about vampire TV, there’s a very underrated short British series called Ultraviolet.
any relation to Ultraviolet, the movie?
spaking of vampire TV- whatcha think of Barnabas Collins/Dark Shadows? I haven’t seen much of the original series but it sounds intriguing… is it worth tracking down a tape or DVD?
any relation to Ultraviolet, the movie?
******** I don’t think so, but maybe somebody else out there knows better.
spaking of vampire TV- whatcha think of Barnabas Collins/Dark Shadows? I haven’t seen much of the original series but it sounds intriguing… is it worth tracking down a tape or DVD?
******** Eep. Well, not by me. It might be good for a laugh but . . . it’s a **soap opera**, right? And it was done on a VISIBLE shoestring. I kept trying to watch it and it kept defeating me . . . :)
“And it was done on a VISIBLE shoestring. I kept trying to watch it and it kept defeating me . . . :)”
Thanks for the heads up. You just saved me some time, money, and aggravation.
Speaking of visible shoestrings, I just saw some DVDs for Dr Who from the Tom Baker years. I feel guilty but I must say I much prefer the latest Dr Who. Better special effects, better plots, better sidekicks.
But anyway, just got home after a 15 hour day at work so I’m beat. Who knew sitting at the computer and writing could be so much work. ; ) But I’m guessing I don’t feel half as bad as you do. : ( Hope the ME goes away post haste.
Book gossip? Literature lecture? Reader’s revenge? Nope, sorry, I got nothing. Maybe after I get another 15 hours of SLEEP, I can come up with something better. Take care.
I love the old Tom Baker DR WHOs but that’s because I saw them *then.* They can’t compete now, any more than DARK SHADOWS can. Well, DS never *could* if you’re asking me . . . :)
Believe it or not, I don’t like Mr Manic Frenzy the new Dr Who, and the whole Christ-like forgiveness thing of the end of last season totally made me gag. I am a cow about visual media too. :) I did like the fellow who played it the first year, who left at the end of that first season.
***Believe it or not, I don’t like Mr Manic Frenzy the new Dr Who, and the whole Christ-like forgiveness thing of the end of last season totally made me gag. I am a cow about visual media too. :) I did like the fellow who played it the first year, who left at the end of that first season. ***
Yes I agree with you about the Dr. Who from the first season. We hadn’t seen him in the States, or at least I hadn’t, but from what I remember he was some relatively big star before he did Dr. Who??? So he probably felt one year was enough to spend on THAT project. I was surprised to find out that the woman who played Rose Tyler – you know, the blonde – was a classically trained actress that did SERIOUS acting before hitting Dr. Who. Who wouldathunk.
And I agree with you about the season finale. There was a lot that bothered me about it. Not the least the part about the Tardis TOWING the Earth behind it and the vases wobbling a little bit on the shelf as it was being pulled through space. OH PUHleeez! I know, I know, willing suspension of disbelief and all that. But, that was just a bit too much for my delicate sensibilities! Oh and what about the fact that the re haired sidekick whose name escapes me at the moment – the one that got blended with Dr Who’s hand – had a meltdown because her human body couldn’t handle the time lord’s memories …. while the Dr. Who who got created from the hand and had parts of the sidekick in him and who was ALSO human as a result didn’t have a meltdown… what’s wrong with THAT picture. And what about the whole universe going poof because you can’t whack one bad guy? I’m a peacable person but if someone’s trying to kill me, am I gonna turn the other cheek and let them do it? NO. If it’s him or me… its HIM! Grr!
Well, oops! You got me started on the topic and I took the bait and ran…. on and on and on… sorry. Will stop now!
p.s. hope you are starting to feel a little bit better by now. Take care.
****** I don’t want Connie to forget me
No horse forgets a reliable apple provider (carrots are OK but apples are better)!
I taught Caroline to bow for an apple, and then she had to go on loan for three years – when I walked into her stable with an apple in my pocket she snuffled me very thoroughly, and then did her bow – who could resist?
So glad that you are proving trainable on the ground, and it sounds like Jenny will gently help you conquer all those sideways movements (No, not the leap and spraddle which you seem to have accomplished already, lol)
Just like to second the comment by Susan in Melbourne. Yes, you spoil us thoroughly and I am indulging as much as I can, but not at the price of your health. Never.
I was just thinking / wondering if I should post, how do you *do* all this stuff? Perhaps some time when you have the energy, you might share your secret? I’ve only just started reading your blog, and so far I’ve got: work, husband, Third House, hellhounds, Interesting Digestive Dilemmas of hellhounds, bellringing, piano, composing, gardening, reading, walking… PLUS ME. I am awed.
I would not be surprised if blogging simply takes too much time. And it certainly sounds like you don’t need any more *discipline* practise to get through all this.
*deep respect*