Saturday 28 July 2012
What a week,
Wednesday the hay was baled, and so was Mark and Sarahs. They cut and baled
mine, which rather dissapointingly only made 29 bales and I needed rather more.
So at 6.00pm after work, Holly, Tash, Michele, Simon, Adam, David Morton and
Charlie and brother Nick and I all went over to Green Farm to help with getting
in the hay – a proper country job!! The sun was out, the hay was heavy, we
loaded trailors, unloaded trailers, stacked hay and got through. Being a
sensible person I had got a bottle of Pims and the wherewithal to make it and
we had two large thermos flasks full, which we shared with all – made the
evening go rather better. About half way through Mark drove his trailer over to
the Centre with the female team, I moved my old hay out of the store, and the
others loaded the new hay and brought it round. Art thought the whole thing had
been laid on for his amusement. We put the old hay temporarily in where the
trailer lives and stacked the new hay. I needed more so we left it, let Art out
and went back to Green farm, just in time to help unload the last two
trailers!!! We left 40 bales on the last one to come to me later, then very
very grubby and sweaty we went back to the Centre and Sally had organised a
Chinese takeaway which went down very well. Finally at 10.00 pm after tidying
up, I had a much needed shower and fell into bed.
The following
day Shasta who has been very very quiet finally got me so worried that I took
her to the vet, in the early evening, poor darling had a temperature of 105!!!
So no wonder she felt poorly, it turned out to be growing pains – inflammation
of the membrane over the long bones, so a hefty shot of carprieve and one of
Norclav and by 11.00pm she was a different dog. The evening however was not
over. The rest of the hay arrived, so very kindly everyone had stayed late and
we unloaded and stacked it and put the old hay on the top, Art was pleased as
he has been able to steal hay all day!!!
I tidied the
yard and finished up and had a shower, fed Nick and we were just relaxing a bit
when Adam can in – the baby Sparrowhawk who did not look as if he could even
get off the ground – could!! He had gone into the hedge and Adam and Tash
needed a hand. So out we went, finally Nick spotted him about twenty feet up
in the Turkey Oak, so we got the ladder, by that time Simon had arrived, we
held the ladder up in mid air and Adam climbed it, but the Sparrowhawk was
having none of the net and then flew like a demon up and over the hedge and
ended up about 40 feet up in the walnut tree!!
Adam was
convinced he could reach it, I was less so, but he did, with ropes and tackle
to keep him safe. He got the Spar, but then of course – how to get down. So I
asked Simon for one of his socks (he as the only person wearing any!) he refused
and said he would go and get a clean one!!!!!! My personal opinion by that time
was that the Sparrowhawk did not deserve a clean one but Simon thought it might
kill him to have the worn one!!
Up went the
sock, in went the Sparrowhawk and down he was lowered in the sock on a creance.
Tash now owes Simon a new pair of socks because he cut it open to get the bird
out without upsetting it. Not, I might add that it seemed in the slightest bit
concerned!!
So all ended
well. The stable smells heavenly of new hay. There is a satisfying feeling
knowing that you have enough hay safely in to last the winter. Art is well, the
birds are well and I should have got riding this evening, but ran out of steam.
We did watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which was wonderful, but we
did not see the end as we gave up after Finland!!!
The weather has
been glorious, hot, sunny, Karis has been doing stoops to die for, and all the
birds have been managing well. I will put in some pictures but my camera is in the weighing room and I am blowed if I am going down there to get it at this time of night!
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1 comments:
Had a wonderful Hawk experience day on Saturday. The best birthday present experience I've ever had. Simply wonderful. Handled and flew so many wonderful birds - from kites to buzzards.
Extremely well organised and in such idyllic surroundings. My 11- year old daughter loved being there too.
Many thanks to Mark, the main trainer on the day, to Adam too and to Jemima for running such a fantastic place. Looking forward to coming back.
Best wishes,
Peter
Peter Sommer Travels
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