And 1 makes 38

The years creep up on you with insidious stealth as you fast approach 40 and thus it was that I struck my 38th birthday today.

As tradition dictates work had a cake for me yesterday and last night Philippa and I went to Canter for dinner which was lovely.

Marty rang from the States this morning, Vonnie and Jules rang during the day and the delights of modern technology meant that the text messages, emails from around the world, and Facebook comments were many and varied which is always appreciated.

Joely is in Sydney for another Scots Orientation weekend (I pick him up tomorrow) so he forgot my birthday alas and I didn't hear from anyone in my family (not that that is of any surprise given I don't communicate with any of them) so I guess it's fair enough to say that it was a bit of a long quiet day worsened by a splitting headache, opressive cloud cover and steady rain that only broke long enough this afternoon for me to lunge Felix in the back paddock, needing to go out and buy hay, then do a second trip for horse feed (then unload and stack it all). I took some solace in watching a couple of Group races (including the good news of one of the colts that the farm purchased 2 years ago finally breaking through for a Group 1 win which means he can now stand at the farm and I have always wanted to market him as he is such a stunning looking animal), then watched a chick flick (pointless/predictable but filled in some time).

This evening I was invited out to the farm by the boss, his wife and their extended family as everyone is up for Kris' birthday which is tomorrow. It was such a brilliant evening. I don't like anything social but it was so relaxed, was a simple BBQ and the food was great, everyone was in fine form, the conversation was easy and the laughter genuine, and it really made my day as, whilst informal, it actually then felt like I had celebrated my birthday, and it felt good to have the others around. I am glad I went.

Here's a pic of one of the 'guests' in their party hat (!)

It's just past 10pm now. The animals are fed and quiet, I'm too tired to do much other than watch 20 minutes of a movie and then go to bed. If the weather has eased I will take Felix down to White Park tomorrow morning and work him. I lunged him twice during the week down there, lunged him here today, but haven't ridden him for a few weeks. He is starting to look good with the exercise but his head noises and inconsistencies continue to plague me. I have arranged a lesson with one of the visiting dressage instructors on Tuesday evening; will see how that goes. If I was a better rider I reckon I would have half a chance with this horse as he is so breathtakingly talented - at the moment though he is pulling like a train and has it all over me. I havent had a chance to ride Tommy lately either so he's looking all very unloved. As always I wish I had more time.

Raising a baby (magpie, that is)

Today's foal photo

Welcome to the world Bailey Thomas Nelson

Vonnie and Mick welcomed the arrival of a son - Bailey; brother to Mia - at 5pm yesterday. I went to visit Von this evening. The baby is beautiful - always startles me how tiny they are. I wish they could stay small for longer - they seem to grow up so quickly. Also made me realize how old Joely is getting. Vonnie looked tired (not surprisingly) but well and she is hoping to take Bailey home tomorrow morning.

I think it's probably fair to say that I was the only person visiting the maternity ward who had a magpie sitting in my car waiting for me (who also needed to be fed when I hopped back into the front seat!). Maggie had to do the return trip to Maitland with me this afternoon as Joely is off to Scots again this weekend and I couldn't leave the bird without food for that period of time given it's 4+ hours. A few people gave our rear seat passenger a puzzled glance as we sat at the various traffic lights down the highway!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, enough of our mad bird stories. Here are a few pics of Bailey.

Photo of the day

KIlling crickets

I can dispose of dead mice, scoop pregnant blue tongued lizards out of the pool, and not flinch at a hovering spider. I can even feed a fledgling magpie live worms. Alas, when it came to the container of live crickets that I was supposed to feed to Maggie I drew a blank.

Given that a can of Mortein was of little use in the situation we re-located the crickets to an airtight container and chose to comfort ourselves with the 'out of sight/air/out of mind' mentality.

The plan was a failure from the start. Crickets can apparently cope extraordinarily well with no air, they die off one by one (over a period of days), they cannibalise their relatives ... and the final cricket, in true pursuit of the 'survival of the fittest' motto is huge and strong and ummm, far from dead.

Suffice it to say that I couldn't stomach the thought of squashing a tiny cricket let alone a big one!

The cricket wins. The magpie has a properly prepared insectivore feed now anyway. The cricket gets to go and live in the garden. Perhaps the snake will eat it ...

Michael Jackson

errrr, Joel's listening to the CD 'This Is It' which he got as a present from someone at work (suspect they were looking for a less guilty disposal method than a bin).

It's an 80's flashback, I'll say that much!

The problem of a pancreas

I received some rather bad news when I went to the specialist in Sydney 10 days ago. It was the final nail after having been so ill 7 weeks earlier ... as much as I wanted to block my ears to what I was seeing/hearing I realized I finally had no choice.

Can't say I am finding the new medication or the structure of the days easy to live with but the alternate reality is simply not one I wish to entertain so I just have to do this.

This has always - ultimately - been about me being less self indulgent and self centred and actually making an effort. Habits borne of more than a decade of behaviour are difficult to break so I guess it will just take time.

At least I am trying for a change. Frustratingly, I pushed my health to such a state that there are no guarantees now that I am going to get a clean bill going forward but I guess I just have to do the best I can and hope for the best.

PR and mines

The NSW government has never overturned a mining application. That's some precedent when you are, with no warning, plunged into the midst of a huge local political campaign against the mine as you are made the Regional PR Manager (minus a salary !!!) for one of the larger groups opposing the mine.

I didn't delude myself that I was chosen because I had some ability that could be harnessed; rather it came down to the fact that I was available (and in PR, employed by one of the studs, and would cost them nothing.) I was therefore 'donated' to the cause.

Despite the huge amount of work it has thrown in my direction it is actually really interesting. I have already met a tonne of new people, am wading through huge volumes of material every day, am writing non- stop, and whilst the politics are a mine field it's rather intriguing to see how it all works.

Am missing my horses and my photography though - haven't had time for either of late.

A hint of green

Scone was blessed with an inch of heavenly water last week and in response the back paddocks have bloomed green. As I looked at the shimmering horizon this evening and its endless heat haze I figured I may as well enjoy the change in colour as it won't last for long.

There's a brown snake under the logs next to the stable - the dogs were going mental trying to get it this evening. I yelled at them to get away from it and will just have to be careful when I am out there. Hopefully the sound of the people/dogs again will make the damn thing move on. Philippa and her 2 neighbours have killed 5 snakes between them since the start of the season so it's going to be a bad year for them I suspect.

Maggie

This is the new (temporary) addition to the family. The precious darling fell out of her nest just under 2 weeks ago so I have been hand rearing her. I have bought live worms and crickets, a specially prepared insectivore rearing mix, and I am feeding her every hour during the daylight hours (thankfully once the sun sets she goes to sleep). She comes to work with me every day, and I am hopelessly besotted with her even though the aim is to get her back into the wild as soon as I can.

The grey of Melbourne to the 38 degree heat of Scone

Half of Arrowfield being on the plane on Friday then a picture-perfect day on Saturday barely disguised the fact that whilst 105,000 (give or take a thousand or so) race fans headed to Flemington I instead indulged myself in the simple delight of meandering through endless Melbourne streets, window shopping, trying on the most wonderful clothes at all number of boutiques (wincing as I did so at the rather stark reminder of aging and full length mirrors), having long cups of tea at cafe's as I people-watched  .... and still I was back at the hotel to watch the last 5 races and do some work.

I roused some modicum of social skill to attend dinner on Saturday night (was a lovely meal) but the rain came sudden and fast as we all headed out onto the footpath at 10pm; Melbourne's reputation for bizarre weather remains intact!

A very quiet and relaxed Sunday - just what I needed - and I was back in Scone this afternoon to the frantic shrill of the mobile with the boss urgently needing a 700 word response for the press in response to a stinging argument he had had on the radio with someone this morning; so that kept the mind ticking over and the eyes frantically scanning the clock as I rushed to make the deadline given I also had to drive the requisite 2.5 hours back to the farm in the interim.

All animals intact - the dogs ridiculously excited to have us home and Maggie has doubled in size in the 3 days we were away which caused astonished reactions from both Joel and I. Her wings have begun to stretch and seek flight so we will start those lessons this week too.

Felix looks well; didn't get a chance to go and see Tommy as was so pressed for time.

I had invited Philippa and her children over for a BBQ and a swim so they have only just gone home. I wanted to drop in and see Vonnie on the way home from Newcastle but last minute work deadlines (on my day off ...) do seem to have a sterling ability to cull any plans one might otherwise have.

Was so lovely to have a break albeit a very small one. My days are so insanely busy - it's actually only when I step away from the routine and fall in an exhausted heap that I realize how tired I am.

Listening to ...

'The Reason'

i'm not a perfect person. there are many things i wish i didnt do
but i continue learning. i never meant to do those things to you.
and so i have to say before i go, that i just want you to know


i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you
i'm sorry that i hurt, its something i must live with everyday
and all the pain i put you through, i wish that i could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears, thats why i need you to hear


i'm not a perfect person, i never meant to do those things to you
and so i have to say before i go that i just want you to know
i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you


i've found a reason to show a side of me you didnt know
a reason for all that i do, and the reason is you

Wings of youth

Envelope licking and stamp sticking

The good old 'direct marketing' approach was adopted this evening. I figured I had better pull my finger out and get stuck into some promotion for the photography or I would miss the people scheduling dates for yearling photography late in the year. I therefore designed a simple 2 page flyer - 1 page focusing on yearling photos and the second on foals, shortlisted 46 local farms, added a postcard that I had designed in the UK last month, hand wrote the envelopes so people were more likely to open them .... and now there are 46 stamped, sealed and addressed envelopes neatly stacked on my table ready to be posted in the morning.

Fingers crossed.

Term 4

Joely started back at school today - his final term at St Mary's and his final term of primary school. Suffice it to say - where did all those years go?

He had a wonderful 2 weeks in Sydney and enjoyed his first day back so lovely to see him bubbling with enthusiasm and so happy.

Agility stakes

Peppermint flavoured paste

Felix appears to have an ulcer (like owner, like horse?!) so he has been started on a 3 week course of treatment. Of course he HATES having anything near his mouth doesn't he (a fact discovered when I went to worm him a few weeks ago). I therefore wore more of the paste than he did today ... did discover it was peppermint flavoured (not by choice).

Despite having lost a lot of weight his coat is starting to come through with all the equi-jewel, oil and daily grooming. He was standing in the corner of the paddock this evening as the sun set and the reflection off him was amazing. So he at least is LOOKING ok even if he is stressing me half to death with all the neuroses/weight loss he is struggling with.

Latest pics of Tommy

Charlotte has been riding Tommy for the past few days and in addition to doing wonders with him as she is such a gifted rider she has also fallen completely in love with him!

Respect for my forefathers

Jen, Colin, Aili and Niamh stayed with me from Friday - Sunday. Was so lovely to have them here and the kids all played so well but I confess after 48 hours of preparing meals, cooking, washing and wiping up, cleaning up after 6 people ... I have so much respect for all those generations of women who raised huge families and spent 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year doing what I did for 2 days. After they left yesterday I changed all the sheets, swept and mopped the floors (again), put away the final load of washing up, and wiped down all the benches. I was so exhausted I could barely stand.

Colin was fabulous - replaced all the lights that had broken, fixed the outside tap, and then all of us joined forces to put up the new electric fence in the side paddock. The ground is like rock courtesy of our lack of rain but a few hours work saw it done - everyone getting into the swing of it.

The pool covers came off for the kids, we went out to the farm so they could meet Tommy and pat a few dozen fluffy foals - all in all was a great weekend.

Innocent perfection

'Alex Bear'

I'd take a photo of Minxy but, well, she doesn't sit still long enough to focus the lens!

What foals get up to

The power went down 6 times in 2 hours so, fed up with the surge killing my newsletter copy everytime I replaced the section I had just lost I took advantage of the break in the clouds/howling wind/scattered rain and went and hung out in the foal paddock for 20 minutes instead.

So, here's what foals get up to when they are also filling in time: