She doesn't like motorbikes.....

Put Sky in the front garden this afternoon for a bit of grass as the big boys have turned the field into a muddy mess. She was grazing away quite happily - until a very noisy motorbike went past when she was right by the gate, she shot across the garden, scrabbled over the patio and scared herself even more bashing the gate so she could get back to the field........perhaps some desensitisation with the Pan European is in order?

Considering wine and cheeky babies.....

On Friday, my friendly local restauranteur is coming to cook lunch here for me and some friends so today I went to buy some wine to go with the meal. As I rarely have more complicated requirements than "is it red and wet?" when choosing wine I decided to use the highly scientific method of selecting bottles with nice horses on the labels.

We'll see if this is a good way to go about it on Friday.......






This afternoon was sunny, if cold, so I let Skyfaxa have a graze on the front lawn. Éowyn decided she needed something extra so opened the door to give her an apple and I nearly ended up with a horse in the kitchen!

Boys will be boys.......

It was a bit cold this morning so the boys were playing to warm themselves up whilst I was warming up nicely cleaning out the disgusting mess they'd made in the box during the night......

At one point Maverick obviously felt he wasn't muddy enough so he stopped for a roll. I think he secretly always wanted to be a black horse........

We've been to see.....

......a potential new recruit:

almost 2 year old Breton filly (ONC), her mother was saved from the butcher by Equine Rescue France.

A new friend for Skyfaxa?

Something new.....

My girls have been great today, put Aliénor on Gandalf and got her to lead Skyfaxa around the courtyard, good as gold, both of them.

Escapee goats......

So I was just sitting down to my first cup of tea this morning after the usual hectic running around to get one daughter to school and the other to the childminder when there's a knock on the door. It's one of the commune's cantonniers, asking me if my goats have escaped..........I went to look and there they both were, outside the Mairie next door, peering in through the glass doors!

Eva, the brown one, is impossible to catch but luckily Sugar is fairly tame and immediately came over at the sight of a food bucket. I was able to get a lead on her and led her home with Eva trotting along behind......They escaped from my neighbour's paddock where they've been quite happily living all winter so now I'll have to go and check all the fences. In the meantime I've put them in the paddock here so now it contains 4 horses and 2 goats plus various assorted poultry. Needless to say, Maverick is NOT impressed with these funny little creatures!

Baby photos

Was showing a friend some of Sky's photos today, I'd forgotten how cute she was as a baby, she's growing so fast......

I even found a little video clip of her with mum.......

The Secret Diary of Skyfaxa, aged 8 1/2 months....

So there I was, happily sharing a field with a vertically challenged and occasionally grumpy fluffy pony, when who should turn up but a great big hairy white(ish) monster with a serious attitute problem. I had already met his shorter, rounder but equally white(ish) sidekick a couple of weeks ago and, apart from routinely trying to scarf my lunch, he seemed nice enough. This new hairy one though, he is not a happy bunny. He immediately started pushing the pony around.......and she usually pushes ME around, so imagine how scary he must be!!! Then it was my turn, he chased me away from the others down to the end of the field, I moved pretty sharpish, I can tell you, so fast that the funny shaped one (who doesn't smell like a horse, but gives me nice scratches and lots of FOOD) didn't even manage to get me in the photo...........I am not happy, I have to be shut in the stable now at food time or I don't get to eat my dinner in peace. Hopefully he won't be around for too long........

All four together

Brought the big boys down here yesterday as Jane's off to England and it's much easier for me to look after them here.

It was raining, we got soaked.

The girls didn't seem too impressed to see them either!!

It's rained all night, they boys are a nice black colour this morning.........

All cosy for the night.....

Just been out to check on the menagerie, I love the way the chooks all line up on the gate to sleep!

Even though it's the coldest weather of the winter so far, the chooks and ducks are still laying well. My restauranteur friends will be pleased!

More snow......

The cats are none too impressed........

I love the way Noisette is so well insulated the snow doesn't melt on her back.

Snowy Sky

Had some proper snow today, Skyfaxa wasn't too sure what it was! Made her nose cold........

Chickens.....

The chickens like to roost on the gate that keeps the hay in......and also in the hole they've made in the second round bale!

The little Silky hen, Snow White, always lays her eggs right in the middle of the round bale. The horses don't seem to mind........