Maybe I should write a book "tales from behind the green baize door".... Saying that, this summer has been very quiet & extremely short of funny/embarrassing moments (it ain't over yet though... So who knows). The oddest/funniest thing this summer has been me dashing around the upper floors chasing a bat! To say my boss has a phobia of bats is a slight understatement, also the fact that we had 11 guest sat down to dinner meant the bat had really chosen it's timing badly. To cut a long story short I got two guests to help (bosses son & his friend) one wanted to simply kill rather than catch & the other it turned out was pathetic to say the least! I got the darn thing after the men almost brought the chandelier down with a landing net & made so much noise my boss came to investigate *just what I needed* she squealed "is that what I think it is"? No just a large daddy long-legs I reply while forcing her into her bedroom & slamming the door telling her to stay there until I say please!
The queens cousins were at dinner that night & I do wonder if tales of the heroic bat catching housekeeper will reach her :D
Swallows... I'm just a wildlife magnet obviously! Last year my thing was owls (rescued 2 in as many months) but this years it's swallows. The nest just by the stables produces 3 broods each year & this latest lot have taken to sitting on the main stable doorway. I walked in Monday not knowing 5 chicks were just inside the block perched on the main door :( Of course by rude entrance sent them scattering & calling for Mum (was a bit worried towards the end when she showed up & began swooping around). Two fledglings flew for a tiny open window & one missed, hit the frame sliding down the back of a huge unit. Three hit other windows & were easily caught then released. Thankfully Martin came & moved the unit forward slightly letting the little stuck one fly free. Phew :o)
Now that just leaves a horse :D Things always have a way of coming back to my horse :o)
What's puzzling me is how a horse can be (or at least be seen to be) one thing to someone, but a totally different beast to someone else?
To the previous owner Eastar was a total gent & never a lively chap, in fact she'd say more a whimp/gentle giant.... Yet here he often has his tantrums for unknown reasons & charges around his field doing wee bucks & rears while farting along the way. Some mornings he'll charge out & chase sheep doing his farting rocking horse routine, some evenings I'll go to bring him in & off he goes with another episode. Can I notice any change? Nope, clueless as to why/what sets him off!
I was told he'd notice any changes in his surrounding & possibly throw his handbag (I take this to be a version of my so called "farting rocking horse" routine), yet he'll happily follow me anywhere & not bat-an-eyelid if there's a huge fat tractor sitting in his path or some other machinery belonging to the loggers that he's never seen before. Cars, vans or other obstacle are normally parked right in front of his stable & at times there's less than a cars width for us to walk through, but he'll just follow not really taking much notice & certainly not worrying about it!
Then there's the riding (ohh if only). I have tried to ride & he battles to turn for home every time :( I thought it was something to do with the tree covered drive, yet lead he'll walk it happily. So I thought it my lack of confidence, yet he did the same with someone else (not to same extent but she didn't ride for long, or as far down as I have tried). Katie also let him get a bit of speed, but straight away he was into little bucks, so she stuck with a trot.
I am so desperate to ride him, but know I need lessons. I also can't risk injury at the min with work, so I'm putting it off until early September when work calms down & an injured cook/housekeeper/skivvy/bat catcher won't matter as much.
What I need is a riding instructor who wants a fantastic break in a beautiful place & is willing to swap 6/8 hrs of lessons for free holiday accommodation. *Applications via comments please lol*
