At Last:

To JK My Penny (a JK Mazurati mare) and by JK Rodin, a filly foal, born outside my 'viewing' hours! I was too embarrassed to admit that I had read the calendar wrong and Penny wasn't actually due until 2nd November, not October. Duh. So I have been checking her morning and night for the last week or so. She had bagged up enormously...which is usual, but no waxing and not a lot of softening behind. Yesterday morning, I was running late and had a town appointment and missed her visit. She must have waited until the car got out of the driveway and then....

Very leggy, very well put together, jolly funny colour!!! Here's hoping that burnt orange will turn into bright bay? Lovely long white stocking at the back and no mistaking the diamond on the head for anything but just that! So now we need a name? Its got to start with 'R'....

Busy on the farm right now too: We have picked over 800 lambs away so far, the cattle are done, crutching was done on all the ewes on Tuesday and today we are shearing. The place is a hive of activity (and look what I am doing!! Lazy tart!). Reuben is out on the vineyard, debudding what vines didn't get frosted and the clouds are rolling in ominously.

Red has been out for a quiet hack today, through the forestry etc. But was full of beans and a little more exuberant than I like. So, we popped onto the river bed and did a couple of lengths of upstream/downstream. Usually that would tire a youngster out? I have obviously got the feed/work ratio wrong still! His gate opening today was super - no barging or buggering off. Lovely leg yielding and standing quietly while his overweight and overbalancing rider fussed and fecked about with the latches. But if you think we were going to walk up the big track....no show. And as for passing the huge (read: tiny) branch on the (very narrow and scary) ridge....holy hell. Might be needing some new joddies....

Calves all doing well. Including Falkor!!!! He has had a couple of rough days, but nothing that a jab of duplocillin hasn't fixed. His sight is way better and his hearing seems to be well improved too? No 'fits' for a week now, so looks like he is going to be just fine...although, a little bit 'special'! (Still tends to forget to pull his tongue back in after feeding.....)

Pic is of Lavenderlilac, Falkor and Hugo on the end. Lavender is getting too big to mess around with now - she can actually lift me off the ground with one little headbutt...and it's not a good spot to lift from.... It's been fun doing 3. They all hang out together and play. Noice:)