As the evenings draw longer, the winds don’t blow and the rain clouds no longer threaten the unwary, thoughts turn to saddling up our equine friends and taking a lazy trail ride through the leafy forest. Friends and family familiar with Charm will undoubtedly question the sanity in that statement……lazy and Charm don’t go in the same sentence but we live in hope and he is (along with us) growing older! Long time unused saddles are dusted down, saddle pads and bridles relocated and the mounting block (essential !! either our horses have grown or we have shrunk !) placed squarely in the middle of the barn yard. Lady ( commonly referred to in her absence as Lumpy Lady) our big Shire mare and Charm (beauty with attitude) watch the proceedings with growing suspicion and eventually resignation as they realise the long Winter vacation is over. From their stalls old man T Bone, the big bay gelding and Player the grey, whinny anxiously as first Charm the golden palomino and then Lady leave the yard. Old Cooper paces and Starbuck the black Appaloosa with no spots couldn’t care less, he’s had his grain, he has his hay and the saddle isn’t on his back. Brian having learnt the rudiments of Western riding and (I’m sure) struggling to remember hands legs and feet ( heels DOWN Brian !) settled deep into the big roomy saddle adopted the classic relaxed position and confidently pointed Charms nose toward the road. High up on Lady, Sarah headed off in the direction of the arena hoping that the Shire mare would be kind to her…..over a ton of un co operative horse can seriously upset even the best day and sadly it seemed Lady was bent on testing every element of tuition Greg had given the new rider perched up on her big broad back. Happily Sarah rose to the challenge and despite Lady’s best efforts succeeded in applying steering braking and accelerator all in the right order. Out on the trail, Brian was absorbing the beauty of the forest and enjoying the challenge of riding (spiders’ webs, overhanging branches and insects that don’t just bite, they chew) ….. and Charm, true to form was enjoying ensuring that it really was a challenge !! Both our new riders returned to the barnyard with their respective mounts ( always a good thing !) still smiling (even better !) and clearly the experience wasn’t too bad as they apparently were enthusiastic to have a re run ! ( gluttons for punishment). The following evening it was Brian’s’ turn to be tested by Lady in the arena ( is there something wrong with that statement ?) and Sarah headed off into the forest to feed the gnats
Brian and Sarah, having spent an afternoon pruning the fruit trees found themselves out in the orchard with the chipper clearing up the branches they had worked so hard to chop down….a bit like digging holes and filling them in !!! Bran the border Collie never slow to spot an opportunity recognised that our two WWOOFER Volunteers were temporarily unsupervised and that every branch was a potential throwing stick. The dog, too intelligent to be disciplined tests everyone with the stick/stone/straw test, just in case they aren’t familiar with canine ordinance. Rules dictate that Bran doesn’t get to play stick on the ranch but the Border Collie apparently worked out that what we don’t know doesn’t count and with an air of desperation he scurried amongst the fallen branches to find a worthy twig that wasn’t attached to a big branch. Much tail wagging, head cocking and pleading yips could be seen as Bran attempted to find a willing play mate out in the orchard. So near yet so far Bran,…. so many sticks and no chance of a chase, sadly ( for Bran, happily for us) Brian and Sarah know the rules and all sticks found themselves in the chipper.
It’s been several days since I wrote, there has been so much activity on the ranch and I am out of time. Hopefully the photographs posted with this entry will cover some of the projects undertaken by our wonderful WWOOFER twosome. Much has been achieved…Greg is smiling…..life on the ranch is good. Take care, keep safe M
Brian and Sarah, having spent an afternoon pruning the fruit trees found themselves out in the orchard with the chipper clearing up the branches they had worked so hard to chop down….a bit like digging holes and filling them in !!! Bran the border Collie never slow to spot an opportunity recognised that our two WWOOFER Volunteers were temporarily unsupervised and that every branch was a potential throwing stick. The dog, too intelligent to be disciplined tests everyone with the stick/stone/straw test, just in case they aren’t familiar with canine ordinance. Rules dictate that Bran doesn’t get to play stick on the ranch but the Border Collie apparently worked out that what we don’t know doesn’t count and with an air of desperation he scurried amongst the fallen branches to find a worthy twig that wasn’t attached to a big branch. Much tail wagging, head cocking and pleading yips could be seen as Bran attempted to find a willing play mate out in the orchard. So near yet so far Bran,…. so many sticks and no chance of a chase, sadly ( for Bran, happily for us) Brian and Sarah know the rules and all sticks found themselves in the chipper.
It’s been several days since I wrote, there has been so much activity on the ranch and I am out of time. Hopefully the photographs posted with this entry will cover some of the projects undertaken by our wonderful WWOOFER twosome. Much has been achieved…Greg is smiling…..life on the ranch is good. Take care, keep safe M
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