After a lovely week the rain is back with a vengeance today.

There is a howling gale & the rain is lashing against the windows so today we are engaged in 'indoor activities'

Michelle, who has just got up after her last night duty is setting the girls maths quizzes.

Eric is sharpening tools as the weather is preventing him from cracking on with the fencing around the pool.

This week it has felt like Summer is just around the corner, the camellias, magnolias & rhododendrons are past their best & yesterday I saw my first flowering agapanthus.

If you haven't seen them they are lovely.
About 5' tall, they grow rampantly over here, a huge clump of green vegetation produces orbs of royal blue flowers on a single stem.

There are a few in the garden at Leith Hill but as with arum lilies here they grow ridiculously well & fill every verge.

Last night was a great night. We ended up in a pub in Cambridge called The Prince Albert which was very weird as it was decked out with hunting prints
& very Olde English.

The place was heaving & there was a live band so we all had a boogie. I thought I was doing well to last until 0200 & thought 'Great - home time' at this point I found out they were open til 0300. I don't mind admitting I was shattered.

I was also sick of trying to hide from a very boring Malaysian jockey whose idea of conversation was to list every race he's ever ridden.

After the obligatory tea & toast at 0300 I fell into bed in the staff accommodation & was up again at 0745 to drive home to appreciate a lie-in in my own bed.

Just a word about tequila - don't.

Yesterday was a very easy day at work. I am starting to get the hang of weekends now. We only do the essentials ie. feeding & mucking out. The day is
then separated into 2 hours each of foal-watch.

I drew the long-straw yesterday. The sun was shining & I sat in the mares' paddock reading by their water trough.




Initially they were all about 200 metres away but one by one they all came to have a sniff & a nosey at what I was doing.

I ended up with 7 very fat, very sleepy mares standing in a circle around me whilst I read.

Dean asked from his balcony if I was reading to the mares or the foals ?




The last picture is of some of the boxes around the yard. Pretty soon, all 40 or so will be full with neddies waiting to be sold.




The wind is getting stronger & more wild.

I wonder if any of my washing remains on the line ?

Cx

Stu - Have a great holiday, no more practising golf.

Ang - Likewise with your trip (not the golf bit)
How many sleeps left now ?

TRE - Happy Birthday for the 29th, will you be in the UK
for it ?