Green Fields

At last, with a little sunshine and a lot more rain, the green shoots of Spring are beginning to grow through and the fields are turning green again.  After the longest winter ever and weeks of no rain and hard frost, the ground has been arid and dry, straggly stems burnt brown and crisp by a harsh easterly wind.  This last week has brought some welcome sunshine and the right kind of rain needed to soak into the parched land.  The water table must still be high but low enough to be beyond the reach of most plants.  The daffodils are just in bloom and in places the snow drops are still in evidence.  Gradually the buds are appearing on the trees and hedgerows and the birds are beginning their courtships.  Spring has truly Sprung!

Gorgeous

Yesterday was a gorgeous day tempered only by the fact that I had agreed to work an extra shift as overtime.  Only a short shift though and I was more than compensated by the magnificent views on the journey to work and by the quietness of the roads.   The early morning sun cast bright sparkles on the snow-topped peaks of the Lakeland Fells etched now in sunlight as the dark clouds of night gave way to the promise of a glorious day.  The race up Lindale Hill, or the slow drag if stuck behind a truck, is truly worth the haul to the brow for the sight of the Coniston range as it unfolds before the rise of the road.  It is simply breath taking.  The pinkyness of the new day delights the soul in a way that only nature in all its resplendent glory can and I felt glad to be driving along that stretch of road at that time of day.

The shift was good and in complete contrast to the difficulties of the previous one.  Nothing untoward occurred and the shift passed without incident enabling me to leave on time and in good spirits. Days like this are so necessary to counter the stress of the majority where we struggle to do all that is needed and to care for all as required.

Duds was stood at the gate when I arrived at the yard, nose to nose with the mares behind the fence.  He`s such a ladies lad, that boy.  A mistake had been made with my livery and Duds` stable had been mucked out that morning.  A little adjustment was necessary (due wholly to my fussiness) to restore it to my liking but the error allowed me some time I hadn`t accounted for.  The day was truly gorgeous and the sun beating down was glorious.  Dudley hasn`t had a tail wash since who knows when so the day seemed like an ideal opportunity.  No camera to record the magnificent results!  The tail was too wet for Duds to stay inside so I decided it could blow dry on an amble round the block.   Duds wasn`t enamoured of the idea but was overuled.

It was lovely to be out at the end of a warmed-up day and I was happy to ride sans coat - which was fortunate as I`d forgotten to bring it anyway.  Along the way we pulled in to let a lorry pass and Duds spied a posse of ponies situated around a bulging ring feeder, nectar to the eyes of a half-starved HiPo.  Ambling on we paused as a large tractor and trailer trundled past then walked on only to be startled by the sight of a sheep with barbed wire caught up in its wool.  Huge big shakes and a roly poly action and the hapless creature was free.  Onwards and upwards and this time a pair of roe deer coursing through the woods caught our attention.  It must be quite unnerving for an equine with binocular vision to hear a commotion but be unable to see the cause of it.  This is when Dudley trusts me the most.  He has learned during his time with me that I am largely unfazed by anything on the road or rustling in the bushes.  He obeys my leg and ambles on.

Up on the top road and the views across the valley are spectacular.  Into clear view came a hot air balloon, close enough to the ground to see that it was one of Richard Branson`s.  On a day like yesterday such a ride would afford amazing views of the Lakeland Fells and North York Moors as well as the lower rises of the Northern Pennines.  I wished I`d had my camera to capture the scene but unfortunately I`d forgotten that too.

Dudley was a good lad and was generally responsive to leg and voice.  D`s advice regarding picking him up and riding him forward held good and he stepped into his pace without stumbling on the downhill stretches.  There were few cars about at this time of evening, most folk having enjoyed the heat of the day and retreated indoors as the chill of the evening started to take hold.  D was still at the yard when we got there, a late finish to a long day.  This is such a contented place and although quiet in terms of the number of liveries, it has enough activity to hold the attention of the horses and prevent boredom from becoming a problem for those who have not gone out for the day or are in for whatever reason.

All we need now is a little bit of rain and a lot more sunshine and then the grass can grow and the farmers will be happy and the horses happier still!