Muddyboots

Follow the fortunes of Muddyboots & Family on their East Yorkshire farm which has changed from dairy farm to luxury ice cream manufacture

Saturday 5 May 2007

the sun has at last arrived


Well, l ask you & isn't it about time too, the sun has finally, & late in the afternoon, condescended to show itself to the waiting world on the east coast. The last time l felt the sun's rays would have been last Saturday morning in Far Sawrey, since then nothing, just a world of continual grey mankyness.


Isn't it amazing how a little bit of sunshine cheers everyone up. The birds seem to sing that extra bit louder, the grass takes on a bright green appearance,people walk with a lighter step. l know the sun didn't come out till gone 4 today, but it has been trying hard to make up for the past week of cloud. The sky is a misty blue & the temperature feels to have risen, not by a lot, but a definite improvement on past days.


The heifers have now been moved to the hill top field & are mooching about looking for trouble. So far they haven't broken through the electric fence. As we walked down to the beach before tea, they ghosted us down the fence side waiting for an excuse to bounce about doing handstands. Gordon & Lucy-Piglet stayed this side of the fence knowing full well that they might just get chased if they strayed too far into heifer territory.


The ice cream parlour took off with a slowish start but by mid afternoon l had to be dragged away from the Beeb's Badmin[g]ton coverage to lend a hand. Never got a chance to sneak back in to watch anymore.


Before moving north, Badders was an annual spectator event. Living not far from the competition we used to charge down back lanes in an event to miss the crowds, armed with picnics, wine & sausages in thermos flasks. Those days Badders was held in April & normally would be fairly chilly & wet, but with the event being set latter in May, the prospect of too hard a ground raises its ugly head. l remember back in 1976, the year of the hot dry summer, the Dauntsey Park horse trials held in August, had the X-country course rotivated to improve the going, but, then it rained. The result was a quagmire & a real nightmare to ride. It's amazing how big both Badminton & Burgley now are. When l was a wee youngster the spectators were all horsey folk who were interested in the horses & competition now it would appear that the big SHOPPING experience is the major draw, 'Dahling, l can't possibly walk all that way when l can watch it on the screen in comfort'. l don't bother to go anymore. l really can't be bothered with all this pseudo horseyness / social poncing about by people who don't know the difference between a fetlock & a spavin.






7 comments:

Un Peu Loufoque said...

Yes its sad its sort of become a social badge for the new new country set rather than an event for those interested in the horses.. like winbledon I suppose all commercail sponsorship.. sad

Un Peu Loufoque said...

meant to say that don't you love the way they follow you down the side of the fence, cows that is ! I pass lots on way to school and by the time I get to the end of a field I have a whole gang shoulder to shoulder staring at me all pushed up in the corner nearest the path!! Daft things!!

Posie said...

Just catching up, I have missed reading the blogs for a few days in the sunny weather. Hate cows and fences, I am terrified of them, ever since they trampled a fence to chase me and the dogs, well probably the dogs but I didn't hang around to find out.

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

I'm just catching up too - been a mad couple of weeks. I love all your photos. I'm glad it isn't just Scotland that can be murky. I love cows - especially the real Highland Coo. We have one called Hamish who resides at the woollen Mill and is a huge crowd puller. He is on his own though and I do feel sad for him - but he seems to love all the human attention.

Pondside said...

What's Bradders? The only time I've heard that is as the name for a blogger. Please end my ignorance!!

muddyboots said...

badders is gloucestershire 'snob' word for badminton horse trial, a 3 day event held at the duke of beaufort's estate , badminton park.

Pondside said...

Thanks! No 'should' at all. I'm the one nosing in here and no one should feel constrained about using slang or short forms or whatever. If I don't get something, I'll ask.
Have you found our where your young friend is going to in BC?

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