Well the Crown Tourney site at Waipara should have opened about 10 minutes ago. But we're not on our way because we've decided not to camp. Last weekend it was a bit touch and go - I've had a bad few weeks and while I've had all week to rest 'it' sadly doesn't work quite like that (although I am feeling better than at the beginning of the week). Things were going pretty well until Nick decided to take Kiwi harrowing on Monday. Harrowing the paddocks means towing an assemblage of steel chain etc around and around the paddock breaking up the poo so that it can naturally degrade into the soil. Around our place you are always walking on shit.
Anyway they'd pretty much done when Kiwi saw a hare - she took off after it and made it safely through the first fence (three wire fences so there's a gap), at least so I am informed. But she didn't do so well with the next fence. Nick brought her into me and she was feeling pretty sorry for herself but walking fairly OK but then we noticed that her right shoulder was very puffed up. Half an hour later she could barely move - she has ended up with a bruise that covers the inside of her right chest, down her front leg and right around the shoulder and has been on anti-inflammatories since then. She is a lot better now and walking normally but chased another hare this morning when out for toilet and we walked a bit far so her leg's a bit puffed up again. But at least she's not in pain.
Anyway the stress of that did little to improve things for me. But I have got few things done. I've finished relining my old blue velvet cloak so will have that for this weekend. I have finished a lucet band that I was working on - a two coloured version that is new. I've almost finished dry cleaning the silk sleeves that I mentioned a few weeks ago and they look like they're going to be OK.
Kiwi's new kennel is almost done - just needs another coat on the ceiling and two on the base. I've even done some prep for the peerage meetings that I have to go to. Right now I am baking an asparagus, bacon and gruyere tart and bread for lunches over the weekend. It will be an experience day-tripping, but I'd still rather camp for Canterbury Faire. Its just that the set-up really takes it out of me, and the pack down too but to a lesser extent.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Labour weekend
Well its been an OK Labour Weekend. I was real sick last week and took half the week off and by the weekend was totally stuffed so Saturday was a bit of a write-off. Lovely day though, as was Sunday. Nick had riding lessons both days which despite only being 1 - 1 1/2 hours long actually takes all day by the time he's gotten sorted in the morning, picked up the horse (he was riding Lovejoy because Suzie broke her arm at the last training day), got there, done lesson, chatted or whatever, dropped horse back etc.
On Saturday I watched the entire Ivanhoe miniseries which I taped about ten years ago off TV. For some reason I thought it was about 3 1/2 hours long but its closer to five. Tape's about buggered so I have ordered a copy from Amazon, along with the Anthony Andrews et al one and an even earlier one as they were offering all three for a reduced sum so why not. I actually like both equally but for different reasons. The miniseries one (late 1990s) they've tried to go realistic and being so long has much more detail. The characters are all pretty well acted although some of the combat lacks realness. The Anthony Andrews is full-on romantic (Rowena is always shot in soft focus) which I suspect might be closer to the book but then I have never read it. Anyway Sam Neill's the baddy and is a total grease-ball.
Sunday I did a little more, read more, walked Kiwi more like 40 minutes than 30, did some washing etc.
Today was a bit overcast (its raining full on now) and I got to try out the new mower. It only stopped a couple of times which was pretty good going given that some of the grass in the orchard was almost as high as the top of the mower. We got a John Deere ride-on off trademe, although it was from a shop in the end. We paid a bit more than we'd really wanted to but that's often the way. Anyway it dealt really well and I can now walk around outside without tangling in grass and tripping.
Nick seems satisfied. He's now telling me that its raining satisfactorily hard and probably harder than it has since he got his new toy installed - a weather station. Its attached to the chicken house and measures all sorts of things which its sends wirelessly to a wee monitor thing in the kitchen.
I also finally got him to name the new wee colt. His name is Tyr.
I've been working on completing / fixing a few garb projects before crown, although not really for Crown.
I made these fancy slashed sleeves from some gorgeous silk damask, lined with silk satin and set each slash with gold (well brass) aglets. Sadly in storage the aglets were flattened against the silk of the sleeve and it must have been a bit damp and the aglets have corroded a bit and left verdigris on the sleeve !!!. Anyway I am wrapping tissue under each set, cleaning them and then lacquering the aglets before then trying to remove the verdigris with dry cleaning fluid. So far I ahve done one side of one sleeve, well not the cleaning, just the cleaning up the aglets. I do hope it comes right as working on them has just shown me again how lovely they are. So fingers crossed.
Anyway, back to work tomorrow and then three weeks until I'm off again for crown. At least its a short week. I'm really not good for much at the moment. While we've booked for the whole thing we might day trip depending on how things are going. It would only be two days as its not worth going out on the Thursday.
On Saturday I watched the entire Ivanhoe miniseries which I taped about ten years ago off TV. For some reason I thought it was about 3 1/2 hours long but its closer to five. Tape's about buggered so I have ordered a copy from Amazon, along with the Anthony Andrews et al one and an even earlier one as they were offering all three for a reduced sum so why not. I actually like both equally but for different reasons. The miniseries one (late 1990s) they've tried to go realistic and being so long has much more detail. The characters are all pretty well acted although some of the combat lacks realness. The Anthony Andrews is full-on romantic (Rowena is always shot in soft focus) which I suspect might be closer to the book but then I have never read it. Anyway Sam Neill's the baddy and is a total grease-ball.
Sunday I did a little more, read more, walked Kiwi more like 40 minutes than 30, did some washing etc.
Today was a bit overcast (its raining full on now) and I got to try out the new mower. It only stopped a couple of times which was pretty good going given that some of the grass in the orchard was almost as high as the top of the mower. We got a John Deere ride-on off trademe, although it was from a shop in the end. We paid a bit more than we'd really wanted to but that's often the way. Anyway it dealt really well and I can now walk around outside without tangling in grass and tripping.
Nick seems satisfied. He's now telling me that its raining satisfactorily hard and probably harder than it has since he got his new toy installed - a weather station. Its attached to the chicken house and measures all sorts of things which its sends wirelessly to a wee monitor thing in the kitchen.
I also finally got him to name the new wee colt. His name is Tyr.
I've been working on completing / fixing a few garb projects before crown, although not really for Crown.
- I've lengthened the sleeves on my new cote and added some gold trim
- I've finished a hat to go with Nick's houppelande
- I'm relining my blue velvet cloak
- I'm trying to fix a wee problem that happened while my garb was in storage.
I made these fancy slashed sleeves from some gorgeous silk damask, lined with silk satin and set each slash with gold (well brass) aglets. Sadly in storage the aglets were flattened against the silk of the sleeve and it must have been a bit damp and the aglets have corroded a bit and left verdigris on the sleeve !!!. Anyway I am wrapping tissue under each set, cleaning them and then lacquering the aglets before then trying to remove the verdigris with dry cleaning fluid. So far I ahve done one side of one sleeve, well not the cleaning, just the cleaning up the aglets. I do hope it comes right as working on them has just shown me again how lovely they are. So fingers crossed.Anyway, back to work tomorrow and then three weeks until I'm off again for crown. At least its a short week. I'm really not good for much at the moment. While we've booked for the whole thing we might day trip depending on how things are going. It would only be two days as its not worth going out on the Thursday.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Baby news
Well Zoe had her foal (still nameless) a wee bay colt (yes another one) at about midday on Thursday October 1. Kiwi and I had just come through the gate back from our walk and they were both lying on the ground. The colt was still covered in the birthing sac but his face was clear so that was OK. Nick hadn't thought that she was so close to birthing so Twilight Escapade was still in the paddock with her and was pawing at Zoe to get some attention I think, or maybe he was a bit worried. Anyway, I caught him and lead him through to the other side of the electric fence. After this Zoe stood up and everything else fell out the back as it does.
I ran up to the house and called Nick and grabbed my PDA which has our only functioning camera. By the time I got back he was trying to get up and I managed to catch the first wobbly steps. More piccys at Flickr and hopefully video later (our so-called broadband doesn't have the upload speed so I'll do it at work).
In other horse related news Nick has just successfully integrated Lad (stallion) into the paddock with Lil and Lightning our two other mares. We had wanted to do this last year but left it a bit late when they were in season and it all ended in chasing and kicking and tears. This time it seems to have gone OK. A few changes to the plan - there were two mares, he was introduced into their paddock rather than the other way around, and they're not yet in season - although Lil was doing a pretty good impression. This is great because until they're ready to foal (which hopefully will happen for both of them), they can be moved around as one unit. Plus Lad has company which is nice to him. It will be interesting to see if his behaviour changes (or theirs).
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