Today Ian our welding friend and good old Keith kindly came over and helped us put our polytunnel up. Neil is already getting exited thinking about what we will be able to grow in it!

Lenny has developed a fascination for a rather unusual drinking bowl. I really wish he wouldn't - he hears the 'flush' and dashes in!!

The workshop is progressing well despite the frequent inclement weather - Neil looks happy doesn't he!!

Workshop

The concrete floor has set and this morning a lorry arrived with the materials to build the workshop

It's a big moment for Neil - the workshop will make such a difference to him (and to me) and marks another major step in the progress of renovation. I haven't got much else to say today but I thought this landmark should be shared!!

Pompadour and the National Stud

Today there was a showing of stallions by the National Stud at Pompadour. I had never been to the stud (Haras) before, so I was keen to see Tom being shown and to have a look around the buildings in this lovely French town.
The first picture is of Tom and two other stallions in the menage (arena) which is surrounded by huge stabling blocks.

This area looks even more impressive viewed from the other side

This is just one of the many huge stabling blocks. I wouldn't want to be sweeping these cobbles every day!!

This is Pompadour chateau, which dominates the lovely ancient town

This is Tom being shown. The handler must be very tall as Tom is quite big and looks like a pony here!

Tom again

The photo above is the dummy horse that they use to collect semen from the stallions when they are using the artificial insemination system. It doesn't look very inviting does it? Neil thinks it should have a head and some lipstick, but I am assured it does the job and Tom never has a problem using it!!

At work our stallion Tom went off last week to the National Stud at Pompadour, as they wanted him to be shown off to prospective customers at a couple of shows - if you like horses have a look at him, I think he is gorgeous. Here is a link to a video of him taken on Saturday which is on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAhDPcB7THw

Work continues on the workshop and the concrete base is now down and we can get a better idea of the space. It looks huge, but I'm sure Neil will need every inch of space to work with the sometimes huge sections of wood he uses. In fact he has put a strategically placed window in the plan, so that the wood can be passed out of it if he needs to pass it through one of the woodworking machines.
Talking of machines the value of the right tool for the right job was bought home to us a few days ago when our dutch friend came over to sort out our fence lines. With a tractor with huge spikes on the front, another huge machine that mashes everything up and a chain saw they went around our entire field clearing and sawing and managed to transform the land and refence it in two days. It would have taken us months, and we now have a lot of wood to burn which is fantastic.
The recent sunny weather has fooled one of our hens into thinking it was Spring and time to go broody - so we had to find someone with some unrelated fertilised eggs to put under her. Some neighbours of Keith gave us some eggs and we ended up coming home with a lovely new hen too as they wanted to reduce their flock. It was good timing for us after having lost a few to the fox.
I'd love to breed some geese this year, so that is my next project. I'm going to have to use some electric fencing to fox the fox but the plan is to breed enough to supply a few friends for Christmas lunch.

Promised Pics!

Here are a few pics firstly of the gorgeous snowdrops, then Lenny investigating the garden in the sunshine and then some of the work commencing on the workshop - hope you enjoy them

We don't get out much in these parts - so the chance to go to Ikea in a massive horsebox was a source of great excitement for us Limousin girls.

After a busy morning sorting out all the horses nine of us laden with coffee flasks, sandwiches, crisps, cake and a few bottles of wine for the way home climbed into the hgv horsebox full of anticipation for the day ahead in Bordeaux.

The excitement lasted approximately five minutes before the clutch in the lorry went, and we ended up piling into two cars, with considerably less cargo space for purchases.
It did cross our minds that one of our other halves might have sabotaged the clutch cable to restrict our spending power!

A good time was had by all though, and the journey passed so much quicker than it would have done in the lorry we even had time to stop for a chinese on the way home.

Back home Neil has started work on his workshop, which will free up the barn to at last become a lounge. I can't wait for him to have a purpose built space, and he can't wait to be able to have the space to work without incumberance.

Today we started learning a musical ride with the horses. We are due to give a 'show' in September at a local fete of the horse - all I am saying at the moment is it is just as well we are starting to learn it now, as it is all very confusing at the moment, but we have lots of time.

In the garden the first snowdrops have appeared, signalling that Spring is on its way, and as soon as I can find my camera cable I will upload some pics to show you!!