Tag: weekend

AT THE STABLES

Saturday morning in the stable ❤️

amischiefmanaged

Good morning and happy weekend from our very rainy corner of the world. Have spent a lovely Saturday morning in the barn with my boy and my book.

Charmer had a big day yesterday seeing both the vet and the farrier together and getting his new equilibrium shoes on which we are all hopeful will let him be a bit comfier over the winter.

The early signs are looking good as even on a miserable day and with all the extra manipulation yesterday he was walking pretty well this morning which was great! But we spent most of our time enjoying the cosiness of the barn, and I loved some quiet time with him just reading and enjoying his company. ❤️

Have a lovely weekend all. X

FAMILY, HOME

Weekend fun with the furry babies… ♥️

amischiefmanaged

This weekend has been one gratefully got to after a busy week, and one I’ve enjoyed so much, spending time with family, friends and of course the furry family we’re blessed to have in our lives too.

It’s been cold but sunny, thick frosts lingering til mid-day but the sun as high in the sky as it ever tends to reach at this time of year and the days beautiful – last leaves falling and everything glinting with winter’s arrival.

My very fluffy Charmer was especially enjoying his afternoon in the field yesterday when we arrived to visit, lying curled up (and, later – once he had some treats and got even lazier and more relaxed – completely flat out!) in the sun.

Back at home, the rats are doing great. They have been having more time out in the mornings than evenings just the way our routines are working out at the moment, and I’ve taken to a wee stand on the doorstep with them sniffing at the dawn air while I wait for the kettle to boil and us all to start the day, which they really seem to enjoy for something new and interesting – before the usual scampering on the sofa and cuddling in blankets they love so much.

This morning brought another jaunt to the farm to see the pony, who amused himself rolling his treat ball around and making short work of his favourite Likit while I alternated between coffee-drinking and engaging in the endless winter battle, armed with brushes of all shapes and sizes, to keep him resembling something akin to mud-free.. or at least marginally neater than he’d be left to his own devices!

We’ve also happily welcomed a house guest for the week this afternoon, my mum and dad’s beautiful black cat Phoebe who’s here to stay with us for her holidays – very excited to have a taster of life with a cat in our wee house, something we’d love one day, and have Phoebe’s lovely company for the week.

A very happy Sunday to all, hope you’re all having a really lovely weekend. X

RATS

Settling the boys into their new home

amischiefmanaged

We have been in our new home for a couple of weeks now and for the most part have got ourselves unpacked and just about settled! It’s been years since we moved and I had forgotten what an upheaval it can be, and how many things there are to get in order. One of the things I always worry about most is the pets, and trying to keep their disruption to a minimum.

We moved the rats in last, after everything else had made the flit and we were ready to spend our first night there; and for the most part I’ve been amazed at how well they’ve settled in. After a first night of looking startled at their new surroundings, they’ve taken everything in their stride and have definitely enjoyed having the security of their cages throughout.  

In the new house, they practically have a bedroom all of their own, in the utility room, which is absolutely perfect for them, with a window out to the back garden for plenty of light and fresh air, a heater too if they need it, and a workbench running across the top of the washing machine and laundry just the perfect length for the two cages to be side by side. They’re just off the hallway across from the kitchen so can have the door open and chat to them plenty when we’re just in but their door can be closed over if there’s visitors which especially Shy Ty will enjoy!

We also have a new pop-up playpen which will definitely come in handy as it can be moved anywhere. So far it’s been in the living room of an evening but can do wee stint anywhere else or even out in the garden, and is a nice way to contain them at playing time while everything is new – it’s definitely going down a treat so far!

Perry has been amusing himself keeping watch out the back window, and was absolutely astonished one morning after I’d just been in their room chattering away to see me appear out the back, rushing from the door to the window wondering where I would pop up next. 

Marley, Reuben and Perry are all approaching the new adventure as just that and enjoying all their exploring; but it was old man Ty I was most worried about. In fact, I was wondering just a few days before we were due to move if he would make it to the new house at all, as at 29 months he had suddenly slowed down a lot all at once. Since getting here though, he seems to have had a new lease of life, and is looking bright every day. 

All the boys got new cosy beds, just to soften the blow of the new surroundings, and he has enjoyed his particularly! 

Just a wee Friday hello from our four furry faces.. 💙

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. X

FAMILY, NATURE & SEASONS

Sunny Sunday ☀️

amischiefmanaged

This weekend was one spent enjoying time with family and friends, with, as it happened, back to back celebrations – a graduation, friend’s birthday party and Mother’s Day all rolled into a busy, warm and memorable couple of days. In amongst the festivities, it was absolutely wonderful to find time to enjoy the wonderful sunshine, sitting outside in a street café in the city, being out in the garden from first thing and watching the sun glint off the water all weekend long. 

Yesterday, waking from a busy day of enjoying family and friends, found myself with a spare couple of hours on the first morning of British Summertime, so the pony and I took a wander down the track, the sun already high in the sky, enjoying the morning light. On our way we passed so many walkers and cyclists, dogs and children playing; everyone drawn out – even on one hour’s less sleep – to greet the spring day.

 

Later in the day, my mum and I headed out for lunch to the beach, taking the dogs with us, and it was a lovely time to spend. We are sadly preparing to say goodbye to Ginny, our 14-year-old collie, who I recently wrote about here, as her difficulties getting around now that her back legs don’t support her anymore are getting too much to ask her to deal with long-term. Yesterday however, being helped down onto the beach and enjoying an ice cream, the sea air and the waves lapping in, she had a lovely day; ending back with the family all together at our house.

 

All being gathered, pets and people alike – Marley, Reuben and Perry eyeing up my mum and dad’s lurcher Katy curiously and clamouring at the bars to meet her, Ty taking the opposite approach of curling in his ball until he could be sure the extra people and animals were gone, Ginny sitting out the back door in the sun watching the world go by and the rest of us laughing and chatting inside – was the perfect way to bring to a close a sunny weekend.

 

Hope everyone else had a good one, and have a great start to the week. Xx

 

HOME, Travels

Wrapped-up weekend away ❤️✨🔥

amischiefmanaged

This weekend has been a really lovely one, comprised in equal measure of very brisk weather – with a new whip in the wind there hasn’t been this year so far – and of cosy togetherness and wrapped-up fun. 

As Saturday morning dawned, there was a definite chill in the air and the rain was torrential. After gratefully nursing several morning coffees to get the day started, my trip to the farm merited the dusting off of my full waterproofs for the first time since last winter, and also a scout up in the rug loft above the stables for some rain sheets for the boy – to have ready for if and when he ever dried off of course! 

I spent a lovely long morning in the barn – hot chocolate in my flask and hay brimming in Charmer’s stable, both of us enjoying the shelter and warmth. 

Charmer, Harvey and Ty were all having some extra TLC before being left to fend for themselves overnight, as we were heading away this weekend, up north to a wonderful sound and light show in a remote forest we love to go to every year with our friends.

All packed up on Saturday afternoon, Charmer back out and happily full and the boys at home stocked up with fruit sticks and food for the night, we meandered our way up. 


The rain eased off considerably which made driving a little bit nicer, and the roadsides as we passed were nothing short of beautiful, really lovely to see all the myriad of colours in the trees and leaves fluttering around us like confetti as we drew into the little village where we would spend the night. 

We had a really lovely time away, enjoyed the forest walk and the absolutely beautiful show so very much, cosied round a bonfire, had such a wonderful time out with good friends and ended the night in the warmth of the living room, unwinding with nightcaps around the wood burning stove.

One of my favourite things about going away – no matter how wonderful a time we have – is always coming back home again; and today was no exception. Arriving back into the farm yard first to see the fluffy pony picking his way up the field to meet us; and later home to Harvey and Ty – who were especially keen to play tonight and were happily dodging in and out from behind the couch; it was so very nice to be back. 

Around our own fire at home, we were able to look back on it all and enjoy both the break away and our arrival back. It had been a really lovely couple of days, and a great way to spend a weekend.

Hope you have all had a good one. 🍁

AT THE STABLES

An easy Saturday morning with my sleepy pony… <3

amischiefmanaged

Got to the farm yesterday morning and found the boy comfortably adapted to his summertime routine of spending more time in the field; taking the quiet morning hours for a proper sleep at the bottom of the field – in the shade of the cottages and looking completely peaceful.


In winter, I so rarely get to see him lying down. He tends to do all his flat out sleeping in the stable overnight and is always up and ears forward by 7am when he knows to expect me to arrive and fill his feed bucket with breakfast – only the tell-tale straw hanging from his tail and winter fluffy fur to give away how relaxed he was a couple of hours ago.

I always love to spend a bit of time out in the field with him, feeling like it gives me a better insight into life through his eyes: standing under his favourite tree of a late summer night or becoming at one with the morning routine of drink from the water trough, roll half way down the field and amble to the bottom right to begin foraging for good grass of a wrapped-up winter morning. But these first days of summer are some of my favourite times to spend in his little world with him: when he is enjoying the change in the weather and the warmth in the air and is contentedly letting his routines slide and lying back in the sun whenever it suits him.

I settled down beside him and he barely moved, just a sleepy hello and on with dozing.



Loved having the time to just stay a while and let him sleep, resting his head or lying flat out by turns.


Eventually, he was all slept out and back on his feet, our usual companionable wander into the stable block and all the usual excitement over the sound of pony nuts hitting the bottom of his blue bucket, eyes bright and alert.

As I started writing this last night, I was leaning in one of my favourite spots on the field gate and he was back out again, day done and on to the usual water trough, roll and graze routine, and I could predict it all so accurately; but had loved the unexpected morning of peaceful dozing and some quality time with my sleepy boy.