A few more horses from the family stables.

This is Bucephalus who was completely restored by my mother.

Next is another horse who lives upstairs under a huge tapestry.  He is called Valentine and is very old.  There is a sidesaddle pommel which can be removed and positioned on the other side.  He is in his original state but has a new mane and tail.

The huge tapestry that hangs above Valentine was sewn by my mother over ten years ago.  It has many family connotations like flowers representing family animals and a portrait of our thousand year old oak tree in the  park.  It was sewn in the millefleur design and has to be kept away from direct sunlight.

Lastly, Phar Lapp who my mother commissioned and designed with Alec Kinane from Legends Rocking Horses.  Phar Lapp is an Arabian horse and probably one of the best modern rocking horses still to be made.

And do you know who this is?  Yup, this is BeAnne’s ancestor.

The children in this portrait clutching their BeAnne are my great grandmother’s first cousins, Dorothy, Jeff and Polly Barnard painted by their father, Fred Barnard, who was one of Charles Dickens’ illustrators.

Dorothy and Polly also featured as the girls in “Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose” by John Singer Sargent who found the light in the painting so hard to capture that he renamed it “Damnation, sIlly, silly pose”!

The small, cute Lambie you all know and love is no more…

He is now a substantial (though still cute) lambie. Albeit still not as large as other lambs his age.

I’m pretty sure he thinks he is a dog. If you have visited us in the past you will remember being greeted by two boisterous dogs. Now add a lamb to your imagination and you’ve got our current situation.

Though the dogs are still quite perplexed by our new addition, they are all making an effort nonetheless. Even the cat is nice to the lamb, and that is saying something!

As a dog, Lambie goes on walks in the hill in an attempt to get rid of some of the bounciness. He prefers running around the open hill instead of the fields as the ground is less lumpy. He happily follows both dogs and people and runs to catch up.

His joints seem to have considerably improved and there is much galloping and bouncing, though this is difficult to capture on camera.

However, there is always time for a break to sniff the grass/flowers (or sheep poo).

So, that is our lambie update. As I wrote this we have cleared up lambie pee twice and rescued many a cable from his grip.

Though, in the Shetland hill, he almost looks like a real sheep!

I have spent my day photographing the horses for my mother.

Ok, they are perhaps not quite as animated as some I know, but they are still very beautiful and I remember them all and their names.

This is Cavalier.  He was from Harrods and made by Ayres in the early 20th century.  In his original condition, with removable tack but a replacement bespoke bridle.  He moves on a stand rocker.

I remember being allowed to ride him as long as we didn’t gallop too fast.  He was always kept tacked up.  Wrong, I know!

Next is a darling little unnamed chap who was originally made to be pushed along with a handle with wheels.  Both long since gone.  He was one of Mum’s first rocking horse restoration projects many years ago.

And then there is my absolute favourite.

D’Arcy.

He has been in our family since the early 19th century and has all his original paintwork with no restoration.  At both end of the bow rockers is a seat to carry an extra passenger.

Riding D’Arcy was always a special treat.

So, there are some of the horses who are stabled here.

And, then there is this life sized goat!  Just because there is!

So not really different from my usual day, is it?

I am completely and utterly smitten.

Mum’s dog is wonderful. Such a jewel.

An enormous character, though to be honest I have never met a Patterdale who wasn’t.

I am trying hard to miss BeAnne but it is not at all difficult to be easily distracted!

My parents also have another dog who is very old and much adored.

Her gait maybe wobbly but she still has huge sparkle in her eyes.

I am keeping this blog short as it is nearly killing me trying to get the photos in the right place – they keep moving about when I write another sentence and it is maddening.

So here are a few more photos of the garden –  a small insight into life in the Home Counties,.

Now I am at my parents’ house just outside Wokingham.  Mum is a very keen gardener and has worked on this oasis for over forty years.

The garden is lovely and a place I spent many hours in my youth.  Sadly I was never allowed to put any ponies in it.  Something about wrecking and eating.  I forget.

But the garden has lovely flowers.  It seems to be summer here in Englandshire whereas in Shetland we still have bluebells and it is still cold.

There is a lovely oak tree and watching the  evening sun shine through the leaves is magical.

Veleda has lived here for as long as I can remember.

And joy of joys, I have met the family Patterdale terrier, Pip.  He is wonderful and just my kinda guy.  I expect I will take more photos of this darling chap.