Another day at the show

Yesterday the weather was great, and so after watering plants and walking the dog I set off once again for the Border Union Show. So it seemed did most of Berwickshire as getting there took ages, but after parking my car and eventually getting into the showground, I looked to see where Anne, ponies and carriage were. I found them as you can see below, but Anne had apparently failed to see which class she was entered into and missed her spot, so for the second day running wasn't able to show.

My 'grandson' Arnie (on the left) with his pal Fingal

I sat and watched a few carriage classes which were splendid, and then headed off to see what was happening round the rest of the showground. I found a Flea Circus which was very funny. I love the old fashioned things far more than the newer fairground attractions. The clown that was running it was very good and entertained the kids and adults alike. The tent it was housed in was red and what with the sunlight the whole place had a decidedly orange glow as you can see from the photo:

The Flea Circus

I then went to see if the Sheep Show was on, but I was going to have to leave before the next showing so I went round the back and there was the delightful Lenny, who I was so taken with yesterday, waiting for his photo to be taken:

Lenny the Lincoln Longwool

I also happened upon a guy offering Dry Stone Dyking courses and as a special offer just for the show there's a day happening on August 27th in Kelso for £20. I signed up as it sounded too good to miss. And then it was time for me to go and get back to Nell. I'm pleased I left her at home as it would've been too hot for her, but I did buy her a grooming brush which is excellent and within 24 hours I've already taken off 3 bags of shedding fur... yes you read that right... 3 bags!

Joyce and Bob phoned to see if I wanted to go bowling as it was such a lovely evening, but we decided on a last minute change of plan and they came round for a glass of wine on the patio instead. We were joined by my next door neighbour, Terry, who'd been deserted by her husband Norman, as he'd gone off to the show along with his son and several men from the village to wet her grandson's head (no matter that this grandson is now 8 months old and it seems as though there's a head wetting every month, but any excuse it seems will do). We had a lovely, relaxed evening and bowls was rearranged for today.

And finally, the picture you've all been waiting for... drum roll please... yes it's the coffee plants! They're doing ok, a few leaves falling, but are looking healthy at the tops with their lovely shiny green leaves. So here they are, now 5 years old, slowly but steadily growing:

The coffee plants at 5 years old

Show day

I don't know how I did it, but I forgot to turn on my alarm last night. I set the time alright for 5.30 am, but then didn't turn it on. So when I woke up somewhat startled at 6.05, I was in a bit of a rush to get myself organised. Luckily I'd put my clothes out the night before. Anyway, it was all fine and I got to the showground just outside Kelso in good time to meet up with my friend Anne, her granddaughter, Emily and another friend of Anne's, Jacko. There was no problem getting in after I told the gatekeeper my sob story about the trials of the postal system.

Anne had brought the Shetland I won with last year, Bridge, and her foal (who was only along for the ride as there were no classes for him and Jacko kindly took him round the ring so he didn't freak out when his mother trotted round), and then Bridge's daughter, Daisy, aged 4, who Emily was going to ride after she had been shown in hand. Sadly none of us did terribly well. Bridge lost her cup after winning the previous 2 years and we got a slap on the wrist from the rather fastidious judge for showing her with a chain and leather lead... should be for larger ponies don'tya know... and were placed 5th. I have to say this is in a Mountain and Moorland class where Shetlands traditionally don't do so well, so perhaps I should say that we were the 2nd Shetland. Sadly Daisy was last in the class.

Bridge and her foal, Rainbow

Then Daisy was saddled up and Emily got her gear on and mounted. Emily is only six and I have to say was quite composed. She lives in Switzerland and flew over on her own to be with her grandma. She speaks both French and English, but her English is with the cutest French accent. I was very impressed. However, it seems that Anne had entered her in the wrong class as she can't yet canter on her own, and so the judge somewhat harshly disqualified her, but Emily wasn't bothered. She just loved walking and trotting about. She was given the rosette that Bridge and I had won as a consolation and was quite happy with that.

Anne, Emily and Daisy

After lunch we loaded up the ponies and Anne, Emily and Jacko went off while I took time to wander round the showground. It was lovely. The weather wasn't too hot and it was great to sit about watching horses of all varieties perform. I also found The Sheep Show, which was fantastically entertaining and educational mc'd by a New Zealand shepherd called Stuart, who was very, very funny and as well as teaching all about breeds of sheep, showed how to shear one too.

The Sheep Show

Lenny the Sheep

If you ever get a chance to see The Sheep Show performance I highly recommend it. Especially if you have kids, as you can see from the above photo these two were entranced with Lenny who'd jumped down from his podium to entertain them.

Then it was back home to pick up the dog and take her for a walk before settling down for a quiet evening. Anne is taking the pony I sold her many, many years ago to the show tomorrow. He's going to be pulling a carriage along with his mate, so I might, if time allows, go back to support them. I'll have to see what tomorrow brings. If it's warm and sunny then I'll definitely make the effort.

I didn't manage to get a photo of Doddie Weir (ex Scotland lock) this year. He said hello to me, but was a bit caught up with stewarding duties and I didn't like to intrude to ask. So here's the pick from last year to keep you amused.

The best laid plans...

My army-like precision timing was thrown completely out the window the first day I had to head for Edinburgh as No. 2 son and our lovely dog, Nell, decided to throw a spanner in the works.

First of all I had had a telephone call from No. 2 son when he was up visiting with his father in the far flung North, that we would meet on Tuesday evening in Edinburgh. I haven't seen him since Christmas and was looking forward to it. I made sure that I left the Borders in good time and arrived at the house, but no No. 2 son anywhere to be seen. I phoned his mobile to be told in no uncertain terms that my services as provider of entertainment were no longer required as he had friends to see and people to reacquaint with. I was not amused. I immediately rang a friend and made plans.

A few seconds later, Nell decided that a projectile vomit was in order and she jumped purposefully from where she was lying and left the wooden floor to make sure that all vomiting took place on the carpet. Then having produced a rather large pile for me to clean up she promptly headed off down the carpeted stairs vomiting all the way down, only stopping when she got to a wooden floor that had no carpet whatsoever on it.

While on the mammoth task of cleaning up, I decided I couldn't deal with someone coming over and so rang my friend back and cancelled everything. The dog and I spent a bit of an unhappy evening with me cuddling her and telling her it was ok, but she was not feeling great and eventually we both went to our respective beds exhausted from it all.

The next day, we got up early and Nell was in no mood for her breakfast. She also wasn't much in the mood for a walk, so although we were out for nearly half an hour, we didn't actually get very far. I had get to work and was feeling quite concerned at leaving her when she suddenly became quite perky at the ritual of doggy treat and tv on to keep her company. I was mightily relieved.

I had to rush back from work so that she wasn't on her own for much more than 4 hours, and we had a lovely afternoon languishing in the garden enjoying the sunshine. Nell was feeling much better and tore 2 balls to shreds while I sat reading my book. N, my best friend, came on by and we had a lovely evening partaking in the delights of some fizz and putting the world to rights.

Today Nell woke up feeling much more her usual self and, after avoiding the lingering stains on the carpet that she'd so carefully planted, off we went for a morning amble in Holyrood Park. I felt far happier about leaving her today. I spent the day rushing from one meeting to another and then landing back at work to a court order asking for all my notes on a client from 2 years ago.

I now have to do more precision timing next week, as instead of an easy day on Monday, I shall have to rush up to Edinburgh to make sure all is shipshape and correct for the court before doing anything else, which is just an added something I could well have done without.

Tomorrow is Border Union Show day, so Nell is off tonight to the dogminder for a night of R&R. Not quite sure if that's her or me, but given that I have a 5.30 start tomorrow, I feel that she is going to have a much more restful time than I will. I'm showing Shetland ponies and hopefully will have some fun. Last year we won the overall Shetland prize, so we have high standards to keep up. One fly in the ointment and that is my ticket hasn't come through as yet, but hey, it's just one more inconvenience to add to the ever growing list of plans that have gone slightly awry.

Home (almost) alone

My Beloved, Mountain man, trek medic hero and all around jolly good chap, left home today to take intrepid trekkers on a trip to Mount Everest. Actually I think it was just an excuse to get an all expenses paid trip to his spiritual home of Nepal, but that's another story.

His last day at home was punctuated by finishing jobs that had been awaiting his attention for quite a time, while I mowed the grass, groomed the dog - a far harder task than it sounds as I garnered a whole bag full of fur and there's lots more where that came from, and she was not amused - and read my book while sunbathing. All offers of help for job completion were turned down as I think the man himself wanted to leave with his superhero status intact.

So that's me and the dog left behind with a daily schedule of watering veggies and feeding birds and getting to work... that's me not the dog, obviously... that will necessitate an army-like timing precision, and I'm sure that the three weeks my man is away will undoubtedly zip by.

Summer has arrived

Summer definitely arrived at The Old Free Church yesterday. I know this for two reasons.

The first:
because we had our first set of visitors. No... these are not the kind that you invite and come to stay, nor are they the kind who drop in unannounced to say hi to you personally because they are passing. These are the kind who ring your doorbell demanding to know when the next service is and if they can come and join in, or they want to come in and look at the architectural features, such as the altar.

The first year we were here and we didn't used to lock the front door much (we live in a very lovely, peaceful village where even the kids leave their bikes outside their houses with no locks on them), and on several occasions when we were sitting about or eating a meal, the front door would open and strangers would come in with their religious and spiritual needs to the fore. They were rapidly put in their place and sent off to churches that are still churches. After a couple of these incidents we made sure we locked ourselves in. And thank goodness we did, because yesterday's lot came when we were still in bed having a bit of a lazy morning. So that could have been a completely different spiritual experience and potentially put them off their beliefs for good!

The second:
because for the first time this year I wore a dress. My Beloved and I went out for dinner last night as he's off to Everest soon and we decided to have a dinner a deux in the very swanky Roxburghe Hotel. And I felt I should glam up for the occasion and put on a rather fetching red summer dress that I bought some years ago from Benneton and though I say it myself, I thought I looked pretty good, especially as I went as my alter ego and wore my wig.

The meal itself was good but not great unlike my lunch experience when I was reviewing, and there were some 'interesting' moments. For example my starter of crab and prawn cocktail that had no prawn in it (we're due something good when we go back apparently as a compensation), and then when it came to pay we were kept waiting for quite some time as there was a wedding party of 40 who seemingly were taking up most of the staffs' time. I also noticed I'd been undercharged for my wine, which I pointed out, but they just laughed and let me have it cheaper. And finally it took 5 goes with the credit card thingy as apparently the thick walls of the ancient house mean that telephone signals are not optimum, something us folks that live in an old church know all about.

So yes...visitors and a dress all in one day, summer definitely arrived at the Old Free Church.

Rejection

After a good day at work yesterday where all my clients seemed to get a lot out of our sessions, I got home to find that I'd had a rejection from an online poetry magazine in the States for my one and only poem that I've submitted in quite a long while.

The problem with rejection is that if there's no reason(s) added to it, as in this case where I got an email that was very polite but said not much at all, I am left with a serious doubt in my mind as to whether the poem was that bad and I should never bother to pick up a pen again, or whether there was any merit in it at all and I should go ahead and submit somewhere else.

Of course with the way my mind works, it's always the former and never the latter and this is further evidenced by the fact that the site that I uploaded my poem onto now won't let me into it at all. I only wanted to go and see if they'd left any other nuggets of info about my rejection in their column 'comments from editorial staff' but that's obviously off the agenda. And so I'm left with the feeling that maybe it was so awful that they never want to hear of me again and I've been barred from entering the site by the powers that be to ensure that I never darken their virtual doors again.

Oh well, if they were trying to stop me it hasn't worked, because this morning when I was in the shower, a line of a poem streamed into my mind, and was immediately committed to paper to be worked on as the days go by. There... that'll teach 'em!

Decision has been made

Today I finally, finally made the decision not to do the Advanced Creative Writing course with the OU... at least not for this year. I have been spending quite a lot of time thinking about it (too much time really), and I just don't feel the time is right for me.

And of course, now I've made the decision I will undoubtedly have many regrets. There are quite a lot of people who I've virtually met through the OU Creative Writing course that I'm awaiting the results for, and it was very tempting to go ahead and do the next one alongside them. But what I've realised is that I need to spend more time writing and not so much thinking. My head is full of stories, but usually I fail miserably to get them down. So now I will give myself 12 months to keep writing and only if I manage to keep to that will I venture down the Advanced Creative Writing route.

I'm hoping to start entering competitions, something I've only done in a limited way before, and the hope is that it'll spur me on. I managed to buy the course book for the Advanced Creative Writing a month or so back for £4.25... a whole lot cheaper than the £700 course fee... so I can work my way through that, and because of the OU forum I belong to I can still get feedback.  This means the only thing I'll be missing out on is getting a mark for my work and the anxiety that goes along with that. Not much to miss there then.

So that's me all sorted. Phew!