a few more photos

If you click on the photos they miraculously get much bigger and clearer. From the top: flooded welsh lowlands, bouncing pebbles down a welsh river in the rain, welsh hills, old woman running up woodland steps (note extremely grey tied back hair...), big boy gainfully employed in pub, baby boy also, yet another irish castle especially for Janet. Honestly the photos really are rubbish, these are slightly better than the rest. Fetched the yella horse home this afternoon. He has had a good time, with the company of other horses, though hasn't been ridden since Monday, and has apparently looked after a 12 year old rider during his first week. This was a surprise to us, as we didn't know that's something he would be doing during half term week. A novel experience for him anyway. He's all tucked up in bed now, and there are 12 mares to keep him company when he gets out into the field tomorrow. The mares are here for winter keeping again, so he will be able to chat them up through the next few months. Luckily his two critical bits were nipped off when he was a youngster (an operation called gelding) so he doesn't need to strut and shout as a stallion would in the presence of all those females. The weather forecast is absolutely horrible with wind and rain for the next 5 days at least, so I don't know when I will be able to ride him, but its good to have him home. We were asked if we would like to loan him out to the 12 year old girl who rode him in our absence...I don't think so! When we go away next Spring the big boy is staying home alone, and he will be able to see to the horse, which will be better for us. The little boy is going skiing with school, and the old people are going to Bath and Stonehenge WITH NO CHILDREN AT ALL. Scary thought. Can count the nights away with no kids during the last 18 years on two hands with fingers left over. But, with University looming for the big boy, and last year at school for the baby boy, we old people will be home alone before we know it. Now salt mines have closed to the public we are able to have a few weekends off, and I am really looking forward to it. On good weeks that means Friday, Saturday and Sunday with no toiling at the salt face, EVERY WEEK! Until March. Yippeeeeee