Early February sunshine

This week it snowed, the air frosty and cold as the thermometer dipped to – 3 degrees – the ground laced with crackly white . The ice froze thick on the big water butt- we splintered a hole and pour in hot water.. the fence tie-ropes stiff with cold .. Rosy and Ferdy stand waiting to be released from their night corral and for their hay in the morning as usual.. a lesson in mindfulness – they accept the dramatic change in the weather without any drama, although today Ferdy waits inside the stable door with just his hopeful muzzle sticking out round the corner, ears pricked waiting for his titbit.. whilst Rosy tosses her head impatiently as always.. Titbits and treats as always a source of real and immediate joy. On this first sunny day of almost spring, we sally forth for a trot down the lane, taking care to avoid icy patches.. the birds are singing as we swing along,, Ferdy jauntily in front.. Rosy skittering behind, excited by the frosted grass. We meet Terry the old man with bandy legs who takes his constitutional walk up and down the lane every day whatever the weather. ..then move on through the transformed landscape, Charles picking up an old and delapidated checked cap – hanging it carefully on a twig in the hedge. As we edge carefully along the ploughed edge with the many rabbit warrens , a red kite is outlined against the grey blue sky and the sweep of winter field, a tiny wren pops through the lattice hedge and a buzzard hovers in the distance checking the ground for food.. Rosy gallops hard up the hill, leaping over frozen puddles. I love these exciting moments when we leave the earth and fly together through the landscape.. Ferdy plods extra slowly until we return to nudge him up the hill. . As we walk back home we see a figure with bandy legs moving along slowly in the distance, surely it can’t be Terry… he has been going up and down determinedly looking for his tattered cap on the ground for the last thirty minutes in the cold, yet missing it as we’d hung it in the hedge. Charles goes back to retrieve it . Terry seems glad to be reunited with his very ancient hat, placing it firmly in his pocket. He had been determined to find it. It seems determination and focus is rewarded if we stick to what we have decided and do not give up..Rosy and Ferdy settle down to eating their hay in the sunny stable, as we, feeling invigorated, cycle home to the comfort of coffee, a nice warm shower and the rest of our day. Any problems in life seem so sortable up in the field.

January Sunshine

It is cold and frosty but a bright and sunny winter day .. the ice crackles, splintering like glass under my bike wheels as I leave my suburban house in the small historic town and set off on my daily journey to my country life – just three quarters of a mile away but a different world. I turn off the main road and cycle up the lane past the smart new houses to the field I rent on a traditional small farm with a big barn containing a store of hay, straw and 15 bullocks. Later there will be ewes and their lambs The gate squeaks as I enter the sheep field. Only the 2 old rams turn and stare as I pass. The stocky chestnut shape of Rosy my pony with her distinctive white blaze is visible, she’s tossing her head as she waits impatiently behind the gate to be released, whilst Ferdy my very small donkey waits quietly inside the railway carriage stable. His small shape emerges as I approach, long ears pricked forwards optimistically – the wisps of straw on his back and tail shows that he’s been lying down. He gives a loud ‘eee aw’ in anticipation of his titbit of a carrot and a crust and stretches out his long head towards me, whilst Rosy pushes her muzzle eagerly forwards to crunch. I love this moment of meeting, and even after almost 30 years of caring for my equines, always relax into the immediacy of their company and needs.While I set about mucking out the stable they settle into munching steadily on their hay. This is my regular morning routine. No matter how rushed I am, I always enjoy being up here… Even if I only have 5 minutes to spare and fly around at top speed getting the stable sorted for the night, and filling up buckets of water before pausing to take a deep breath, patting Rosy and Ferdy good bye and legging it back down the field.

Later, once darkness has fallen and Rosy and Ferdy are shut in their stable for the night, it starts to snow.. soft wet flakes of white creating a magical scene.. It won’t last long but is a surprise and a welcome change. Having driven slowly to my yoga class along snowy country lanes, I lie on my mat, whilst Michael instructs us to let all thoughts of the day go from our minds. I can’t help seeing Rosy and Ferdy tucked up snugly in their stable, munching hay and relaxing on their bed of straw while outside the elemental forces of winter rage, with no concerns about what tomorrow will bring.

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