A Llama Adventure

So… the great day of our Wedding Anniversary arrived, thankfully sunny and bright. Weeks ago I had organised a surprise day out for BJ. He tried and tried to guess what it was but failed. I am sure he was more than a little worried, as to celebrate my 50th year I did a terrifying abseil down an absurdly high (170ft) building. However yesterday we kept our feet firmly on the ground, much to BJ’s relief, and mine truth to be told! And went Llama Trekking!!!

BJ’s face was a picture when he finally discovered what we were going to do, I had even found a card with a Llama on it to give as an anniversary card. Luckily he thought it very funny indeed and said that he would never in a hundred years of guessed that! So of we went to find our new best friends.

On arrival we met Mary the Llama Farmer, a delightful lady who did not mind my 150 questions about these beautiful gentle beasts, we also met Hughie the friendly football mad Jack Russell and his son, seven week old puppy Archie who was an absolute delight but his prized possession of the day was a very dead mouse which he kept proudly dropping at my feet in the hope I would play with it with him!

We eventually met our Llamas, after an introductory talk about the history of them and instruction on how to handle a Llama!

First out came Spinach the leader of the pack (yes, they are herd animals so have an established hierarchy) He was rather aloof and noble and was handed over to Amanda one of the other two people on the trek. Next out came Dassett an incredibly handsome chap with a hint of mischief about him. Mary asked if I would be happy to handle him, apparently he was going through the ‘teenage delinquent stage’ and was known for tantrums, he is also being trained to carry the saddlebags. Up for a challenge and already in love with the gorgeous brown eyes fringed with the cartoon length lashes I was there in a flash to claim what was to be ‘the naughtiest Llama of the bunch’. Barry had the sweetest cutest little chap called Sam who was so unbelievably well behaved, although he had delusions of being the leader and wanted to sometimes lead the pack for a few minutes until something startled him and he then would drop back for Spinach to lead again. Dylan went with Mark, Amanda’s Husband and off we went into the beautiful English countryside.

Lamas are gentle creatures but with an incredibly inquisitive nature, they are interested in anything and every thing, ears pricked and eyes darting around to take every detail of their surroundings and log them for future reference. I was instructed to be very firm with Dassett and let him know I was in charge, as he would otherwise take liberties. This I did and we got along famously, apart from when he forgot he had saddlebags on and bumped them on trees and gateposts! This spooked him every time and we had a little dance about until a few soothing words calmed him, we both got wise to trees, gates and saddlebags and gave obstacles a wide birth. I chatted to him and he in turn nuzzled my hair in reply from time to time. All was well in llama world!….

We stopped halfway round our 5mile walk for a drink and give our friends a chance to nibble some grass (Sam and Dassett, not Amanda and Mark of course). Mary decided to adjust Dassett saddlebags as they had become unbalanced after being knocked about on errant trees. The trouble was she inadvertently left a strap dangling! We set off again but Dassett was unsettled and skittish, I pointed out the dangling strap but Mary thought it was OK, so we carried on around a cornfield. Suddenly the strap tickled Dasset and he leapt several feet in the air and bolted, I let go of the rope and he galloped off into the corn, bucking and shaking to try and rid himself of the offending saddlebags. I was mortified and terrified he was going to hurt himself, but Mary was calm and told the others to keep calmly walking and ignore Dasset. Sam was distressed and whimpered but the others just strolled along. Dasset eventually calmed himself and came to Spinach in extreme submissive mode, head and neck dropped, tail over his back, he allowed me to walk calmly over and take hold of his rope. Mary tried to right His backpack, but this sent him into panic mode once more and he tried to bolt again. I tried, I really did to hold firm this time but a startled Sam crashed into me I lost my footing and my grip and off he went again! He came back again to say sorry to Spinach and this time he was calm as we sorted out his pack and tantrum over as quick as it began, calmly and sedately strode onwards home, me whispering calm endearments and him nuzzling my hair until we returned to the farm.
What and amazing adventure!

I want a Llama now!!!!

Scarey Cat, and other anecdotes

While cooking dinner tonight, dog was in the garden. I heard him 'woof' to come back in right in the middle of my stir frying. I knew the conservatory door was open so ignored his pleas to 'please let me in'. Finally I went to investigate and found him looking in the window and pleading to be let in that way, immpossiible! it's just a sheet of glass. I went to the door and called him, he came as far as the door but refused to come up the step looking very tentative at it. I couldn't make it out, how strange! I encouraged him in, but he would come forward and then back away. I was seriously puzzled by now and went out to investigate why the step was so scary. The funniest thing was that my usually bold, cocky little monster was afraid of a torn label from a catfood tin with a tiny disembodied picture of a cats face. Barry and I could not stop laughing at the ridiculousness of it. Dog was most put out and looked as if we sould know that maybe under the step the strange cat was hiding a monster of a body waiting to pounce!

I was sad to read that the famous retired flat race jockey, Lester Piggot is recovering in hospital after a serious heart attack, thought it a bit amusing that the headline was 'Piggot now in stable condition'!

At Leaps and Bounds today I got the kids really puffed out and hot by doing the song 'Jumping Jack' and as the title suggests it is a lot of star jumps for the whole song (always remember to spend a penny first, before undertaking this song girls.) At the end one very red little girl announced 'phew, I think I will go pop any minute' I knew just how she felt, bless her!

Conservatory

As requested from my US friend, a very modest by American standards my little conservatory!
We are having our inauguratory meal in out new conservatory on what was one of the hottest days of last summer! PHEW....
Those present on this auspicious occasion were Simon, Rachel our lovely niece on Barry's side and her equally lovely Husband, Dan!

Come back Iamhatter!

I was reading back over my 98 previous blogs! Good gracious where do I find the time?
I wish Rob was still blogging it sort of kept us connected. Come back jamhatter, we miss you! Lets start a campaign to persuade the boy back to our world of blog!
Leave a 'Come back Rob' comment on my blog, he reads my blog from time to time. He is always an amusing and witty read so lets encourage the boy back to our fold!
And as you can see girls, he is easy on the eye, not that I'm biased of course!

Boys Growing Up!

Our eldest Son has suddely become all grown up and bought a house! Well done that boy, may you be very happy in your sweet little house.

Both our boys have been living in the said house for three years now, renting it, but now the landlord wants to sell and a very trepidatious Simon applied for a mortgage and put in an offer. First offer turned down which was very mean and stingy of the landlord in my eyes as he has had an arm and a leg out of the boys in rent over the past few years, and they are sitting tenants. Simon upped the anti a little and the offer was accepted, hurray for Simon!!!

The little house is very cute, it's a very old 1880's terrace with a very homely musical ghost. Ghostey likes to strum the guitair sometimes, startling the wits out of Simon who is usually upstairs. The house is empty, apart from Simon when this happens and the guitair on its stand. I will have to do some research on the history of the house, it has a very positive atmosphere about it and I am sure it likes having Simon and Robin living in it.

The Wheels of Life

I have spent many hours driving this week, in fact my wheels have turned themselves around 864 company miles. I have been north to Brighouse, east to Norwich, middle to London (oh, how I love those London drivers, so completely devoid of manners and road courtesy!). I have been to Stratford on Avon twice to see my adorable nursery children, Nearly forgot, Mansfield as well, so probably nearer 1000 miles.

Funny how the mind wanders though, on long journeys. I was on the M25 and passed a lorry exclaiming on it's side 'Slag cement,' Well, I thought I would'nt want that in my garden, what if the patio started to get it on with the footpath, or got flirty with the paving slabs, oh no, not for me that 'slag cement'. I definitely want a more refined cement suitable for partaking afternoon tea on,the sort you could sit on with little finger raised as you drunk the earl grey and ate cucumber sandwiches, a kind of cement that would comment 'have you seen what that stone statue is wearing over their in the rose bed? scandulous!'

It then got me thinking about other amusing notices, I love 'Beware Door Alarmed'. Don't you just want to either creep up and shout BOO, in order to alarm it even more, or creep past saying Shhh... to every-one else around, 'the door is feeling scared, so be quiet' As for the 'Lift' sign, no don't go their!

Garden
We gave up our allotment last year as we did not have enough spare time to deal with that and our garden. I am missing it now! My urge to grow stuff is deep rooted (ha ha). On my top decking I have in pots, Potatoes, beans, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, chilli, beetroot, and lettuce. In a really dinky pot with little feet and a smiley face I have planted rocket, yes folks 'rocket man' is alive and well and in my garden.
We have revamped the garden somewhat, redisigning flower beds, digging new ones and BJ has built a fabulous sun deck which the pets just love! Any sunny day will find, Saffy the giant cat, Chloe the ancient cat and Ta-shi the doggly stretched out sunning themselves, what a lovely life!

Our 34th (oh my God) wedding anniversary is coming up and I have arranged a fun day out for me and hubby, I am soooo.... looking forward to it. Can't tell you what it is yet in case BJ reads this. My colleagues in the office think I don't like him very much if I am prepared to send him out to do this, but I am sure he will love it. I know I will, just hope be get good weather!

Mum update

Poor Mum is not doing very well at all, she is wasting away before our very eyes and is totally housebound. She is seeing the consultant this Friday, maybe he will help her with new medication. She just does not look like my Mum any more just a shadow of her former self. However the sense of humour and sharp wit is still thankfully still in situe!