we survived the apocalypse! And everyone partook of a little jubilation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9FTcsOycCk

Even Turnip wanted to do dancing, but since he does dancing nearly every time he goes out for a ride he had to   ' make do' with dressing up in the tutu;



It was rather optimistic of the Mayans to predict an armageddon so far into their future I feel, since to the best of my knowledge the Mayan civilization died out rather a long time ago.
Anyhow I'm pleased along with you all that they seem to have mucked up on this one, though it does seem rather a waste of the dogsbody's especially prepared escape capsule;



Although given the recent weather conditions it may yet come in handy.( Anyone for a place? Tickets limited so prebooking advised with immediate  10% deposit required of 100 euros per seat. Please contact us to make an easy payment).

I'm thinking Wurzel is pretty pleased now that I taught him to swim;


though he didn't seem to appreciate it at the time.

Really all this jumping about the dogsbody got up to was due to his having reached the big 50 milestone a few weeks ago. He just likes to show that' he's still got it'. Not bad really, for an old bloke. I have to say his prearranged birthday trip to Honfleur wasn't the best ever as the day got late and  then later still when we had to go 'Equip'horse' for a new bit for the trailer tail bar. Infact by the time we arrived it was all but dark, even so the place was heaving, it's very fashionable don't you know, even when not in prime tourist season.
Try it then and it's a joke, we took the horses after they been shod in Deauville, (well they got conned into accompanying us as it was too far for them to walk home).Whilst we did manage to enjoy the little chapel at the top  of the hill and the views of the Pont de  Normandie when we tried to take the trailer down to town and find a parking space it was bedlam, a wall of people.
Even in late November with only a car to park it wasn't easy and took 45mins, probably didn't help that a russian cinema festival was on, aswell as the fair, which took up lots of parking spaces. My eyes nearly popped out of my head as we wandered past the fair, we saw a 'real' pony carousel with half a dozen scruffy little shetlands all hooked up, plodding round and round and round. It didn't look that thrilling a ride, least of all for the poor little ponies. But I guess they get a more entertaining life than all the little fellas flung in fields and gardens round about, left to fend for themselves and do battle with laminitis and flies.

Honfleur itself is worth the trip, if you're lucky enough to escape the hordes;



even if it is by night!

With quaint little streets


All prettily lit;


(NOTE- no rest for the wicked, the dogsbody continues with his hardsell puppy flogging throughout the evening)

The pretty church all higgedly piggedly with bits tacked on here and there is predominantly wooden, both inside and out, so you're not struck by that cold cave smell and feel the instant you set foot inside. Indeed it's rather homely, even for a church. It has a cutesy shingle roof and clock tower set apart, quite an individual design.



All set round the pretty harbour;



I have to be honest now and say I haven't been my most diligentwith the cobs recently. All the youngsters that need to be broken have been, they're all being very good despite the conditions, but progress has been arrested there. The weather has not been conducive to riding for pleasure and the field is now too sodden for exercising anyhow.
 I would be trucking everyone off to Brecey to use the indoor school, except the truck has now been off the road for over a month, awaiting the arrival of a new fan belt. I have begun to become suspicious that it may never arrive, the follow up phonecalls don't seem to have been very productive.It's always on it's way....

But I have been making an effort to stay in shape with my old friend Babara Curry and her yoga tips;



Pose of a heron, best one for keeping bad knee flexi.



pose of a plough , best one for keeping back flexi.



Wonky headstand with tutors, best one for face to be licked by dog.

and  think calm, calm, calm ( Barbara's words);


pose of a peacock, best pose for sheer unadulterated agony.

For a quick guide to this pose watch this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9xo7mr8DR4

And lastly some of us are getting really excited about Christmas now;



But seriously some  of us really are;



well okay we are for bits of chicken