10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 ......

LOL, yeah I know that you all know what day it is today. The end of 2005. Unbelievable to think just how quickly time has flown this year and everything that has transpired during the year to bring us to this point.

I have been pretty busy putting today a profile for one of the local stallions today and havent until this minute had the time to sit still and think of everything that has happened, all the events that have transpired (both good and bad), and all the people that have visited us here at Massie Lodge during this year. To be perfectly honest with you, I am glad that 2005 has come to an end and hopefully tomorrow will see a start to a much better year for Evan and I and all the residents here with us.

Hmm.. someone mentioned to me about New Year Resolutions... and it made me think do I have any... apart from the usual, I will exercise more and I will get rid of the fat that is my tummy. I will drink more water during the day, I will not poke fun at "that" trucking company or Ergon Energy. I have to say that I really havent developed any bright ideas for the coming year. Perhaps one or two I have been mulling around in my head... 1. Give the Gallopers and Massie Lodge sites a complete overhaul. 2. Dedicate some time to painting a masterpiece and/or updating the inside of the house with some dramatic colours (now that one I havent told Evan about!). Anything else I will make up as I go along!!!!

LOL, who sticks to their resolutions anyway?

Evan is currently sitting in the lounge room drumming along to Robert Plant on cable tv.... the dogs have just been fed a pretty good meal for New Year's Eve and me, its time to go and open the Champagne, have a few more glasses than I should and drink a toast to all my friends that have been supportive during the many tough times that we have been through.

Friends, I raise my glass to you !!!

To everyone who has supported Massie Lodge during 2005, our most heartfelt thanks. 2006 is going to be a good year for us, I can just feel it.

To our animal friends that have passed on this year, you are gone, but never forgotten.

Helen & Evan.

Enjoy! 

Ceelie and the Croc-a-tilda 

:-) 

Patch and Matilda 

Patch Black, Lancey, Matilda and Tiki enjoying the cool relief of the dam 

BOXING DAY - 2005. Tahnika and Ceelie Black in our dam... being circled by Matilda (or, the Croc-a-tilda) !!! 

Joey, much happier without her tinsel on! 

Charlie... and another... 

Oscar .... hmm another one 

Shotcakes... another reluctant Santa's helper! 

Vera, a most reluctant Santa's Helper (dont you love the look on her face? lol 

Bring on the THE PROFESSIONALS!!! 

Zandrea having a turn at being Lawnmower..... the job was way to big for her... so......... 

Twas the Day Before Christmas....

um hang on..... its the day before the day before Christmas... hmm. After experiencing the shops this morning, it might of well as been the day before Christmas! We were both very happy to get out of Warwick and head home.

What is it about Christmas Day that turns everyone in lunatics? I never understand why people change from normal rational people into bargain hunting, parking spot stealing idiots? Hmm. We have decided just to lay low this Christmas with our good friend Sue Black and kids coming over Christmas night to stay for a few days. Pictured here are "The Professionals" Vera and Trousers getting stuck into their job of being the lawn mowers!

2005 has really been a nightmare for us and ended on an all time low with my beautiful Nanna (Splendid Feeling) being biten by a snake and dying. We have been left with her colt to raise, and by Nanna's own wisdom, she had already been teaching him to eat on his own and to stand on his own 4 hooves. So, not only did we lose Lily, we lost Nanna and to be truthful, I havent had the heart to post here on the blog. It has indeed been a very sad time.

Billy is already showing the stuff he is made of. He is courageous and a very strong little boy who, despite losing his mum, has got on with the task of growing up alone. We are extremely happy with him because he is eating very well and he knows that he has to get on with it. Mind you, he is the apple of our eye and never short of a cuddle or company! He also has the company of Maddie and Max on one side of him and Vera and Trousers on the other - so he isnt totally alone. Vera seems to have accepted the most out of all our mares and she stands with him in the stable next door to him. He's not quite ready to go out yet, but very soon we will make the decision where he goes and with whom. (Iam betting that it will be with Aunty Vera and Aunty Trousers).

Gracie, Sunny, Joey and Cindy are enjoying their swimming pool and are all filthy girlies. However, they are all really looking terrific.

Shortpants (or Shortcakes as Evan calls her) is a real cracker of a filly and we would like to steal her!!! lol No, she has blossomed while we weren't looking and is a lovely filly indeed.

Charlie, Throb and Oscar are just fat. But that's what they are supposed to be at this point. lol They are the best of mates and it will be a shame when they all go their separate ways in the first few months of the new year.

Sweetie is 30 days positive to Pure Theatre and we are very happy about that.

Lenny and Jake have been doing some secret growing while all the other trouble has been keeping our attention. Lenny is certainly a site to behold - he so reminds me of Kinjite.

So with all the trouble that we have had with the horses and the non payers (who have received a very nasty shock indeed), its been a hell of a year for us. Iam sure though, that it must be time for the Wheel of Fortune to indeed turn again and for us to have some good times and some times to laugh about.

But after all of this, we are still here. Still getting up and doing the daily chores and loving the life that we chose. Um, with perhaps a few exceptions.... the heat, the flies and non payers!!!

Roll on 2006 I say!!

Before I close, I would like to say thank you to the many people who contacted us during our difficult times and offered their support. It's people like you that make everything worthwhile.

To our blog readers, I say MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! and may 2006 hold for you all your dreams and wishes!!

Helen.

It's Saturday...

and all's quiet.... um, except for the truck that has driven into next door and is loading wheat into Leo's silo. I really dont mind that happening except when its 10pm at night and whoever the wheat or barley belongs to, decides that it might rain and it really needs to get into the silo quick smart! Still if that is all there is to complain about, then we really aren't doing too badly.

Many thanks for the replies to my last post regarding non payers - they really are the scourge of this industry. You wonder why people wont pay their accounts, be it because they are short of cash, cant get their priorities right or if they keep forgetting (???). However, you have to ask yourself do owners become disconnected from their horses when they are away agisting, spelling, retired, rehabilitating or at the trainers getting ready to race? Is it the responsibility of the owners of the spelling property to keep owners connected to their horses (apart from at the wallet?).

Perhaps this is an area in the industry where some attention needs to be placed - i.e. before buying? Should there be more education to prospective owners before they take the plunge? As new owners soon find out, buying of the horse is the easy bit. Maybe more marketing should be directed at new owners regarding the education of owning a horse? Perhaps all major studs should engage Client Relationship Managers who's job it is to keep owners connected to their horses (and motivated to pay?).

Certainly lots of questions there and a real void to be filled in my opinion. I guess it all comes down to committment. People should ask themselves whether they are ready to be committed to a thoroughbred before taking the plunge. It certainly isnt all plain sailing (as we have experienced this year) and there are many highs and even more lows to contend with and it all costs!

Further to my last post, we now have 2 upset owners wondering what the hell has happened to them. Watch this space!

****

We do have some good news to pass on to our friends today. A year or so ago we sold on our grey Riggoletto filly (Pearl) to become a Polo horse (pictured above on the left). We had news today that Pearly is doing sensationally and has certainly become a very good asset to the sport. So much so that her owner is going to take her overseas to compete on her! We are thrilled to bits to hear that she is doing so well and that she is being spoiled rotten! Well done Pearly!!!

All our 4 hooved charges are doing very well at the moment with lots of summer pickings to be had (in fact some of them are down right fat!). All our 4-pawed charges are comatosed on the tiles at the moment because its too hot for them (except for Matilda who is hiding in between the bathroom cabinet and the wall because she thinks there is a storm coming.)

Evan and I are planning to have the night off and share it with some friends at a BBQ nearby. Isnt it a scary thought that Christmas is only a week or so away? AAAAArgh!!! Why is it around Christmas time that people start going crazy at the shops and the parking areas become like battle zones where only the strong and the brave survive?

Hmmm. I think I like Easter better. (and its not just because of the chocolate!!!)

Helen.

WHAT CHEESES ME OFFFFFFF ....

it had to happen... I cant not write about it any longer. The fact is Iam absolutely LIVID. Before I start this post I must say that Iam not writing about the majority, Iam in fact writing about a very small minority. This subject is a problem all over Queensland, in fact Australia Iam sure. However, this is our story.

You may be wondering what has gotten up my nose today? Hmmm. Ok, here we go (hang on for the ride ok?)

The thing that really cheeses me off about Massie Lodge are some of the owners. 2 in fact. As you must all be aware Massie Lodge is a very small business, we send out accounts on the first of the month and usually get payment within 30 days, all very good when people do the right thing and are good with their accounts. They pay us everyday to attend to their horses. Which we do, we get up every day and feed them and make sure they have plenty of fresh water to drink, attend to any wounds or scrapes, keep their feet in order, give them a wormer every 6-8 weeks etc etc. We talk to them, give them cuddles you know just generally keep an eye on them and keep them safe while they are spelling etc.

We are really lucky that we have some very good owners who like to be part of their horses lives, and more often than not, we have become good friends with them. Its an ideal business situation, not only do you have an income coming in, but you have made some nice friends through it. You cant ask for more than that can you?

However, we do have 2 delinquents who have chosen to abuse our good nature and friendship and have run up an agistment bill - one for over $4,000 and the other for just on $1,000. These people have made our life living hell with constant promises of payment and the stress of trying to chase the monies owing to us. One of these charmers sent his mare on to Willowbend to be served down there and now owes them a stack of money.... where does it end?

How can these people live themselves knowing how much stress and grief they are causing other people?

The other person has not only involved us in this web of deceit but has involved a local trainer and horse breaker - so where does it all end? And how come we have to deal with the phone calls from these people about the money that this bloke owes them as well?

As you can tell Iam not impressed (and neither are the other people involved in this) because not only does this person owe us money, but he has severly damaged our working relationship with these 2 people but doesnt seem to care about that either.

The answer to these questions are simple. If you cant pay, be upfront and tell people and discuss payment terms. DO THE RIGHT THING.

The solution to our problem is about to be taken out of our hands. Bring on the Collection Agency!

I have to wonder why people get involved with thoroughbreds when they know good and well that they cant afford to keep one (let alone race one?).

Helen.

Christmas Dogs! 

I dont know if I have ever posted this photo... this is a picture of my dog Jack taken about 4 years ago at my acre in Cobbitty, NSW. He had his own wading pool. The other is Lance's mum, Jessie. 

Lily, a month old... what a sweetheart. 

I just had to put this one in... its an old photo, but it just reminds me of the little girls when they were all together and the way that they stood in a line just before meal time, lol 

Caramel - Meek and Mild ?? ..... um no. 

Fatz, I mean Shortpants... who is having a bit of a growing spurt at the moment... she will be a solid filly when she grows up... was going to take some front on shots, but the batteries died right after this (sorry guys, will fix that up!) 

The Trouble With Caramel..... actually she is looking quite nice now. She wont be a big horse, but will be a pocket rocket (oh, that could be a name!) 

Master Billy growing up nicely with his mum, Nanna. 

Trousers and Vera in their paddock. 

Funny...

you know, how time demands to march on when we want it to stand still so that we can have some time to think and feel and come to terms with whatever is on our minds. Even though we go through some terrible and tragic times through our lives, day insists on following night and we must get up and dust ourselves off and continue on even though we have no motivation to move on to the next day.

I guess that's how we have been feeling since the passing of Lily. Getting up, breathing, doing the things that we have had to do. However, the other horses still demand to be fed, their water bowls continue to have to be filled up, the dogs still demand dinner and attention and Caramel's preparation still demands Evan's full attention.

I posted something very early on in this blog about "the eyes having it"... Lily knew that her time in this life was short on Wednesday night and I could see that in her eyes. I knew that she might not last the night and she knew that I knew. Lily's eyes were all so knowing, yet she tried with all her heart to beat whatever it was that overcame her. She was a very brave girl. We are both still very sad about losing our girl, still our life here at Massie Lodge continues on even though she has left us.

Shorts has been a little beside herself yet, I observed that she had started to distance herself from Lily in the few days leading up to her passing. Animals are such knowing creatures aren't they? They leave humans way behind.

We have had some good news in amongst the bad - Both Sweetie (Sweet Air) and Libby (Miss Independence) are 15 days positive to their respective stallions (Pure Theatre and DITW). Nanna continues to be a bit of a mystery as to whether she is in foal, however, we should have something more definitive news for her in the next week. Nanna has started teaching Billy to stand on his own two feet (or 4 hooves as the case may be), and has started to teach him some independence at feeding times. We have been giving him his own bowl just away from Nanna, so he learns to eat on his own. More often we are seeing them separated in the paddock, however, I think that when Sweetie comes home with wee Jimmy, they might sort themselves out a bit more and Nanna will become part of the herd, which is how she likes to be rather than on her own.

Sunny, Gracie, Cindy and Joey are all doing well, in fact they are all doing very well - mud notwithstanding! Joey has decided that she likes to get rid of her fly veil at least once a day, a bit like a compulsive game of hide and seek for us humans! Iam sure that I can hear her sniggering when I finally find the bloody thing, covered in mud etc. and I have to wash it and then put it back on her. I do have to mention that young Gracie is looking like she is in foal, lol.

Charlie, Oscar and Throb are also doing very well in their paddock with Oscar needing some sort of fly veil as the flies tend to like him. Now this is easy to say, but to actually get the bloody thing on him is another matter.

Lenny and Jakey are doing well.. and have really come on. I do feel very guilty as I havent really spent much time with them as I had been focusing all my time with Lily...

Caramel is coming on in leaps and bounds and has been wearing a bit in ready for the big day, lol. Evan is wondering who he can contact about Worker's Compensation as it is an on going occurence for those two to have an altercation and for Evan to fall over and/or be dragged across the paddock...... He keeps telling me that it isnt malicious behaviour, rather her acting out of fright! I think I'll leave him to it.

Vera and Trousers will be brought up to be the fulltime mowers tomorrow. Its been a case of having to bring in the big artillery with all the grass around the place, however, Iam not complaining, rather just saying that it now needs the "professionals" to get the job done. They have both flourished down the back in their own paddock. However, it will be nice to see them around the place again.

Zandrea, Queenie, Southern and Eric the Horse are doing really well in the big paddock, with a full dam and nice round bellies on the lot of them.

Tomorrow sees some time off for the humans at a Christmas lunch at Clifton pub and then a Christmas dinner at the local hall... if Evan can move at all after todays battle with Caramel. Ah, to be 25 again! lol

Sod of The Week...

Just when you thought it was safe to put a roast lamb in the over and for it to cook all the way through without the power going off - think again!

Yes Ergon Energy head up the list for SOTW and are very close to winning the Sod of The Year Award for 2005. Sorry, but they are really useless twits and have very lowservice levels comparable to Telstra (which is saying something). Thursday night was a beauty for us with lack of power. The power went out for 3 hours in the afternoon and came on as I arrived home from work (I would like to also add that I had to detour through Clifton from Toowoomba because of the power lines that crashed down onto the road - add on an extra 40 minutes to the trip). By the time I got home at 6.30pm, power had been restored. Evan and I thought that we could settle down to a nice meal and a quiet night. Not to be so. At 7pm the transformer on the pole outside of Leo's (our neighbour) place had blown, so no power at ALL that night. Apparently, according to Ergon Energy the crews came out at 1am to fix the transformer. This was after I had to have a wash in the bathroom sink with the warm water from the Thermos that Evan keeps in such an emergency. Dinner, instead of being a nice piece of veal was a cold cornbeef sammy with some sauce.

This was also followed on Friday by 4 trips of the power (on, off - on, off - you know what I mean). This was enough for me to get riled up and give their customer service people a serve with a demand for Escalation. I have been told that Iam to be contacted by a Customer Relationships Manager on Monday - I cant wait. The person that I spoke to on Friday told us that we should get a back up generator - my comment was, if the electricity supply was more reliable, we wouldnt have to buy a generator that runs on diesel (which is at a premium price!).

Why is it that Customer Service people always say, they "Understand", when in fact they absolutely have no idea whatsoever? This woman kept saying it to me... and the more she said it to me, the more it got my hackles up and made me annoyed. She would never had understood that Evan needed to shower on Thursday as he had been digging a grave for Lily in very hot weather and stank!



Well, time for me to hit the hay and read my book. I am sorry for the lack of postings on my blog in recent times, but I didnt have the heart for it, it just hurt too much ... however, I hope to fix that up now that things are a little more "normal" (whatever that is!).

Helen.

Thursday, 8th December, 2005

After a very brave fight, Miss Lily passed away this morning and has been set free of her illness. RIP my beautiful baby, finally.

Helen

A Lovely Lazy

Sunday - isnt that something that we all hope for after a traumatic week of hussle and bussle? Today was definitely at slow pace for us. In fact I woke up at 9am to Evan's dulcet tones screaming at Caramel. lol. I wandered down to see Lily and Shorts after a very yummy breakfast of croissant and jam and took my coffee with me. Big mistake and Shorts was after it (does this filly think she is a human?). Sweet Lily was out over the back of the yard having a pick and not game to come anywhere near me in case I came armed with my jug of Weetbix and syringe.

Actually today was a chance for me to catch up and clear my washing lounge (which was disappearing under the weight of all the washing!) and to finally finish Patricia Cornwell's latest installment in the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series - "Predator". Talk about a disappointment. I sometimes think that the very successful writer's lose their edge when they are writing a series. They follow a strict formula and dont deviate from it which can produce a story that is stale and boring. There were so many loose ends at the end of this book, I really felt that the story was not completed. Yeah I know what you are thinking, all will be tied up in the next book. Her last installment, "Trace" was left incomplete as well. Some one should tell Patricia Cornwell to get her mind back on her plots and to tie up all the loose ends!

I should be a Book Reviewer, dont you think? lol

Caramel is coming along well and is overcoming all sorts of obstacles with Evan, mind you it can get pretty scary to see her battling wits with him. Its not that she has a mean streak, she is just frightened and needs lots of reassurance before accepting and learning new things. Next on the list is to get a bit in her mouth. She now is let out after work for some free grazing and it has made a huge difference to her to have this freedom. Its going to be a long process to get a bit in her mouth, but I think that she trusts Evan enough to let him do this.

This week sees the arrival of Kwila's Ambition back to Massie Lodge from Victoria to be served at Lyndhurst. It will be nice to see Kay again, if only for a short time. Also Iam sure a visit from Chris will be on the cards as well (not to mention going back to work!).

Hooroo until next time!

Helen.

Maddie (Madely Miss) and her colt by Dantibes, Max. He certainly has grown up very quickly.