Bob Does It Again

Massie Lodge frequent resident, Bob (aka Centenn) has done it again with a win at Eagle Farm first up over 1200m yesterday. What a star he is!! Congratulations must go to owners Nick and Jason, Iam sure that the celebrations would still be going on!!!

We both have a real soft spot for Bob ... he is such a good boy and so quiet and gentle, you just cant not help love him. He has just a beautiful temperament. Well done the boy!!!

We are still waiting for some rain, maybe once again, Mother Nature has forgotten us ... if you see some rain looking lost and lonely, please send it on it's way here to Massie Lodge!!

This last week has seen the return of the typical weather (minus the rain) for this time of year .. very hot days and mild nights. Its difficult to think that in a few months time, we will be once again in the throes of winter ... hard to fathom really.

Adam called in last week and trimmed some of the ladies (Sweetie, Libby, Vera, Maddie, Joie and Trousers) and will be back again in the next week or so to do Shorts, Floss, Max, Jimmy, Oscar and the rest of the crew.

Maddie and Joie showed their disinterest in Adam's visit by staying the middle of the dam. However, we fixed their little red wagons by doing them at the bottom of the list later that day. I had to laugh at both the girls as the bottom half of their body was covered in mud. LOL I think they are enjoying the dam during this hot weather.

Oscar and Goldie have settled in to their relationship as "roomies" however there is no love lost at dinner time. As I look over and out the window now, I can see them way over the other side of their paddock with a respectable distance between them, heads down having a pick. Goldie also enjoys the company of the 2 little boys, Max and Jim and can often be seen having a conversation over the fence with them.

Max and Jimbo are busy in the contour that runs through their paddock and all I can see are two bums in the air, lol.

Bessie Merle and Matilda are definiitely in the good books as they sniffed out a brown snake that was sitting outside (not inside, thank goodness!) the side door at dusk last night.... it was only a metre or so long... but the only good snake is a dead snake... so my gallant Evan went outside and took the long piece of wire to it (with the help of Matilda who got it in her mouth and shook it around!) and that was the end of him/her. Yuk. (gives me the shivers!).

There is a new arrival due at Massie Lodge tomorrow that is coming for a month or so to have a break - watch this space for more news!

Time for me to go and vege out with Evanski on the lounge.... hooroo until next time.

Helen

The very beautiful Miss Dirtiere (Dirty Girl!!)

The very lovely Goldie... who is now a roomy of ...

Young Oscar


The very beautiful Miss Isabell who is half sister to ....

The very handsome young Jakey


Maxy

Jimbo


The Boys

I know, I know...

it's been a week or so since I have posted here, however, every day it's business as usual . With no sign of any decent rain, once again the property has taken on a brownish / red tint. Funnily enough there is still pick on the ground for the residents and the dams are holding up for the moment, however, we really need some decent rain - soon! (Ok, who hasnt been doing their rain dances??).

Interesting to see another MM Yearling Sale pass with a top price of $2M being paid for a Sadlers Wells yearling colt.

The beautiful man, Goldie (Stars O Gold, pictured above) has settled in here at Massie Lodge for the short while and had an EMT treatment with Ralda a week or so ago which really has brought quick results for him. However, he continues to be the slowest eater on the property and usually makes his feeds and hay last all day. Oscar, who is next door, stands and watches him and offers to help him get through it, however, Goldie is just happy to graze all day.

Thursday brought an escapee from Massie Lodge in the form of my peachface parrot, Missy (the yellow one!). After I spent most of last weekend constructing a new and bigger cage for them (which I have named the Warwick Hilton), she has gone out of her way to prove to me that I didnt really do a thorough job.

So I awoke to Bessie Merle barking at Missy sitting on the BBQ that sits on the verandah next to their cage (talk about a rude awakening!). Missy didnt like Bessie at all and flew over into the Grevillia bush and stayed there for most of the morning. Nigel in the meantime, was keeping the home fires burning and was calling her back to the cage in between eating a new cob of corn that I had placed in their cage.

I very quickly got the feeling that she didnt want to be outside as she then flew on to the gate of the house paddock and went to sleep .... waiting for me to catch her and bring her back home. Hands up those who have tried to catch a bird that has escaped? Its not easy. Quietly, quietly I moved up behind her and threw a towel over her. She didnt move at all... so I gathered she found out that the Trill Bird Seed was not better on the outside.

Needless to say I had to make a few repairs to the Warwick Hilton that morning. lol

The Residents ...

Floss has been moved into the Jenny Craig paddock in an effort to try and get some weight off her. One thing that has astounded me during this dry season is that all horses are still maintaining their condition and some of them are continuing to pile it on - Floss being one of the latter. Shorts, who really is a changed girl since coming back from Paul Moody's, has decided that she likes being next to where Lenny is let out of a morning for a pick ... she has her eye on him ... mind you, nothing can come of it!

It's amazing how some education and getting their minds busy really does change them.

The Dirty Girl is still in a small paddock and the swelling surrounding her tendon seems to have subsided quite a bit - which is great. She is looking terrific, and has let down and is looking quite rounded.

Joie is definitely queen of all she surveys down the back paddock ... not even Vera is game to take her on, which is interesting. Hmmm. I will be interested to see how she and Sweetie share the "queen" role when Lucy is weaned. LOL, no contest sorry Jo!

Evan has been spending some time with the little boys Max and Jim of a morning, going over the basics, making sure that they havent lost their manners. Evan commented today that he thought that both boys had just started to become a little obstreperous when he asked them to do certain tasks.... however, its nothing a little snip wont cure!! (ouch!)

The two babies Isabell and Lucy continue to get on their mother's nerves and you can tell that the mares are counting down the days until they're weaned... sorry ladies its a bit early yet! The two girls are quite independent of their mothers for most of the day, and while still drinking off their mothers when it suits, cant wait to get away from them and get into mischief... Hmmm. lol

Monday sees a visit from Adam to continue with the trims..

Life is great.... (but why cant we have our own rain storm?)

Helen.

The Dirty Girl ... who has to see what's going on around her.


If I reach up I can still give you a cuddle Max!

What a handsome young man is Maxwell!

Max (left) and Jimmy with Evan ...

Ok Jimbo, front leg ....

... now the back leg

Evan with Jimmy this morning.
He is really starting to come together and we're liking what we're seeing.

Oh, what's this?


... Can I eat it?

Ah, no. Now... what am I supposed to do with this....???


.. If I swing it around like this..

... Or if I move it around like that...

...Oops .... Sprung! (Wasn't me, it was Max!)

Young Lenny out for a pick after his lesson this morning.


The spikey-man on his part of the lounge

Why Is It?

That Queensland Drivers don’t stop at stop signs?

Why is it also that Queensland Drivers when you are merging into traffic always speed up and make it very difficult and dangerous to achieve something that should be a simple task? Not to mention what happens when you want to overtake on the highway ... AArgh!

These three things all happened to me today. Why is this so? I have no idea. Maybe this is just one of life's little mysteries that can never be answered? Maybe it's just a "Queensland thing"?

I guess we'll never know.

Today sees the first day of the annual Yearling Sales with some prices that were absolutely well above market value. It just never ceases to amaze me.


Keep smiling.


Helen.

2007

seems to have come around pretty quickly with some pretty hectic weeks already... we have had quite a few visitors already this year and we have decided to give our liver's a bit of rest this weekend fearing that they might be starting to pickle under the pressure! (hic)

New Year's Eve saw a BBQ at our friend's place in Toowoomba, followed by a very quiet New Year's Day... which I would say was the calm before the storm because when you have horses, you always have something to do and they always are hungry (and if you dont feed Sweetie in a timely manner she will be calling out and giving you a hard time!).

With the start of the new year of course, everyone is starting to focus on the upcoming influx of yearlings through the sales. Have you ever wondered where they go, or what happens to the 1600 odd babies (that look like 3 year olds) that pass through the first of the yearlings sales? Hmm.


Comings and Goings

Adam arrived today in the middle of a very busy schedule to re-shoe Floss who lost her front shoe 2 days ago due to her kicking her water bowl. Not very happy was Miss Floss about all of this, however, Adam managed to get her front foot shod without too many problems.

Oscar, badly in need of a trim, had his tootsies done as well. Adam will be back next week on Tuesday to start going through all the residents again, starting with Sweetie and Libby.

Ralda will be back on Monday am to give some EMT therapy to the lovable Goldie and Oscar. Goldie is just a sook and luuuuuuurves big cuddles. We thought that Oscar took the award for slowest eater on the property, however, since Goldie has arrived, he has stolen that crown! Goldie really has a heart of gold and is just lovely (I could get quite attached to him, lol). Alls well where he cut his leg as the purple spray is well on the way of healing that up.

Max and Jimbo are really a pair of scallywags and continually play "cups up" with their bowls at eating time.

I have to say that Iam exhausted tonight ... its been a bloody long day, doing the Martha Stewart thing, coping with the crowds at Woolies and then spending the rest of the day updating the Gallopers Website

Well enough rambling from me.

Helen.

Miss Lucy, who is taller than Isy already..

Isabell and Libby... can you see the family resemblence? (lol)


Flossie Girl waiting for ...

... Adam


Oscar with Evan and Adam

The Dirty Girl having a sticky beak at Oscar getting his feet trimmed

Short Pants ... who is doing a bit more growing


Da 'pikey man getting some shade