the life and times of massie lodge: 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.