What Im Listening To ...

When I put the first CD in the CD player to listen to this book I thought to myself "You have got to be kidding" - however, once it got going I became addicted.

This is not an airy fairy book about nothing in particular, although that was my first thought. As the story goes on you really have to feel for Libby (the main character) who has a Degree but never used it because the needs of her family came before hers. The fact is that she is stuck in a huge rut with 3 demanding children and a husband who cant and wont do anything for themselves and her whole life is to do for them.

That is until she finds out that her life is just as important and theirs.

I could of throttled her eldest daughter, Phoebe who is a real bitch to her mother.

After listening to Libby's story, I can understand why she paid credence to the attentions of young Daniel, although I dont necessarily agree with her actions.

Worth a read I think.

DVDs

With foal watching comes the pleasure of being able to sit down and watch something that will keep you awake and interested.

Knowing that even though we have over 300 channels on Austar, there probably wont be a decent movie to be seen anywhere, so I took out a few movies over the weekend to keep my interest and keep me awake!

One of the movies that I took out was The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian. One of the greatest joys of my childhood growing up were the books of C.S Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia - (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle).

The story goes a little like this (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Completed in the autumn of 1949 and published in 1951, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia tells the story of the Pevensie children's second trip to Narnia, during which they discover that Miraz, uncle of Prince Caspian, had forced him to flee into the woods and usurped the throne, declaring himself a king. Once again, the children set out to save Narnia, aided by the Narnians and ultimately by Aslan to return the throne to the rightful ruler, Prince Caspian. This is also the last time Peter is featured until The Last Battle.[Susan was only talked about.]

While Evan really wasnt interested, I loved it - these books never age and it brought back many lovely memories of first reading the book!

Gossy Keeps Us Guessing

Waiting, waiting waiting ... Gossy continues to make us wait until she decides, or in fact its until her foal decides that she has had enough and wants to make an entrance into the world.

She has the udder the size of which could feed half a dozen foals, her stomach has dropped and yet she continues to cross her legs and say "NO" to delivery.

Watch this space!

Me and Pip

I have to say that I love Miss Pip ... she and I have developed a wonderful relationship over the 2 years that she has been mine - coming from a place where she didnt know much love, she certainly enjoys to receive it now in the form of lots of hugs and cuddles, which she readily responds to. She would of been a gorgeous filly and I sometimes wonder what happened to her during her time before coming to us at Massie Lodge.

I have to wonder how the hell she ripped open her leg last Sunday night. Evan and I are still in a quandry as to how she did it and we cant find any evidence anywhere and she was in a yard where she couldnt possibly have done what she did to herself.

Guess again.

I usually go down and check on the ladies (Pip and Gossy) just after tea and you can imagine my horror when she came limping up to me with her leg wide open exposing the bone all the way done the front from under the knee.

Horror doesnt cover my reaction. I was mortified.

1 week on and the healing process has started (as you will see from the photos below) and we are going to incur the National Debt in vet bills.

*Sigh*

Diary of a Broodmare ... Cont

Hoof Date: Sunday 30th November, 2008.

Thank God that its day 45.

I am over the crush. Iam over having a hand and/or an object up my fanny while Iam standing in th crush. I am over having my leg dressed by the person in the blue car.

What did I do to my leg. I cant tell you. I cant tell the missus. All I can say is that I have shifted the focus of attention away from the fat mare who refuses to deliver her baby because she the weather is either too hot, too cold or too wet.

Mamy, Im over your baby. For goodness sake deliver it so that we can all get a good night's sleep.

So what, I am officially pregnant today.

I'm excited. (Where's the hay?)

Miss Katie

The Difference Between Dry and Wet ..

is about 90 mls of rain.

What Im Reading ...

I cant help myself when there is a sequel to be read! Fishing for Stars (by Bryce Courtney) is the sequel to the book, The Persimmon Tree. You all know that I am a sucker for Bryce Courtney's work and this book is no exception.

I have only just started the book after finishing Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama - which is a wonderful book and can hardly put it down.

The premise, by Bryce Courtenay on the front cover leaf reads:-

Fishing for Stars has, at its heart, two passionate, unforgettable – but very different – women. One is exotic, damaged, and shrewd; the other beautiful, determined and zealous. Both are bitter rivals for the love of the same man.

My story is set in Australia, the Pacific Islands, Japan and Indonesia during the latter half of the twentieth century. Nick Duncan is an ingenuous male with a great deal more female on his hands than he can possibly hope to understand.

The contest he is called upon to referee is the clash between the two great loves of his life: the seductive Anna Til, and the older, equally fascinating Marg Hamilton. Nick struggles between their worlds: one exploiting the world's riches for profit, the other fighting to save the environment and its creatures, large and small.

I hope you like Fishing for Stars – it is a story of ambition, destruction, love, tears and laughter, with a soupçon of hope thrown in.

Bryce Courtenay

Enjoy!

Introducing....

Pivate James

by Private Agenda out of Sweet Ar

(Go wee Jimmy go!)

Did I Say We Were Dry?

Um, lets change that to "Massie Lodge - under water!" We have received between 80 and 90ml of rain over the last few days and I have to say that we are in a bit of quagmire at the moment! Not that Iam complaining at all!

Its pretty frightening the way that Mother Nature can put on such a show with such force and domination that rips of roofs, pulls up up tree roots and sends sheets of rain and hail that drowns and drenches and destroys.

And then, in a matter of moments, can put on the sunshine and a rainbow that just stuns.

I would like to thank those of you who obviously found some loitering rain and sent it on up to us. Very muchly appreciated. All our dams are full to overflowing; the contours are full and there is a green hue all over Massie Lodge that promises plenty of sweet summer pick for our residents. Not to mention that the Massie Lodge canines are having the best time in the water (nothing worse than a saturated Curly Coated Retriever!!).

It has just been an amazing few days.

Some Images from Brisbane After the Storm last Weekend

Images courtesy of Sue and Nathan Black

What Im Listening To ....

Something very different! I think after listening to Rhubarb (Craig Silvey) I decided that I would be adventurous and take the plunge and give books that I wouldnt necessarily read a go in the car. And, I am glad that I did choose this audio book. It really shows the difficulties young Amal goes through after deciding to wear the Hijab full time and start embracing her faith. No mean feat for a 16 year old girl who has a crush on one of the spunks at school. It certainly made me stop and think about things that I wouldnt not necessarily give a second thought to.

The premise of the audio book follows:-

Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full- time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else. Can she handle the taunts of "nappy head," the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah's debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their belief. Narrated by Rebecca Macauley.

Its Sunday Again

Why does it seem that the weekend rolls past so quickly? It feels like time moves quicker because you are actually enjoying yourself. Before you know it, its Sunday afternoon and you're thinking about the week ahead.

This weekend was a weekend with the promise of rain ... which we eventually did get some but not a major downpour, which we are needing desperately. The weather is doing really weird things, which is nothing really different to that of the past few years ... but we are needing some good strong rain to fill up one of the dams and to top up our big dams.

Remember, if you see any rain looking like it's loitering around your house, give it a smack and send it over to Warwick! lol

I cant get over how quickly time really is passing and how quickly Christmas is approaching. While doing my most favourite thing this weekend - visiting Woolies of a Saturday morning - I noticed that 1 aisle was completed dedicated to Christmas decorations and other paraphernalia (wrong spelling? lol).

I avoided that aisle.

I also noticed that they had moved the frozen chips to another section to make way for the frozen turkeys. Can you imagine spending $64 on a Turkey? Only to cook it until it is dry and withered.

When I went into Big W, people where buying Christmas Trees and decorations by the trolley full. I moved into the computer section as quick as my little legs could take me.

Is it only me who feels like this? lol

Friday afternoon always brings such joy to me, knowing that not only will Evan and the dogs be waiting for me on the front verandah, but it means that I have 2 whole days to be with them.

Oh well...time for me to go and be with them in the loung room.

Roll on next weekend!

Miss Lily (Red Fourteen) - who will be leaving Massie Lodge soon to go and be with her mate down to NSW. She has been a pleasure to have around and no trouble whatsoever.

Miss Katie (Justacat) who is on the market to be sold. She too is a beautiful mare with a sweet, loving temperament. Such a shame that she is stuck in the paddock doing nothing when she should be visiting a stallion.

Diary of a Broodmare ... Cont.

Hoof Date: Sunday 16th November, 2008.

Can you believe it? After 15 days peace and quiet the gate on the yard was shut this morning and the bloody blue car drove in. How come these things happen in sequence?

Before I knew it, there I was back in the crush with another gloved hand up my fanny.

Will it ever end?

So what, Im 30 days positive - give me a medal - better still, feed me.

Gossy....

Don't get too excited girls ... look at me about a week to go, the stomach couldnt get any fatter and the udder has started to change.

Woooppeee!

Break Open The Champagne!!!

Miss Joie was tested 15 days positive today in foal to Tycoon Ruler .... wooohoooo !! I know that she has some very happy owners after hearing the news.

Talk about an old pro in the crush, she just stood there and just let Monika do her stuff.

Welcome!

to new Massie Lodge resident, Credentials who is in foal to Sunday Knight. Creds is a lovely mare with a sweet temperament.

It looks like Massie Lodge will be foal city next year. Bring on the foal watchers! lololo

Well, That Was the Weekend!

Here we are again at the end of another weekend. Do you ever find that you just want to stay put and not go anywhere? That's how I felt this weekend. I didnt even want to venture into the library - it was more important just to be at home with Evan, with the dogs and the horses just being.

Breakfast on the verandah, followed by drinks that afternoon watching the storm wash over the property - Mother Nature was putting on the best show in town and both Evan and I (and some accompanying alcohol and nibbles) had front row seats.

You really cant compare that to anything anyone else can offer!

Roll on next weekend and hopefully there will be a repeat performance!

It's Not Just Dryness ... Its Still A Drought!

Dont believe anything they say about the drought being over - its far from being over.

This photo was taken down at the horse swimming pool. We are lucky that our 3 other dams, and especially our big dam, are still quite full - however the horse swimming pool was the first to dry up.

It always amazes me how the boys in Canberra, who have renamed the drought "the dryness" can sit in their city offices and tell the country that we are not in drought anymore!

Go figure.

Diary of a Broodmare ... Cont.

I feel pretty Oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and gay
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me today

I feel charming
Oh so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real

See the pretty girl in that mirror there?
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty fly veil
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running
And dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy


I feel so wonderful ... I look wonderful ... I am wonderful!! Not a blue car in site, no activity at the crush - my life is just *sigh* wonderful.

Hormones, I just love them!

A Girl Must Have Her Routine..

And Gossy is no exception to that:-

Early AM:

Wait to be fed in the outside yard, make appropriate noises when Evan walks past. Adjourn to "residence" after eating, wait for hay. Come out of "residence" to eat hay. Drink. Go back into "residence" until gates are opened to pick around the house

Midday:

Pick around the house and in house paddock making sure that Pip does not come into house paddock at any cost. Drink. Stand around feed shed in case any hay should fall out.

Early Afternoon:

Drink. Go back into "residence" until feed arrives.

Feed Time:

Let Pip go first to the feed bowls and then frighten her away from both of them. Let Pip stand around waiting until finished. Go back to "residence" until hay arrives. Come out of "residence" to eat hay. Drink.

Night Time:

Adjourn to the top paddock at night time. Later on when the humans have gone to bed, find a muddy spot carefully get down (without squashing the baby) and have a roll with an almighty groan. Not only does this feel good, it wakes up the household . Wait for the light to go on in the house (it never fails) and Helen to come out with the torch and shine it in my eyes to see if Im alright (you would think that she would bring food?)

Morning:

In "residence". Start again.

Something Very Strange ...

Happened this afternoon while it was thundering and the storm was brewing. However, if you knew Pikey (pictured above), then you might understand why he is sitting between the computer hardrive and the marble tiles that the fire place stands on.

Evan and I were watching a race on the tv and I happened to glance around and saw "scardy Pike" sitting with his face to the wall, trying to get away from the storm. It was like he had been sent to the corner because he was a bad boy ...

Luckily I had my camera in my hand ready to go ... this is definitely a Kodak moment ... or perhaps better named a "strange Pikey moment"!!

Gotta love da Pikey Man!

The Masse Lodge Canines...

For those of you who dont go and visit "Massie Lodge Dog City" , I have posted a few of the photos that I have taken today with Bessie Merle (above) loving every moment of attention! One of my greatest joys is spending time with the dogs on the weekends, they are after all, part of our family.

The Pikey- Man


My little boy, Doc (above and below) - he has the heart and soul of my beautiful bown dog Lance.

Moon Man Finds a New Home

After a weekend "interviewing" prospective new owners for the Moon Man, we finally came across the right new owners for Moonie.

Moonie has gone to a lovely home where he will be spoilt rotten and loved.

After a generous holiday in the paddock, Moonie will come back into light work and be a showie and we're sure that he will do a great job of it too.

See, there is life after racing and Moonie is proof positive of it! You just have to be patient and the right new owner will come along.

Live long and prosper Moon Man!