Congratulations!

Must go to Heather & David Pascoe on the maiden win of their mare, Way North. Way North (By Hussonet out of Just a Flyer) or "Amelia" to her friends, won her maiden at Ipswich today over 2100m.

Woooohooo Guys!!!!!!

Ok, Next Book ...

I decided to stay on Dean Koontz after the last one that I did enjoy, probably because it was so unusual and the weaving of the storylines was brilliant!

I have to say that I am neither one thing nor the t'other about this book. I dont really think its as good as "From the Corner of his Eye". Iam just over half way through it and I'm sick of the main character and his spoilt rich ways and tantrums.

I will persist and keep reading!

I Have Been Busy

Doing some changes to the blog and if you look closely you can see the following changes:-

• I have to tell you first that Pip now has her own Twitter stream which is located on the right hand side of the Blog. I tell you anything for a quiet life.
  
  
• Some of the pictures have changed down the right hand side! Thought that it was time to update.
  
  
• From time to time we have horses available for sale at Massie Lodge. Also located on the right hand side of the page are the horses that are available. First cab off the rank is Justacat (Katie). Katie unfortunately has an owner who will not pay her bill, and as much as we love having her here, we need to find her a new home. Katie is a very sweet mare, is easy to handle and do anything with. She is dry and is 9 years young.
  
  She is an exceptionally well bred mare by Faltaat out of a full sister to Kiwi Golfer who won 5 times at Stakes level. Both Grand Dam Vendee & Great Grand Dam Remand were Stakes winners, so there is black type riddled throughout this pedigree.
  
  Katie did have race track ability, winning one race over 1200m at Ballarat in Victoria before injury shortened her career.
  
  Katie is in perfect condition, and is located here at Massie Lodge. You can see Katie's pedigree at www.gallopers.com.au

Preggie Girls Are Doing It For Themselves ..

Dirty (Dirtierre)


Southern (Another Southern)

Joie (Joie de Victoire)

Creds (Credentials)

Southern & Nottie (Why For Not)

Miss Ephiphany

Has decided that she has had enough of blogging as it is "old hat" and will now be coming to you by Twitter. Talk about scary!

As you can see she is looking fantastic and is still sporting her signature bandage as her leg is still mending. I have been assured by Monika that the wound is getting smaller, however, we have run into a small problem area where the skin has not mended. We are dealing with that and I am sure that Pip will give you low down on life as she sees it without messing around!

Personally I think its a good idea she does Twitter as it means she is limited to a hundred odd key strokes per whinge! So watch this space her Twitter stream.

Gotta love my girl!

Being Angel

I gotta say it. This filly is the sweetest filly that I have come across in awhile. She is just loves human contact and lots of cuddles and is easy to handle and to do anything with. If this is what Hidden Dragon is producing, I gotta get me one!

Miss Angel (above) is going through the changing colour process and at the moment is a patchwork of dark and light, however, she is like her dad with the white socks (his near hind has a white sock).

Mum (Gossy, pictured below) takes over in the temperament department and has given Angel a strong personality, independent already and is teaching Angel the fundamentals (i.e. knowing to start calling out when she sees Evan or I go near the feed shed! - "Are you sure that hay isnt for me?"). Its the funniest thing late of an afternoon when I go to the two ladies (Pip and Goss) and give them their "special" evening hay. Not only is Gossy standing at the fence calling out, but Miss Angel has now learned to join in the chorus!!!

Angel seems to make friends with everyone who is around her. Rusty, the Canadian Silver gelding next door is a good mate and she often stands with him and has a chat of an afternoon while mum and Aunty Pip are busy picking. She stands and has a chat with Trixie as well and I have seen her with the Conatus boys (Harry, Jack and Buster) also chewing the fat.

She is after all, just a little Angel.

What Im Reading..

Dean Koontz - From The Corner of His Eye

I have to say that Iam a Dean Koontz fan and have never been disappointed with any of his books. His books are highly unusual with very unusual people featuring in them and where he gets his inspiration from is anyone's guess. I have actually had this book sitting away in the cupboard for ages (I cant even remember where I got it from thats how long ago it was) and just bought it out and can't seem to put it down.

This book covers several people's lives and it seems to jump from one person to another, so its not really a book you can put away for a few weeks and come back to. However, the way the different stories have been woven together its truly a book that you cant put down!

The Simple Things

This would have to be one of my favourite photos: Evan sitting on the lounge (trying desperately to ignore me and the camera), chilling out with a beer and Miss Ruby cuddling up to him.

It really is the simple things in life that are the most memorable, while we all dream of having millions of dollars and living a life that is fashionable and unreal, its the simple things that usually turn out to be the most enjoyable.

It could be when Evan is driving the ute around to do the feedup - sitting on the back of the ute with the Massie Lodge Canines and jumping off and feeding the residents. Silly I know ... but its the wind in my hair, the dogs by my side that makes life feel so real: it just one of the simple pleasures of life.

It could be sitting on the verandah at the end of the day to watch the sunset?

Or it could be going and spending time with the equine residents and interacting with them; each resident is different and has their own personality however the one thing they all have in common is that they enjoy human contact. Daisy of course is a different kettle of fish to the rest of the residents - for such a young filly she is full of anxiety about humans, whereas the other yearlings are keen for human contact and love.

Little Angel is so very trusting and so independent for such a young filly. I guess having Gossy as a mother she has been taught to eat and look after herself at a very young age (Although Auntie Pip is always on hand when mum doesnt want to know!). She is quite happy to eat on her own and has her own feed bowl and her own hay at feed time. She loves to seek you out for contact and will let you cuddle her and touch her all over. If only she could speak to Daisy!

The 3 lads are all up for a cuddle and will seek you out if they spot you. Miss Trix, like the boys, adores human contact and trusts in everything that we do. All very different youngsters.

Its just the simple things that always mean the most and its what we should be grateful for.

Friday... What a Day!

After the day we have had so far, I thought that some calming images might make us feel better. Whoever said that owning a property and agisting horses was easy? It isnt. It certainly does stretch your physical endurance to the limit. I guess its easier when you have more than 2 people running the place (although Iam not so sure about that because when you have staff you encounter different problems!).

People always wonder why Evan goes to bed early. Notwithstanding that he is about to fall asleep where he is sitting, when you get to about 8.30pm, you seem to hit a wall and the only thing that is on your mind is getting to bed and going into a coma until 5.30am the next morning and getting up and doing it all again.

Still, its the sort of lifestyle that gets under your skin; its a passion and you couldnt think of any other job you would rather be doing.

Snip, snip

Jack awake, but standing on shakey legs
Buster with Evan .. "Whats going on?"

Harry looking on to Jack ... "No way Im going back there..."

"You still alive Harry?"

"'Ive just had the weirdest dream.. I dreamt that I lost my manhood... nooo it's just a dream"

Boys Being Boys

.. and the Conatus boys are growing up very quickly indeed. Its funny with yearlings, especially when you have had them since foals, you tend to forget about them and just let Mother Nature do her thing and the boys have been doing just that: quietly growing up.

Buster is now part of the gang, however, Harry (Pictured above and below), is certainly the leader in this paddock!

Tomorrow is "G" day for the boys... snip, snip, snip!!!

Harry (By Conatus out of Epiphany)
Jackie (By Conatus out of Local News)

and .. Buster (By Conatus out of Tycoon Diva)

The Lads

A Weekend of Golden Oldies

I guess Ill get in trouble for saying this but last weekend we had a great time watching TCM (Turner Classic Movies) as they are having a "Month of Oscar", showing all the Oscar winning movies, that included all the favourites, Gone With the Wind, Waterloo Bridge and of course, An Affair to Remember. On the Sunday night, we watched, "I am Legend" with Will Smith and we both hated it as it was crap!

They certainly dont make movies like they used to! Next to see is "Dark Victory" with Bette Davis - can't wait!

Miss Trixie

No longer a baby, Miss Trixie is certainly growing up quickly. It only seems like yesterday that she was with her mum, Joie. She stll has a long way to grow up, but she is coming along in leaps and bounds.

Bad Moon Rising

Mother Nature in all her splendour. We all know how Mother Nature is when she is not happy. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone, not only in Victoria but also up North Queensland.

I wonder how they are seeing the moon tonight?

Meet Frogger ..

the Massie Lodge Frog, who sits outside my study window every night waiting for his dinner to appear. I was quite taken aback by the size of him .. it looks like he eats well and he is very attractive for a frog with yellow spots on his back.

Not that Iam a fan of frogs, as I have lost 2 washing machines due to them getting into the mechanical bits and getting stuck and ultimately blowing up the machines, but while they are living in communities outside the house, there must be no snakes in the near vacinity of the house.

Well, I would like to think so anyway!

No, This Isn't Mine ...

Yeah, as if my wardrobe looks like this. My wardrobe (which is a walk-in), looks like a bomb has gone through it and all the fall out from the devastation is still on the ground.

Its a bit of a momentus occasion when you finally decide to go through all the shelves and hangers and decide what stays, what goes to St Vinnies and what gets taken to the dump. Don't get me wrong, I did not have a Martha Stewart moment, rather, I got told off by Evan who couldn't put the clean folded clothes away due to all the mess and thrown in bundles of clothes on every shelf.

So, I decided today seeing as it was too hot to go outside that I would put on some music, take a deep breath and dive into the bowel of my wardrobe to see what the hell was in there!

I have a terrible habit of getting very bored with the mundane things that we have to do in our lives (i.e. ironing, folding clothes, etc etc) and find it difficult to complete these tasks as I always come up with something more exciting to do while I am doing it.

But not today.

Surrounded by my trusted canine companions, I noticed that the piles were starting to grow very high and the clothes that were actually being put back into the wardrobe were less and less.

A very shocked Evan came into the bedroom and gasped with shock to think that I was actually completing such a manual and tedious task.

But finish I did, and I have to say that after putting all the clothes back in, in some semblance of order, I need to buy more clothes!

I still have the shoes to tackle, but I will save that for another day (in the next 10 years!).

A Big Welcome!!

To Massie Lodge for Conatus Colt "Buster". Buster is out of racing winning mare, Tycoon Diva and is surely a sprinting type.

Jack has become firm friends with Buster already (Harry is in denial that there is another colt in the paddock!) and all 3 boys will all be a few pounds lighter pretty soon when they get gelded.

Conatus has certainly come on with 3 winners and a placegetter in the last 2 weeks. Go Connie!

Buster and Jack