Happy Christmas Everyone!

Well here it is, and I’m sure that you have all been waiting with baited breath for this newsy-Christmas greeting to arrive!  We both hope that you haven’t been sitting by the post box waiting for your paper version with illegible writing to arrive because I’m afraid, that once again, time has gotten away and it’s just too darn late to post it!!

So this is about as good as it gets! 

Pikey

Go get yourself a cuppa, a piece of Christmas Cake and sit back and enjoy!!  The gentleman up above of course is Pikey, dressed up as a Christmas elf… what can I say??   I had planned to get some photos of Evan and myself and the canines, equines… but, you guessed it – time has beaten me and you will have to wait and read the blog site after Christmas where I plan to put up some photos of us, the dogs, the horses etc etc.

Like everyone it seems, 2011 has been a very challenging year for us.  Evan had a life changing experience with June of this year by suffering a heart attack – not a serious one –  I mean he managed to get out of bed and feed the horses, cut wood, sort out the water to the horses before going to hospital …  but it certainly made us both stop and look at our lives to find out what was important and what we can do without.  It also showed the strengths of our many friendships and the love of the people around us – a simply amazing experience for both of us and one we will never forget.

Ruby

2011 was a year of finding my voice when it came to the travesty of Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Darling Downs of Queensland – Australia’s Food Bowl – mind you its not restricted to Queensland in any shape or form.  As a result, The Black Cockatoo Blog (and FB page)  was born  to communicate information to the people. It keeps me very busy …  as well as working locally as an Office Manager, looking after Crazy Horse Marketing clients and the Massie Lodge residents: leisure time is often sitting on the lounge with my trusted laptop … working!!    It was also a year of finding my passion for photography…finding the beauty in our surrounds and trying to capture it through the camera. Adding fuel to the fire was some success in a couple of shows…so that has also fuelled my love of picture taking.  I have come to the conclusion that if I could make a living out of taking photographs, I would be in heaven!

Evan continues to run Gallopers which has evolved from a bloodstock site into something completely different – a one stop website with all the racing information that you would ever need to follow the races. Gallopers also has an ever growing popular presence on FB. Evan’s knowledge of horse racing is outstanding and the “Gallopers Good Thing” is running at 50% winning strike-rate  this month.

Matilda

Evan continues to represent successful senior Jockey - Damien Robinson (based in South Australia) and Victorian Apprentice, Chris Pace – who is currently out of action injured.   Evan still gets up in the middle of the night to watch his beloved Liverpool FC – you know, there are something things that will never change!!

So, there you have it in a nutshell… we’re both hoping that 2012 will be a year of new endeavours and a year  of following our passions and hopefully making a living out of the things we love to do.  There will still be dogs and thoroughbreds – hopefully Jimmy is on his way to a comeback after injury and a very long spell and Harry will go out into the racing world and show us the potential that we think he might have. Remembering that there are never ever any givens when it comes to Thoroughbreds – that is one lesson that we both learnt very quickly when we moved to Massie Lodge.

Bessie Merle (minus Christmas getup!)

So, from Evan and I, we wish you all a very happy and family-filled Christmas Day and may 2012 be the year that realises all your dreams and wishes!

It Really Is Getting Close To Christmas…

Today in the mail we received our first Christmas family newsletter today… and I think for the first time in many years I didn’t baulk, raise my eyebrows, or think how totally ‘over-the-top’ it was. I think I actually welcomed the news.

My mother was one of six siblings, she was the only girl and there is no doubt in my mind that she was the black sheep of the family, not because she took my father’s surname nor by the outlandish things that she did, but more by her very strong sense of character and will that made her stand up to her father – who was very strict – but not unlike many of the men of that time.

She passed away in 1998 after a very long battle with a rare form of cancer – but I do truly believe it was on her terms to go when the time came and not the disease – but that was her, a woman truly in control of her life, and her death, and strong in every sense of the word.

I remember vividly having a conversation with her during her illness at the beginning of 1998 - the conversation that no-one wants to have with a loved one who is terminally sick – oh, how we both cried together and hugged each other!! It was the conversation where I told her that it was ok for her to leave.

My mother being the person that she was kept going until her body decided to give up – due to a tumour in her groin that had opened up and had become necrotic, her groin artery burst. My first thought on remembering that memory today was the amount and the bright colour of the blood that had spilled out. The ambulance arriving and then being told in the hospital that I would have to learn how to clamp the artery in case it happened again. While I stayed at the hospital until she was stable, she then sent me home to “clean up” while unbeknownst to me, she organised her departure and I believe it was totally on her terms.

A month or so after her funeral when I was clearing out her room, I remember coming across one of her journals and while at first I felt abit awkward to read her private thoughts, it gave me a huge insight into her when she was a young girl. I wasn’t really that surprised at what I read; her brothers had joked many times about her strong will and assertiveness and to see her words come to life in her large looping handwriting made me understand just who she was, her dreams and what she wanted to do with her life.

Years later I met Evan and my life began.

My uncle once said to me, “You are the spit of your mother” - at the time I didn’t realise the significance of those words… but now I know it’s her strength, will and dogged determination that make me who Iam today.

I caught up with my mother’s extended family finally this year – at the funeral of one my Uncles - and it made me feel so awkward in the realisation that I hadn’t seen these people in years and that it took an “occasion” – albeit a sad one - to be together again.

I still miss my mum and more so at this time of the year - I guess you never really get over losing a parent especially when they are such a strong influence in your young life, but it takes a family occasion like Christmas to bring the memories to the surface again.

Christmas for us this year will be quiet – but that’s ok. We will bring out the Christmas Tree, hang the wreath on the front door and adorn the living room with tinsel. Every year I toy with the idea of Christmas Cards…but usually lack of time dictates and it usually ends up being an e- newsy letter – like the one I received today, figuring that it will mean more than a store bought Christmas Card.

My brother Neil will come up to Massie Lodge and will spend time with Evan and I, the Massie Lodge canines and equines. We will exchange a few presents, eat some good food and drink some good wine – and with all the hype and commercialism that normally surrounds this time of the year, when it comes down to it, to me, this is what the true meaning of Christmas is.

The Greatest Show on Earth

The Life and Times of Massie Lodge

Friday, its taken all week to get here. Im sitting here on the lounge with my laptop on my lap … Ruby (pictured above in her 2011 Christmas photo) is next to me on the right… Matilda on the left. Pikey is on the other lounge nestled in between 2 pillows and snoring… and Bess is just on the other side of the lounge on her bed… making funny wee squeaking noises. Evan is at his computer updating Gallopers… which is really a fulltime job.

I have spent the better part of a couple of hours updating The Black Cockatoo (which has become enormously popular as a News Blog) – it’s inbox generally has about 20-30 emails and news alerts waiting for me every morning – I guess that just shows just how much news is around about Coal Seam Gas mining.

I do have an update to do on Damien’s blog – A Jockey’s Journey – but I will wait to do that. Instead I indulge myself and take a walk amongst the thousands and thousands of blogs which are on the Blogger network. Wow, some of the blogs are outstanding and make mine look, rather plain (lol).

My very good friend was involved in a car accident the other day – they were turning right into their property and there were one or two cars behind them: one of the cars behind them with some young men in it decided to overtake and ended up clipping the front car which had my friend in it. To cut a long story short - they were allegedly speeding – and ended up totalling their car into an electricity pole with the result of a multiple cost of human life.

How fickle is the thread of human life? One minute your alive and busy living it – and then the next minute, through a bad decision or an indecision - you’re not?

Definitely a life changing event. I know that my friend is closely looking at the aspects that make up her life and re-evaluating the parts that make up her every day.

I know it made me stop and think about my life and if anything made me be cranky at myself for my ongoing procrastination on doing the things - and being with the people - that really matter. To help me along I have made a list of the things that I want to do – and it doesn’t matter if Im no good at it. (lol).

LOL – Sorry guys Im not brave enough yet to show the list to anyone, however, Im sure that at some stage I will.

Its been awhile since I have updated the Equine Residents at Massie Lodge:

One of the little yearling colts, Rocky has come up lame today and we’re now waiting for the Eric to come and look at him. Boys will be boys and young colts do play hard. Herman continues to be cute however both boys are now trying it on a little bit but that’s normal for colts.  They still come up to me when I go into their paddock and want some affection... but if you keep your hand there just a little too long...there could be a nip!

 

My beautiful mare, Epiphany (Pip) continues to love her life down the big back paddock with Mazwell. Every day she goes for a swim in the dam and rolls in the mud – it’s one of the special things that I love to watch. She keeps telling me that she wants to get back into twittering (Diary of a Broodmare) as she has a lot to say. Scary! Her two kids, Harry and Pix live next door and they are both looking a treat. I keep telling Harry not to get too attached to paddock life as he still has a racing career ahead of him… Full sister Pix seems to have gotten over her broken neck and is looking fantastic. She just adores Harry… Funny I see Pip hang over their fence and talk to them and all body language indicates that it's with love ..

The two grey boys, Buck Rogers and Northie are a funny pair. Buck Rogers is a big gentle grey giant and Northie – black – and as cheeky as – continues to try and be “the naughty one” except when it comes to getting a scratch behind the ear.. this is the one thing that he loves and will actually stand quiet while you do it. Buck Rogers’ wound continues to heal nicely with the aid of Flint’s Oil.

The 3 ladies down the back, Southern, Nottie and Daisy have the run of 3 big paddocks with 2 dams that provide swimming pleasure for all 3 of them. Both grey ladies have water marks up their bellies...

Jimmy (aka Private James) continues to spell up North and the question mark still remains if he will ever race again.

Iam looking forward to this weekend – my big brother Neil is up for the weekend and it will be great to share some time, eat some good food and drink some good wine with him. We’re both die-hard movie addicts so Im sure we will be watching some dvds or going to the movies over the weekend. I know that Evan will be busy as Damien is riding on Saturday at Morphettville and at Clare on Sunday – so he will be glued to Sky.  There is the thought of Roast Lamb tonight ... baked dinner.. always a favourite in the Robinson household!

So all is well at Massie Lodge. Ruby has flipped over and is now on her back with her feet up in the air demanding a stomach rub.. and who am I to deny her??

To Read or Not To Read?

I had a very interesting question asked to me the other day by a good friend….and for the life of me I couldn’t answer the question.

Why do I read?

And my first response was, “I don’t know, I just enjoy it”.

The next question that was asked of me was, “Are you into E Books?”  To which I responded without a second thought, “Noooooo!!!!”.

I guess there are many reasons why people sit down with a book .  Some people sit down with self-help in mind, hoping to get the right answers about their life so that they find a direction and don’t make any silly mistakes.  Some people may read books to get inspired or they read books about other people doing things that they wish that they could do. Some people read books to beam themselves off into another universe and far away from reality.

I know that Evan rarely reads – he has a book that he takes with him to pass the time of day when he is travelling by plane.  He is still reading this same book: it went to Adelaide in February, to hospital in June and back again to Adelaide in August.  It is currently sitting in his carry on luggage waiting for the next trip.  Ask him and he'll tell you that the reason he hasnt finished the book is because it's crap...

But why do I read?  The chance to disappear into a novel with flamboyant and outrageous characters into exotic locations doing something other than office work is one of my most favourite things to do – not that there is anything wrong with office work (lol) and this has been the same since I was a little girl.  I have spent many, many hours held up on the lounge, or on the back step, or sitting on the side of the large dam way down the back paddock  spellbound by the latest instalment of The Camel Club (David Baldacci), or the latest Kay Scarpetta (Patricia Cornwell) instalment .   I can even be found on the front veranda surrounded by the Massie Lodge canines with the latest Dianne Blacklock novel.  I just love it.

Every night before I go to bed I get out my latest book and try and read a few paragraphs before my eyes close and refuse to re-open until morning.  More often than not my eyes close while I am still trying to read the same sentence for the 3^rd time and  wake up with the light on and the book still open and hour later.  Am I hopeless or what?  But its part of the magic of reading a paperback book!

And what of Book Shops?  I cant tell you how many hours I have spent in my life just browsing through book shops - not always to buy - but just to get up close and personal with all the books, be they new or used.  It would have to be one of my most  favourite things to do.  There is something very cold and calculated about dialling into the World Wide Web to find a book to buy - don't you think?

So why the negativity of E Books? As with buying a book online,  its hardly the same ambience sitting down the back paddock under a big umbrella  staring at an IPad screen scrolling through an electronic book.   I spend too much time as it is staring at my laptop screen when I am working – why should I have to  then do the same to read my beloved books?

To me, there is something very romantic about holding  a book of 900 dog-eared  pages,with the smell of prime paper in your hand with the anticipation of  turning the next page to find out what is going to happen next with the characters who have  become part of your world for the duration.  It’s like you step into the Wardrobe and walk into Narnia – you become part of the story.  Can you do that with an E Book?  I dont this so.  I mean what happens when you get to the important part and you have to recharge???

Its the having the book in your hands, the turning of the pages, its the smell of the paper, its  the fact that sometimes you have to sticky tape the pages back into the binding ...

Ok, I know that for writers E Books are another market to sell their books... but its just not the same is it?  Maybe I'm just an old romantic?

Simply put, I believe its having the book in your hand, being able to fall asleep at night with it after reading a most compelling chapter, its about being able to disappear into a book with the characters - isnt that the magic of books?

Somewhere in the back of my brain there is the thought that I would like to write a book – who knows - hold that thought!

Rapunzel, Rapunzel .....

There is something quite unruly about my hair. 

 I have quite vivid memories of my childhood where my mother would just look at my hair and say “darling, you have such special hair…” and I always wondered what was so special about my very thick, red - curly, wurley hair that was ever a distraction to me while I was growing up. Always on my list to Santa each year would be: 1. Ladies Bike, 2. Ronson Hairdryer with attaching inflatable drying hood and 3. Long straight red hair.

Growing up my hair was the centre of my universe: long or short my friends and I would make an afternoon of trying to straighten my hair and of course it was an exercise in futility: like paper always wins over rock, curls always win over straight hair.

Damn!

My best friend had beautiful straight locks that were the envy of all the girls in our class. It would flow way beneath her shoulders and down her back – in fact we spent many hours in school cutting out her split ends … much to chagrin of all the teachers. She always carried around a special pair of scissors for just this occasion and her ever warning words, “just cut out the split ends and not the good bits” – still ring clear in my mind some thirty years later. By the time we finished year 10, I have to say that I had become a very proficient split-end cutter but what was the chance that I could get employment with that skill?

The cumulative amount of money and time that I would spend at the hairdresser nearly amounts to the National Debt: washed, dried, cut very short with a different colour rat tail, or grown long and braided with pretty coloured ribbons; blonde highlights, dark red highlights – I have tried it all. No wonder my hairdresser was always happy to see me – a full morning spent in the salon followed by the “must” purchase of special anti frizz, protein adding shampoos, conditioners, special colour conditioners, anti frizzing gels, lotions and crèmes – I have tried them all! Mind you, all it took was one step outside the hairdresser’s and gone was my “do” and back came the curls!

Speaking about the trip to the hairdresser: there’s something very scary about letting a new hairdresser loose on your hair with a pair of scissors especially with my hair. More often than not we would discuss what I would like and then you would wait for her or his interpretation of what I wanted. Yikes!  Cup of coffee in hand, I would sit quietly but nervously in my chair looking into the mirror hoping like hell that they wouldn’t notice me staring at every movement of the scissors while sending them special thought messages not to stuff it up.

Ok, I have to admit that I haven’t been to the hairdresser for 10 years – so yes you are right surmising to say that I have taken to cutting (trimming) my own hair and putting a colour into it every now and then.

Even after hours in front of the mirror and with the most expensive anti-frizz cream, Evan still tells me that more days than not I look like the wild woman from Borneo with red curls flying all over the place doing what they feel they must, rather than what I want them to do but that’s ok I have finally realised that my red trusses, albeit messy and wild, are just a part of who I am.

And Evan loves his wild woman from Borneo!

Who Is Going To Win The Melbourne Cup?

One of the best ways to pick a winner, any winner – and it’s a tried and tested method is by one of the following means:-

• Toss a Coin
• By Silk Colours
• By Favourite Jockey

And most importantly …

By Horse name.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ……………….

Someone once asked me how I do my form and I replied with great trepidation. I now had to give away my secret formula of reading the form and I cant pass this information on in detail now otherwise I will have to shoot you.

The Melbourne Cup as you will all know has always been a favourite betting race for all Australians – however this year with there being so many overseas horses with information unknown there will be many snakes and ladders – so punters do take care.

I guess the most important issue I feel is to know is that the horse can actually run the distance. If your horse runs out of gas at the 2500m mark – its all over and he’ll be home with the cab-catchers!! 

Another important factor to me is the jockey – no one knows the nuances of Flemington like the local grown lads. Ok, so you have picked your horse, he has some unknown overseas gentleman riding the horse for the first time at Flemington and more than likely will be sitting 5-wide for the whole trip! Goodbye money!

Barriers. Always, always a contentious issue. You know, if you were running your horse in a maiden at Doomben and you drew Barrier 24 – you would scratch him without a moment’s notice. But, this is the Melbourne Cup, so, if you happen to have drawn 24 in the Melbourne Cup – good luck!! Mind you, Brew did it…

Barriers are a big thing… ask yourself the question… will the jock go forward and use up the much needed gas needed for the sprint home?? Or will he or she go back and slot in? Horses drawn the inside barriers will be taking it easy having a snooze while those from the outside will be whisked like scrambling eggs trying to find a position.

Ok, now looking at the horses themselves…. Will they be wearing any different gear to get them through the 3200m? An example of this would be Americain who will now be sporting Concussion Plates instead of normal racing plates. He might have a jarring up problem… not that they are going to tell us!!

Over to the Overseas Contenders – in fact they all are really with the exception of Older Than Time, Niwot and The Verminator. 

With the overseas contenders one issue to contemplate is, have they been out in the Victorian sunshine competing in races? Statistics show that overseas horses that have done the quarantine thing and are competing in races during the carnival do better than those who haven’t raced in Australia – they’ve settled in, their eating, their racing and can be competitive.

The yard stick to measure the overseas horses seem to be Jukebox Jury, Americain, Dunaden and Drunken Sailor who have spent the last couple of months competing against each other overseas.

Jukebox Jury has beaten all of these horses during this time. However, in saying that, the question still remains, has Jukebox Jury settled in and acclimatised?? How do we know as he hasn’t raced since arriving in Australia?

One thing that sticks out like the proverbial is that Niwot can run and win at the distance. He has a strong local jock to steer, has a half way decent barrier and is being trained by Team Hawkes – who takes no prisoners ( remember Malucky Day who ran 2^nd last year in the Cup after winning the Lexus – and coincidentally just like Niwot).

Ok, the 64,000 question …. Who is going TOWIN??

Whatever you want TOWIN, I hope it does go on TOWIN for you.

Mmmmm…. now, where is that coin??