Time For Change!

So with the autumnal equinox having occurred on the 22nd September, it's that time of year when the countryside begins to change as we prepare for Harvest! The golden leaves are simply a sign of things to come... Change is a recurrent theme in my day to day life at the moment and something I've not always been comfortable with, but as the seasons change I think it's time we embrace our changes (good or bad) too! 

  

Just under a month ago, my family lost one of it's kindest, most caring and compassionate members when we had to have Coco put to sleep. Having had Coco from birth and when I was only six, we'd grown up together having a stronger bond than most humans! For my mum and myself she was our heart dog, the animal we truly connected with. She had been through everything with us, an abusive home life to endless fields for her to bound through; she even starred in a published story (written by yours truly!). It was a wrench loosing her, but from the day we left our previous situation, she had it all! Coco spent her days pottering between my Grandparent's house and our annex, making sure she had ample food at both residences and a chance each day to run through the fields smiling from ear to ear! I blame Coco for my love of animals and passion for caring for them as she's definitely one of the contributing factors to my interest in veterinary work... 

Loosing her is a change, a big one, but one that must be embraced. As we embark on a big locational move and change ourselves, I feel I must learn slightly from Coco, the old, wise lady she was and take everyday as it comes and look for the beauty in it. Right now? It's the sun, sitting over the fields and showing every single shade of green there is. I think farming and working on the land highlights change, making you realise that in fact it's a very natural happening; it's not scary, it's exciting and productive. Thank you Coco, we love you always.

I know it's often easier for other people to tell you to look for the positive in each day, even if it's only you got through it! Something as simple as finishing work, making a bloody good brew, having the realisation that at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what people think as long as you are the best you can be or coming across someones status on Facebook that really made you chuckle (probably for all the wrong reasons!), are little things to help you through big changes. 

As the countryside around us changes, grasp it with both hands!

Keep an eye out for the next blog post, all about bringing the autumnal outside in!

Bye for now,

     

May We Remember Them Always

I know, I know... I promised to blog more and have so far failed *smacks back of wrist*. A hectic few weeks seems to have turned into a hectic few months following what seems to be a hectic few years! 

Now a fitting blog topic... I was having a stroll through the fields thinking about what to write about next and really there was only one option. It's not cheerful, but it's important and I just couldn't bypass the subject. I've pushed other things back to focus on the events 100 years ago. 

Fear, rippled through the ranks.
Through men's limbs. Into our flanks.
But, steady, courageous, facing battle again.
An awesome silence enveloped them then.

We stamped our hooves. We felt it too.
We spoke as only horses do.
With chinking harness, snort and wicker,
With frightened eyes, and ears a-flicker.

Then "Forward! Forward!" Into battle,
To canon boom and machine gun rattle.
With thundering hooves and shouts and screams
Through blinding smoke to nightmare scenes.

And still we galloped on and on
And still the battle wasn't won.
Through shrapnel, shell holes, rifle fire,
In mindless panic to barbed wire.

Now riderless, I mustered strength
And stretched my jump to its full length
To clear the wire of no-man's lands
And reach the woods in enemy hands.

Stricken with terror, I blundered on
Till the noise of the shelling was long gone.
Past ruined homes and fields of mud.
Past trenches with the stench of blood.

Now alone, I reach a river
And halt beside it, all a-shiver.
I drink its coolness, shake my mane.
Will anything ever be the same?

Where are the bundles of fresh sweet hay?
Where is the straw where I once lay?
Where is the farm where I lived and grew?
Where are the people I loved and knew?

© to Brenda Williams

This poem struck a cord with me as I'm sure it did with any other equestrian or come to mention it, human being. Two days ago, we plunged our farm into darkness with only two candles burning. That night we remembered them, one candle inside for those who gave their lives and one in front of Milo's stable, for the horses and animals that were so pivotal to the war effort. 

Learning how to mount before battle

WW1 saw aviation, tanks and poison gas used in combat for the first time, but our true and most vital weapon was the humble horse. More than a million horses were taken with thousands more being shipped every week, it's scary isn't it? If so many horses were needed to replace those that had perished, think about the men needed to replace those that had fallen, over 15% of the equine army perished every year. The men were brave, but the horses even more so, they had one man to trust, one man telling them to fight their natural instincts and run and one man to comfort them when they fell. 

I'm proud of my family and their part in the war. My Great Great Uncle was the vet to 'the' War Horse whilst my Great Grandfather fought. Every one should be proud. Our pride means we can never forget what people and animals did for us and in order for our lives to continue as they do today. It's easy to say Lest We Forget, but take a moment to think what your lives would be like if you lived 100 years ago. My Milo would be an enlisted equine, my partner would be fighting and I'd be working on the land helping feed the nation. 

We remember those who toiled in the Battlefields 100 years ago to Save a nation.

So do we remember those who toiled in the Fields 100 years ago to Feed a nation.

Once you've thought what you'd or your relatives have been doing 100 years ago, think what you're doing now. Let it allow you to be grateful, to be proud and to remember, remember them always. 

A True English Country Garden

So the last week saw us scouting out areas for our up coming house move and boy did we find some beautiful places... we'll ignore the not so pretty ones!

Staying at my Auntie's allowed us three days surrounded by the stunning Somerset countryside in the village of Pitney. With it's winding roads, apple orchards and village culture, it just had to feature in this blog. Every garden seemed to epitomise an English Country Garden right down to the climbing roses encasing the fronts of houses. With my farming roots, it was heaven, tractors sitting in the fields, horses hacking (safely!) on the road... did I mention 'The Half Way House'. An Inn screaming with country character! Award winning Ale says it all! So after a few days of waking up to singing birds and horse hooves on the road it was time to embark on our mission... MI6 styley! 

True Country Garden in Pitney, Somerset

On our journey we came across Clovelly, a cobbled village that's too steep for cars so every house has a sledge for groceries... cute! In times past, donkeys were used to take things down (literally!) the village, but now the clovelly donkeys only come out when it's not raining! The gallery is definitely worth a visit, affordable pieces that are so unique and pretty, it allows you to take the seaside home with you! And the sea food shop! Yum... so much yum! 

Personally, I think we completed our job pretty well! We have found the area that we will eventually relocate to! It's stunning, fields around, and around a quarter of an hour from golden sand and surf beaches! Beautiful.

Cobbled Streets of Clovelly

No one would think, it's taken me over three hours to write this... whoops, maybe ladies... we can't multi task after all. I definitely can't learn song words for a cabaret with Melodia on Wednesday, (this sentence alone took a while... I got side tracked watching Jonathan Pryce's American Dream), sort out a farrier visit, and make dinner! 

Common Sight in the Fields of Somerset

Anyway, I better go and do one job at a time... I've disappointed myself with my inability to not get distracted...

Speak soon my country lovers!

With 

A Phoenix from the Flames

My Grandfather is the typical country man, going gooey eyed over a tractor, but to say he likes vintage is an understatement. His tractors must be older than him... he's 76! 

Four years ago we had one of the worst things happen that could to a farm, our barn went up in smoke luckily it was stopped before it spread to stables and the house. What was the cause? The oldest of his bloody tractors, sparking from the engine. 

Now my poor Grandmother hadn't seen my Grandfather for a few hours when she saw the smoke from the barn, if you know Bompa, you'll know he often goes for a wander and as you can imagine she panicked and went out to search for him. 

With fire engines on the way, J.K was getting increasing worried. What she saw next didn't help the situation, my Grandfather... riding out on his oldest tractor... which was itself on fire. 

Apparently he just didn't have the heart to let it burn! I swear living with him gives me heart palpitations... It was quite a picture I must say. Like a phoenix from the flames! 

Until this day he still insists on using it, 'it's fine' he yells as he's half way down the field with the door hanging off. I quite often look out of the window for a break from blog writing to see it on it's side in a ditch with him dangling out of the doorless contraption because he simply 'tried to pull that broken bloody tree down and all I did was slide in with it!' Only for his friend to come and pull Phoenix out of the ditch with a nice shiny new tractor... 'wouldn't you like one of those Bompa?' Oh well, at least the birds who have made their home in the corner of the tractor roof still have a house... 

Anyway... Must go and get Milo in, or Moose as he's often called. 

Bye for now, with 

On A Crisp Autumnal Morning

Waking up to the layer of frost covering the land and the stillness of the animals makes me remember just why I love the autumn. The beautiful coloured leaves that litter the ground and the chill that makes your nose go red! Being a photographer I relish this season, taking advantage of the morning sun shining  through the trees to capture some beautiful, unique and stunning shots, some of which have been featured in magazines such as the 'Cheshire Life'.

'The Golden Tree'

'Nature's Buffet'

'The Horizon Line'

'Frosted Leaves

'Colour of Nature'

Personally, I think the best way to capture the stunning side of nature and the countryside is to take natural shots, sometimes a posed shot is needed but most of my images are simply as I find them. I also think that having an animal in shot or some sort of focal point, whether this be a centre shape for example the sun or area of light, is important. I also tend to work on the rule of three, a handy tip for any aspiring photographer. Each photo of mine can be split into three sections which all balance each other out, this is explicitly shown on the Colour of Nature picture, as you see the bottom third is darker with few leaves, the middle third is brighter with less leaves and the top third in order to balance the others is as bright as the middle but with more leaves consequently creating a pathway for your eye to follow through the picture. 

The countryside lends itself beautifully when being a subject of photography is concerned. You can capture the ice that may only last five minuets when the sun appears for a lifetime through a lens. The next frosty morning we have, I urge you to throw on your dressing gown and grab your camera, go and see what beauties you can capture!

Please keep reading my blog, every page view means a lot and feel free to comment a subject or topic you would like me to cover in my next instalment. 

But for now, speak soon with

Talk To The Animals

I think it's safe to say that I've always been a horse crazy girl, since I first set my eyes on my Grandparent's Shetland Pony nearly nineteen years ago! I'd sit on a bucket and sing to her, groom her and sneak her a cheeky carrot so Tipsy was clearly to blame for the fact that 'A HORSE' was at the top of my christmas list every year. I started riding when I was about eleven and progressed pretty quickly to riding strong scopey hunters. 

Thanks to my mum, this was the year dreams came true, sorry about the cliche, but as I sit here typing, Milo my 16hh, four year old, Irish Draught x Welsh Cob is grazing away (and probably doing something he shouldn't be...) in the field. 

He's quite a looker and he knows it, posing at passers by with his ears pricked. He's only been here a week but it's clear he's quite cheeky... I've just looked out of the window to see his head over the fence with half of my grandmother's plants in his mouth... 'Oh No Milo' is a phrase we hear quite often! His character shall we call it makes him him and it's safe to say I love him already! 

'Oh No Milo! Not The Leeks!'

Anyway, enough about the big boy, now for you to meet the terrible twosome, my 'pet' sheep even though they act more like dogs! My partner and I rescued them as lambs from awful conditions under the care of a so called shepherd, cold stale milk, unclean bedding and highly infectious diseases floating around the air meant we just had to get them out and when four out of the six hand reared lambs died it was the final straw. Well enough of the morbid stuff, Little G and Dot are having the best life they could imagine. I understand they're only sheep but when you see the bond they have created due to the experiences that they have had it truly is incredible. They never stray more than five feet away from each other and run to their mummy whenever their scared. I spent about an hour just stroking them on bonfire night as they legged it up the field to me at the gate! Just call me Little Bo Peep! 

The dogs need a whole post to themselves! Keep checking out my blog for some country kitchen classic next time as I got busy making... there was flour everywhere but we'll keep that quiet! 

Anyway, bye for now, with 

      

A True Country Girl

Having blogged lots in the past for work purposes I decided why not blog about something you love? Brilliant idea, I'll blog about farming and the beautiful world around us with the little things that people so often miss. I adore the country side, the wilderness and the untouched landscape and living on a farm with a horse outside my window and sheep grazing on the land just fuels this passion! Most other 19 year olds would rather watch TOWIE or X Factor than the hay being baled, but not me, I'm a true country girl *Rushes to dig out the Cowboy Hat*.  

One of my favourite places to visit has to be Wheelock Farm Shop, although it seems pretty dangerous for the bank balance, where they effortlessly display the best of the crop like this beacon of huge bright orange pumpkins! With new housing estates popping up out of the blue, it's hard to sometimes remember the simplicity of what was and what the land under the houses once offered us like this beautiful selection of tasty apples... Don't get me wrong I love sweeties but that's a true pick 'n' mix! 

The aim of my blog is to capture the true old fashioned life style of agriculture through the eyes of someone with farming in their blood. Keep checking out my blog and I hope you enjoy what is to come... but for now I must go and muck out the stable... I think this may be one of the small things that I'm not a fan of when concerning the country side... 

Bye for now, with