(Apologies for the lack of pictures - smashed my phone and have lost them all!)
So, part of being an English girl in LA I suppose, is the
trips to and from Europe to visit family and friends! I have no problem
travelling and actually still enjoy flying so 11 hours on a plane isn’t the
worst thing in the world for me.
My flight to England was uneventful, faithful Keith our
local, lovely taxi driver was ready and waiting to collect me (Keith even took
me to my wedding!) and I got to stay with my good friend Rebecca Walker when I
arrived. We headed straight back out the door as soon as I’d put my bags down
to go to our local pub for the monthly open mic night. It was a great night and
they even managed to fit me in for a quick song on short notice! It was lovely
to see so many familiar faces.
The next day I crammed in a hack around Hodgemoor on my
adopted steed, William, the ginger ninja, who was a pleasure as always, a quick
stop at Moorwards to say hi to all the equines and Lauren, Jenna and the rest
of the team there. It was a pleasant surprise to also get to see my dear friend
Sue Hale, who happened to be there, and who drew the priceless pencil portraits
of my two boys for me. A quick cup of tea and a catch up with Rob Waine, who
will be visiting me in the states next month, and then off to Snowball farm to
support Louise Gardner who I used to teach and her horse Blondie, in the Riding
Club Team One Day event Qualifier. They finished 2nd in the juniors!
All in all, a busy but great day back in bucks!
Early the next morning, I was on a plane to France. I cannot
tell you how excited I was to see Peroni. Obviously I’d missed my family
especially my youngest sister Chloe, but before I came to LA, I was used to
seeing Peroni once if not twice a day, and we’ve spent a lot of time together
and built up a very strong bond.
I was over the moon to see how well he looked and how happy
he is with his little friend Pedro the donkey! It was lovely to have the
opportunity to work on a few things with him, such as lowering his head and
getting him really comfortable with my arm and hand over his neck and down
between his ears which is something he’s always struggled with. He’s also
getting much better with having his ears touched, and we’ve been practising
with the fly mask also! He had lots of TLC and grooming, he had a bath and his
mane and fetlocks trimmed and we’ve been on some walks and practised our ground
work. Although it’s been two months, it felt like it was yesterday we were
playing the 7 games at Kevin’s yard in England, and he remembers the games as
clearly as if it were!
Pedro the donkey finally had his castration now that the
stables were up to protect the wound from the flies during the hot weather. We
managed the first part standing although half way through, despite our efforts,
Pedro decided to lay down for the second part. Let me tell you, as small as he
may be, he is deceptively heavy! Pedro recovered well and seems to have
forgiven us, although as yet, his little op hasn’t stopped his urge to mount
Peroni! Thankfully Peroni has never seemed to mind and just continues to graze!
It’s hilarious to watch!!!
It’s also been nice to spend some time with Hero, my Mum’s
horse, who I looked after for the first year in England. I love him so much,
especially his occasional cheeky streak and we’ve had a great time gallivanting
or plodding around the French countryside with Chloe. He’s even turned into a
bit of a “matchy matchy” diva with his bling bridle and matching saddlecloth/
fly fringe sets!!!
The cats were finally let outside under my watchful eye and
all worries were alleviated. Mostly they just like to sleep in the sunshine and
have a great time, chasing field mice and lizards. They are in cat heaven I
think.
I also whipped up a few dinners whilst I was there to give
the family a break from cooking. We enjoyed, fluffy pancakes and homemade
cottage pie and fresh fish to name but a few of the lovely meals we’ve shared.
10 days later I was on a plane back to the UK. Another quick
ride straight from the airport on William, this time with great company in the
form of my good friend Christine on Harley. I met Christine at Moorwards where
I used to teach her and she is now a proud member of Kevin’s crew at Highclere
Farm, with her own clicker and everything. Sometimes I feel we could chat for
hours we get on so well.
Rebecca kindly put me up for another night, and we even
managed to take some time just to sit outside in the sunshine and chat. Rebecca
is one of my very best friends and although we might not call each other all
the time, were close on a level that we can talk about anything and always seem
to pick up right where we left off. It was nice to help her at her yard, which
is where a used to keep Guinness before her passed away and it was almost
comforting that many of the routines were still the same.
An arduous journey to Brighton on the coach followed (I
won’t bore you with the details but it was long and stressful) and I finally
got to spend some time with my boy, Joshua. We had the whole weekend together
and it felt like old times. We did many of the things we did when he was
younger including arcade games on the pier, Laserzone and of course, dinner at
Donatello’s, Joshua’s favourite Italian restaurant. As much as we talk on the
internet it, I was really grateful to be physical close to him and even though
he’s 12, he’s not embarrassed to hold my hand and he gives the best hugs.
It was all over too quickly and before I knew it I was back
on the plane to Los Angeles. Although I’ve had a great time, I always miss
David terribly when we’re apart, but I think it’s good for me and him to do things
separately sometimes. I often get scared on my own, when I have to do things
I’m unsure of (like getting the coach to Brighton!) but I feel proud of myself
when I do even if it feels like I have to force myself sometimes. David is so
worldly and confident it can be all too easy to rely on him all the time and
being able to do more things for myself makes for a healthier relationship. It
also reminds me how lucky I am to have him.
