'The Naming of The Hare'

The children returned to school this morning after a wonderful half term week, one of those times that remain in your memory for always. The sun has shone gloriously, and we have picnicked amongst bluebells, while dangling our toes in the river, we have walked over hills with friends and sunbathed while children spent hours climbing tors and scrabbling under rocks looking for treasure. Eldest daughter has set out on her own, with her beloved pony Matthew, pack lunch on her back, to meet friends and play, while I have pottered around the lanes and the open moor with smaller children and a motley collection of bikes and dogs and ponies. This is truly bliss! In amongst this I clutched sewing needles and sticks and endeavoured to finish mounting quilts in time for the exhibition. It's done! The exhibition is up, in the Courtyard Cafe , Chagford, until the end of June, so do pop by if you are in the area, or pass the word on to anyone who may be interested. They serve delicious cakes ( gluten free) and hot chocolate!

'Sleeping Hare'
I managed one last tiny painting to join the others. It is approximately 6 by 4 inches. I will try and get in with my camera over the next couple of days, as the quilts look quite different now they have been mounted and hung.

And now for a brief 'proud mother' moment! This is my young son, who at 6 years old completed the Chagford Two Hills race in blistering sun shine on Bank Holiday Monday. This is a gruelling race up the face of Meldon hill, (shown in picture below) down, and back up Nattadon hill (where the shot was taken from). It is a total climb of 1076 feet and is fractionally under three and a half miles. He did it in 58 minutes , which is brilliant! I have never run the Two Hills Race, even in my fit teenage years, and I am just bursting with pride!

And here is my baby, Sandpiper, maturing into a beautiful filly. She is three now, and I just adore her. I had originally thought I would back her this summer, but I now think I will leave it a year, as I think she still has some growing to do. Native pony breeds mature more slowly than horses, and though she has plenty of bone, I expect her to get much greater depth of chest, and to generally broaden, so I think I will stick with ground work this summer.

Still playing catchup!

Oooh, it's been two weeks since I posted here! I am sorry - I have been out and about, busy as a bee in this glorious sunny weather. I did manage to take my sewing with me yesterday to my Mother's house where we had a lovely high tea, with cousins and aunts and lots of small children. We drank copious amounts of tea, ate rather too much cake, and basked in the late afternoon sunshine while all the children raced around the garden. What more could you ask for on Mother's Day?

I also took the opportunity to try and tidy Piper up. She has been running wild all winter with the other youngsters, and is beginning to get a little too big for her boots. Her raggle taggle mane was down to her shoulders, and she looked very wild ( but rather elegant too). I trimmed her up, but have to own that I don't think I have done her any favours. With her forelock in a newly banged fringe, and her long fluttering eyelashes, she has a definate look of the 'Snork Maiden' about her. ( And, you know, the Snork Maiden was always my least favourite of Tove Jansson's characters - she was altogether too manipulative and simpering!)

I've also been working my scanner and printer hard. After all the moaning I did about the way my scanner picks up pencil lines, I have to give it credit for it's reproduction of watercolours. I have making prints of the two Hare studies, and they are just gorgeous! Rich in colour, and every line sharp and clear. I am off to list them in the Etsy shop now!
Finally, I have been lucky enough to be showered with blog awards in the last few weeks. Thankyou so much to everyone who gave me one, I am truly honoured, and I really do appreciate it. I simply have been running just to catch up with myself recently. I promise to get to the awards in the next post :)

Snowy Days

This is the reason there has been no painting of late. The daily chores seem to take up most of the day in this weather! Luckily the ponies all seem fairly content to be out in the snow, as long as they have plenty of hay to eat. As you can see, little Austin is so well insulated with his Highland coat that the snow just settles on his back without melting. It doesn't appear to bother him in the least.

Me, I'm pretty well insulated too, but it's hot work hauling hay around the fields!

Piper and Hazel too, are in full winter woolies.

Even the children are doing their bit to help. You can never have enough logs for the fire.
Thankfully it seems to be thawing out. There is more heavy snow predicted for this afternoon, but I find it hard to believe - it's too mild out there, and I suspect it is more likely to come as rain.

My Christmas Present arrived!

Oooh, I got such a treat in yesterdays post! I was really rather naughty after christmas, and spent my meagre savings on some artwork! I ordered 3 prints from some of my most favourite artists, and the first one arrived today. It is from Karen, and I am absolutely thrilled with it. I have long been coveting a piece of her work, and one day will be back for more. The owl print perhaps?
The other prints are coming from across the pond, and I will show you when they arrive. Now I have to frame them, but I had a good rummage at Proper Job, the local recycling centre, a couple of days ago, and came back with a bundle of old picture frames, all with good glass in them, just in need of a good clean. I can get new mounts cut, and use these. ( Mount cutting is something I have never got to grips with. I have a mount cutter of my own, but it STILL goes wonky, and I end up swearing at it )

The ground has been frozen solid for days, and Marlene and Piper are glad of their hay. Piper has a wonderful double coat that means she is completely unfazed by the weather. Even driving sleet seems not to penetrate it and she, alone of them all, stands out in the middle of the field in the worst of it. It must be her Highland blood. Marlene too has a thick woolly coat, but as rain is our usual fare down here in Devon, I tend to rug all the riding ponies in the winter. Time is always too short to stand them in and dry them off for hours before we can saddle them. This cold snap is unusual, though welcome. If it carries on for much longer, water may be a problem though.

Red is the only one who really needs a rug - his coat is thin, and we are high up and exposed here. He always chooses to stand in his barn in the rain!

Dont forget, there is still plenty of time to sign up for the ACEO print giveaway in the next post! Don't feel shy - the more, the merrier!