New challenges

Day one of the new year and a new challenge, the when you're out you're in challenge where in light of how rubbish 2020 was for some 2021 focuses more on wellbeing and getting outdoors. Nutters can also take on the bigger challenge once outdoors of doing something different a running 1km day one 2km day 2 until by day 31 you will have run 496 kms in the month. Just my sort of challenge. 

So the 1km today was slightly longer than that but that was because there was a purpose to it.

Yours truly decided that apart from exercising as a family with supporting K9s

and testing bridges for trolls,

the best way to see in a new year 

was to go for a swim in the river

which was bracing to say the least. The biggest problem was not the cold but finding a place deep enough to swim as our pool under the tree (tree fell into river a while back, go find it) has filled with gravel so no enthusiastic launches off the bank any more.

The dumper truck we used to clear the yard is still there.... just where I left it. 
 

Daylight hours

 The days are getting longer, thankfully, and I do love this time of year when the sun sets, albeit too soon, at the end of our lane. This happens to coincide with the new year. So, Happy New Year dear reader. 2021 is going to be a good year. 

The day the earth moved

A combination of too many horses, too many horse poohs, water and gravity has turned the yard into a horrific mess that one man and his wheelbarrow is no match for.

Thankfully yours truly has access to weapons of mass pooh removal 

which is why on a really not fit to be outdoors day yours truly and Mr Digger ably assisted  by Keeeeef 

spent many a happy hour moving tons of horse/donkey/shitland doings from the yard, the runway and the shelters. 

Attention then turned to the tree stump (to see the origin of the tree stump you have to go back to 2012 postings) but since then it has sat doing nothing useful next to the stable.

 
Pronto took time off from adding to the pile of doings that required big boys toys to remove to watch what happened to his wooden neighbour.

First the digger gave it a bit of a nudge, then a shove, then a pull

and before you could say that big tree stump has been in the way since 2012 it was on its side like a defeated WWW contestant less spandex pants. 

The digger then turned its jaws onto the task and 

to the appreciation of the gathered audience

there it was, gone. 

This then led to a not of a discussion as to what to do next and as the digger was there it seemed rude not to make use of its incredible power and so it dug up several mote ton of the smallholding so the dumper could move it somewhere else. The size of the rocks moved were incredible and impossible to move without thousands of helpers and the liberal use of whips. Luckily the digger negated the need for all that and the rocks were moved 

some 300 metres uphill to shore up the sides of the track to the field. 

When he thought no one was looking the apprentice tried his hand at dumper driving, thankfully his mum was no where near to see and suffer a nervous breakdown.

RRMK2 got all creative in the seam of grey clay we found, this is a strange looking goo and unfortunately wont make our fortune as the blue grey clay has too many stones in and when fired changed to a dull brick red colour. It does make a nice slip tho but at this stage is too advanced to explain to RRMK2 so for now he's content with getting filthy. 

End of play (this is next day) saw a brand new super clear yard .
 If only we could keep it this way!

Its snow time

 

Technology fails again and for whatever  reason the blog gremlins have published this set of pictures last picture first, but the text remains the right way round. 

Blessed with time and space for a few days the arrival of a few flakes of snow at the upper levels 

meant that yours truly had no choice other than to take the boys up to Hergest for a snowball fight 

and a chance to see the world a different colour.

Fortunately we got to the top just as the last rays of the sun said goodbye and 

cast a warm glow over the frozen hands.

It must be noted that hat scarves and gloves were recommended attire of the day but this was ignored in the frantic rush to get outside 

so frostbite did limit the number if snowballs thrown 

but good fun was had by all

and back at the ranch we all warmed up with hot chocolate

topped with squirty cream and mini marshmallows. 

Well it is Christmas 

and they were frozen.

No batteries required

The apprentice and rug rat mk2 had a plethora of presents from our wonderful friends and family which is why it seemed to yours truly that most of Christmas day and Boxing say was spent inserting batteries into various bits of plastic and pairing up various radio controllers with various toys and then calming dogs/cats/birds down after any number of radio control cars and drones added to the festive experience. 

Having extracted one particularly stressed dog from a drone (it landed on her and then got entangled in her tail) a temporary ban was placed on anything that required battery power. 

Which is why the apprentice and RRMK2 spent the best part of 2 hours constructing this marble maze which was .... wait for it .... amazing :) and oh so quiet....
 

While you were sleeping ....

Will.I.Am has mastered the technique of door handles...... which is why his fat arse is sticking out of the annex early doors. The reason for this equine incursion becomes apparent when you see what goodies lie within this Aladdin's cave of hoarded treasures. 

 Damage this time, one bale of stable shavings, two bags of horse nuts opened and spilled, one sack of pig nuts ditto and a sack of chicken feed scattered liberally over the kayak. Once the fat pony had been extracted from the building the results of his naughtiness were swept up and fed to the pigs who thanked him profusely leading yours truly to suspect a conspiracy.....

I've been hit!!!

Perils of pre Christmas bargain hunting are many, Covid, trolley rage, adults dressed as elves....

and myopic van drivers who fail to see a large blue and mud coloured 4x4 parked behind him. 

First glance was oh its not so bad, second look oh my small gods of insurance claims its down to the metal. Still at least he had the decency to wait and tell me he had done it. 
 

Whatever the weather

Storm Bella blew the cobwebs away a few days back so yours truly and the apprentice decided to take a cadburys snack size up the bonsai mountain and see what Bella had to bring to the party. 

Sheepskull lane had a new recruit and a makeover, not sure if we had disturbed any trainee druids, dark ritual or someone with a strange idea of sheep anatomy but rest assured dear reader the poor beasts remains now rest in pieces. 

Mrs Bear as ever took on the job of safeguarding the young one.

He saved the world by pressing the button at fiveways (new ocd ritual yours truly cant walk past a footpath post without pressing it like a button, failure to do so means the world will end)

Shadow being just that.

Mrs Bear braving the wind.

Snack size choc bar time at summit refuels the sense of humour.

Heading home. Storm Bella was weak, look forward to the next one.