Phew - busy week!

Wow - last week went by in a blur and it looks as though this week will be the same!

Sunday - went for the first ride on my new horse Zorro - touted as the most wonderful quiet horse, good for giving you confidence etc - well he hopped, skipped and jumped and trotted like a maniac and would not stop - not quite what I had envisaged. Have cut down on his concentrates to see if that makes a difference - will wait and see!

On Monday night - I went on my first neighbourhood watch patrol - I had forgotten about it until someone ding-donged at the gate to deliver the equipment - bullet proof vests, batons, lights etc. Boy those vests are heavy - once I had one on and was behind the wheel it would have needed a crane to move me! It is not very stimulating I must say. driving around in the dark - Paula and I chatted but there is a limit to how much one can say. Glad when it was 11 and time for the handover. The next session is from 2-5 in the morning so not looking forward to that!

On Thursday It was Elizes matric dance - and we loaded up the carriage and horsebox and drove to Vereeniging - luckily it didn't rain unrtil we were back at the box - having dropped her off at the red carpet! Wow, there were jags, limo's, a model T-ford and us! Womble was a bit hesitant about walking into the crowd of popping flashbulbs and people so Johan led him the last bit. At least Womble is sensible - doesn't leap around and run away - just stands and says " I'm not sure about this.... do I really have to walk on? " Sam dressed to match me and we looked very smart!

Then the next morning it was up with the larks and off to Graaf Reinet for the Alpaca Society AGM. What a really great weekend! Met others at the guesthouse and we all went out to dinner together - very nice place in the Chocolate art gallery - some really lovely pictures that I would have loved to have bought - and lovely food too!

The AGM took up the whole of the Saturday and we had 3 gueast speakers first - bit of a hitch when we could not find a screen but we got one in the end! Then the AGM went smoothly and we finished at 5.30 - a very long day! Lovely to see everybody again and the catering was good.

And then another lovely lovely dinner with fantastic food (and company) at the Kliphuis - highly recommended! A late night!

Sunday - we wento to visit a farm to watch alpacas herding sheep - unfortunately they were more interested in us rather than doing their job but it was interesting to see them anyway - the farms here are enormous - 5000 and 8000 hectares! Then off to see other alpacas on a historical farmstead and I fell in love with a little lamb. As we went into the field all these little bottlefed lambs rushed over to us and when you picked them up they just nestled under your chin and settled down - so sweet.... finally left at 1.30 - a long drive back and home at about 11.30 - but what a wonderful, full, friendly weekend it had been - I am so lucky to meet such people.

Then back to work this week - Lass looks at though she is about to foal at any minute so that is keeping me on my toes. I have my patrol on Thursday (actually Friday) from 2-5 and then Sam is going trick or treating on Friday night - we are a stop off point so we need to decorate the gate as well! Now what happened to that plastic skeleton with the light in its head.....