6th March

Had a man here to advise us on putting in a menage (fenced, surfaced area for schooling horses) Looks like the top of Bottom Field will be the best place to site it - there'll be a lot of digging out to make a flat area though.
Still, it will add value to the property and give Kathy somewhere safe to exercise the horses
Lexie is STILL frightened of the sheep - although I have a suspicion she is using it as an excuse now.
The farrier is due tomorrow - really nice guy. Very good farrier (for those who don't know - a farrier is a horseshoe fitter. Like a blacksmith, but only shoes horses!)

I have made a personal promise to myself. I must start losing some weight, and here in Devon I have no excuse not to exercise. The steep hill in the lane should be enough to shed lbs in days! *laugh*

Anyway, my promise is to walk up the lane every day - and I mean walk, not amble! Yesterday I got as far as the gate in Middle Field (half way up the hill) but was puffing like a steam engine. Today I reached the same spot without having to slow down to get my breath. I'll do this every day until I can reach that point without needing oxygen :-) then repeat the process by going a little further.

You never know, by the end of the year I might be able to walk the entire 1 mile distance into the village!

We are also going to join High Bullen Country Club http://www.highbullen.co.uk/ so I can take advantage of their swimming pool and do my rather good impression of a whale!

I also went down to the bottom of Bottom Field to pick a few more of the daffodils. Yet another disagreement with another set of brambles (see yesterday's diary entry) The wretched things were strangling the daffs!

I will be taking more photos soon - but I managed to drop my camera the other day (onto the tiled kitchen floor - of course!) It promptly broke. So I have a new camera. Just have to work out how to use it.

Why do they have to make simple things like a simple idiot-proof camera so bl**dy difficult to use!