There is not much to write about today, we sat outside Pets for Us, or some such place, because it did not open till 10.30 LS moaning about how religion affects us to the smallest degree. Did point out that it was Sunday and a day of peace, the hordes had yet to arrive at Chelmer Village outlet, and so we watched a man get out of his taxi car, unload a heavy ruck sack or two. The other ruck sack was for this enormous brown and white husky type dog which also jumped out the car, which he strapped onto the back of the dog. Now you don't see that very often in crowded Essex.
I wanted some wild bird seed, Asda had run out and my dove was complaining about lack of food. What the birds are going to do when we move, heaven knows, and I have brought plenty of seeds to leave and even written a note to the new owners about feeding my little crowd of feathered friends.
Do love the constant battering of Blatter, and although I won't show it, this from the Observer this morning summed up a lot of people's feeling. Tomorrow is the 30 year old anniversary of the 'Battle of the Beanfield', written by one hippy - Tim Vince - who seemed to have made 'good' i.e. money.....
To return to gypsies, which I haven't actually talked about but Weaver of Grass mentioned the local horse fair in her corner of the world. Gypsy horses are always to be found grazing on forgotten pieces of land, here it is the water meadows by the river. I sometimes fear that horses that do not make the grade get eaten, or sent over to France which is sad..
To return to gypsies, which I haven't actually talked about but Weaver of Grass mentioned the local horse fair in her corner of the world. Gypsy horses are always to be found grazing on forgotten pieces of land, here it is the water meadows by the river. I sometimes fear that horses that do not make the grade get eaten, or sent over to France which is sad..
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| Long gone but a favourite, think he must have been the stallion for the herd |
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| the horses always loved it under the cool green of the willows |
I love those horse photographs Thelma - they always look so sad and unloved don't they? The farmer tells me that fly-grazing is now illegal. I always felt that leaving them tethered was awful - they need to be free to have a gallop in a field, not tied on the roadside.
ReplyDeleteWe feed the birds both winter and summer and have a huge following. My daughter in law fed them while we were away. When I see the parent birds dashing hither and thither feeding the babies I know that we give them a helping hand.
Morning Pat, It is sad to see horses and ponies neglected, though I think these horses are at least looked after somewhat.
ReplyDeleteWill miss my birds but there is a new set living in the church yard next door to cultivate.
The "grading" for gypsy horses is lots of feathering (from fetlocks to feet) - like your photo of the black stallion, who has lots and undoubtedly goes back to using a Shire stallion or mare somewhere in his ancestry - and a good colour. They like them piebald or skewbald or more solid roaning with lots of splashes of white on belly etc ("Blagdon" markings). The most colourful will be kept within the community - any others sold for the best price regardless of fate, but many go for riding horses to us gorgios.
ReplyDeleteWhere I grew up in Southampton, many of the gypsy ponies (well, Diddakoi is more like) were tethered - no shelter, no water quite often.
I don't feed my birds in the summer as the RSPB say not to, but I know many people do.
Hi Jennie, always knowledgeable on horses ;). They are pretty the piebald, not sure what colour skewbald is, you see them all round the country, and not just with the gypsies. I suspect you are right about feeding birds in the summer, they get too 'soft', but my doves are always reliant on seed.
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