Clevedon update! (Days 4, 5 & 6)

It's been another busy few days here in Clevedon! Thursday was my day off which was lovely, I had a lie in (till 9, so I didn't throw out my body clock too much!!), then I had my breakfast out in the sun then I read my book for a bit (which mostly consisted of reading for a bit then just daydreaming a bit...but can you blame me?!)

 

I kept drifting back to the yard to chat with Kate, and play with the adorable wee Nacho (Sami also pictured)

In the afternoon Neal, Sheena's brother, gave me a ride into Clevedon so that I could have a wee look around the village. It's a very small town but has all the essentials and wee shops :)  The Dairy is the main convenience store, there is a bakery and a wee co-op farm shop, there is a cobbler, a saddler and a farm/hardware store, and there are two lovely wee gift shops with everything from NZ Jade (Greenstone) jewellery to Possum and Merino wool jumpers and gloves! Very cool! 

 

After a delightful stroll through town, with a delicious take-away coffee in hand, I then meandered along the main road in the sun back to the farm. 

  

That evening Kate took me for a pizza and a beer in the local Clevedon pub. Herself and her partner Garth picked me up and took me home and we had an awesome time! It's a really quirky wee pub, it's a real rural 'Local', with a suitable eclectic mix of folk in attendance! Some of the dudes in shorts and cut-off gum boots and others a bit more dressed up, a cat on the bar and a guard dog at the door, a broken pool table out the back and a gabble of older men and women that you can tell are their regulars. There was a real diverse range of ages there from the young 18 year olds out back playing beer pong, to the old fogies that were sitting in the front of the bar  watching and betting on the horse racing! An entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable evening  Thank you guys!!

 

Yesterday and today was more of the same work wise; feeding, grooming, moving the horses from yard to paddock and back again, a bit of mucking out...and a bit of watching Sheena ride and teach some lessons in Dressage. After one of her lessons finished I got to have a wee sit on this guy. This is Teddy, Sheena used to ride him as a Dressage horse and took him to Grand Pris level! His new owner Chrissy kindly let me sit on Teddy, even for just a few minutes as he seemed a bit too feisty for a full hack. 

On a side note: The view I get up to in the morning is pretty great by the way, even the view when I walk into the bathroom is awesome! 

So, of the other things I've been up to are things like helping Pippa and Sheena with making dinner. 

 

And helping Neil with the feeding! It's more complicated than you think but also not as complicated as this chart would make you believe! 

 

I even managed to get mucked into sheep duties! It's hilarious that noone here, even the vet and her sheep farmer husband, knew what breed of sheep they were!! (She is a specific horse vet, but still?! 😂😅) These sheep are much more relaxed and laid back than any Scottish sheep I've dealt with so Kate and I caught them in the field and Petra the vet vaccinated them, and a few other things, before letting them loose again. I had to laugh when Sheena told me that Petra's husband Bryce, a very stereotypically Kiwi looking bloke (I'm sure he won't mind me saying that?!) said he had a couple of mates that could 'take me out' if I wanted! Hahahaha if only I was staying here another weekend eh? 😉

So at the end of my first week here in New Zealand (wow...already?!?) I am a happy and relaxed (even though I'm working hard) Fiona 😌 I'm also now sure that I'll be back here (if they'll have me) before my time in NZ is up (not just for that date!!) it's such a lovely area, great family and great work!