Preparation is an oft overlooked essential part of house decoration – especially if this has not been adequately carried out for decades. Such has been the case with our home which Nick Hayter has transformed over the years.
He spent several hours on this today.
This afternoon I made him some prints from today and yesterday, notably yesterday’s opening portrait.
Later, Jackie and I took a forest drive.
We had hoped the postbox on Pilley Hill would have been decorated by the anonymous yarn artist in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
We were not disappointed.
I crossed the moorland alongside Furzey Lane in order to photograph
ponies and their foals who rapidly showed me several clean quads of heels.
I was apparently less disturbing on the outskirts of Ran’s Wood
where an equine mother and baby group was clearly in progress. Realising that the young woman who was riding about among them was in conversation with some, I asked her if they were hers. Two of the mares and three of the foals were – she was happy to be a Commoner. We enjoyed a friendly discussion during which she confirmed our impression that grey mares never produced foals born with their colouring. The infants have much darker hides which may or may not lighten as they grow into adulthood, Even then it is not guaranteed.
This evening we dined on fusion leftovers: Jackie’s cottage pie; Angela’s chicken dish; vegetable samosas and sag aloo from Tesco; chicken sag and sag paneer from Red Chilli. This made for a truly tasty melange with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, Flo drank raspberry and lemon Kombucha, and I drank more of the Malbec. Strawberries and ice cream finished us off.
Interesting about the color of the foals. But whatever their color, they are utterly adorable. How lucky you are to have Nick. Our home only has two old duffers—us—to make needed updates and repairs. And let’s just say we’re none too speedy.
But at least you do it, Laurie. Thanks very much.
Love the queen and thoroughly adore the corgis
Everything looks lovely.
Thanks very much, Pat. The corgis are perfect
So many beautiful ponies and foals today! I love the new design for the postbox too, someone is very talented. I have some paintwork in my home that needs repair, I wish I could hire Nick! ❤️????
Thanks very much, John. Nick is aware from the blog that he could be in international demand 🙂
I hope Nick has never had to deal with stripping unstrippable wallpaper that has been painted over. It’s an absolute nightmare. Interesting tidbit about gray horse coloring.
Nick has done that often enough. Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Post box looks great (I say this despite my rising tendency to Bolshevism) and I sympathise with the foals – I too have become more grey as I have grown older.
Haven’t we all? Mind you, a cry came out of a loose maul one day – “Get the old bloke” when I was abut 30.
Oh to know how others see us. 🙂
Delightful pictures of the common and the commoner.
Thanks very much, Tootlepedal
Those foals all seem to have the longest legs in showbiz!
Tey do, John. Thank you very much
Such beautiful photos of the horses and countryside. Some are like paintings.
The yarn artist certainly rose to the occasion!
Thank you so much, Merril
You’re very welcome, Derrick.
Never a dull moment within your household Derrick always someone busy busy…. Wishing you a active, and restful rest of the week Lol 🙂
Thank you very much, Sue
A great group of hours and foal photos, Derick. It’s always good to get some information, a history or geography lesson when out and about.
Thank you very much, Chrissy
You’re welcome. 🙂
The anonymous yarn artist has been quite busy 🙂
Thanks very much, Rosaliene
So many gorgeous photos today, Derrick. Thanks for sharing!
Much appreciated, Jill
An intriguing observation Derrick, that grey mares never seem to produce foals born with their colouring.
Thanks very much, Ivor
The beautiful horses, ponies, and foals make me realize how much I miss them. It’s been a long time. Maybe brown is on a dominant gene, like with eye color.
Maybe – but of course I don’t suppose we know who the fathers are.
What a great time to be alive ?
Indeed X. Thanks very much, Val
I love the decorated postbox. The mysterious knitter is a very talented individual!
The foals are adorable, too. That is a beautiful Appaloosa that woman is riding.
This is a wonderful post. Such great photos. What, pray tell, is a quad of heels???
A set of four – cos they each have four legs 🙂
I thought perhaps it referred to a running horse, so you saw all four “heels” or backs of the hooves at once!
🙂 Basically a clean pair of heels is an idiom for running away
Another British idiom I didn’t know the meaning of. You are my instructor in that respect, Derrick.
Showing a clean pair of heels is the phrase. Quad was my little joke 🙂
Clever. Not the first time a British idiom has slipped past me but always fun to hear a new one.
I love the postbox’s Jubilee decorations
So do we, Sheree. Thanks very much
From home decoration to frolicking foals and fascinating information freely given – thank you, Derrick.
Much appreciated, Anne
Preparation is such a chore, I have never been good at it, Kim, on the other hand is prepared to spend hours with the sandpaper.
Thanks very much, Andrew
The foals are so sweet!
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee yarn artwork is beautiful! I hope the artist knows how much joy they are bringing to people all over the world!
Nick is doing great work! The 3 photos of him “framed” by the oval door-arch are very cool!
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thank you very much, Carolyn 🙂
Great post! All the ponies a person could ask for!!
🙂 Thanks very much, GP
The foals are adorable and the repairs and upgrades to your home are coming along nicely.
Thanks very much, Eugi
The decoration doctor is hard at work on the interiors of your comfortable Home by the Garden. The mystery of there being no pale grey foals seems unsolved as yet. Perhaps geneticists can quench our curiosity.
Thanks very much, Uma. I just looked it up on Google and got this: ‘Grey horses actually have a duplication of a part of their genome which leads to an overabundance of pigment cells – there are both more of them and they proliferate more rapidly. This is the reason young grey horses are so dark or ‘hyperpigmented’ rather than having typical foal coats.’ The next entry on the page is my post 🙂
I think it’s magical that you live in a place where someone crochets a post box decoration AND lovely baby animals frolic in the wild. So sweet.
We are so lucky, Jodie. Thank you very much
xo
And corgis too. What a talent.
Indeed. Thanks very much, Lindsey
So beautiful! That post ox is gorgeous! The artist is really talented ?
“She was happy to be a Commoner” – what does this mean, Derrick? Please forgive my ignorance.
P.S. I hope you are enjoying your Malbec, as are we.
Thanks very much, Dolly. Commoners are those who have historic residence in the forest and consequently have the rights, like pasturage that go with it.
Thank you for educating me, Derrick.
Thanks for asking the question. I was educated, too.
Oh, don’t mention it, dear Crystal; I thought I was the only ignorant reader.
The Jubilee postbox is my favourite yet. Simply marvelous.
Thank you very much, Crystal