A perfect walk

Julie and Lori have been staying at Burrowhayes campsite at Horner for the past 2 weeks. They invited us down for tea and we had scones and cream and beautiful lemon cupcakes – all made that morning in the caravan. Julie has also made apple pie and orange cake – if this isn’t the epitome of being a domestic goodness I really don’t what is!

They bought 2 of Wagtails puppies – Ollie and Tilly who are absolutely gorgeous but being so young they are a bit of a handful. We went out for a walk with them taking all the dogs. Complete pandemonium for the first 10 minutes until things calmed down with springers springing around all over the place! I suspect that those two puppies couldn’t wish for a better home and as I commented to Lori, after having to look after 2 such energetic dogs, when they have grandchildren, it will seem a real doddle!

Having being very brave and investigating the bank out the back, Soda spent ages trying to get us to come and see what she had found – it was a pair of slow worms quietly basking in the sun! These caused her much fascination but I will have to watch her in case she finds an adder out on a walk. Unfortunately she is not blessed with both looks and brain!

I have just been up to Cods End Moor which lies to the south of Dunkery Beacon. This is an area of strip fields that are farmed by different people in the area. It was absolutely beautiful up there today. The sky was huge and the colour of hedge sparrows eggs with just a few clouds sailing on. Sitting on top of the valley and looking across to Hoar Moor I watched a herd of hinds in one field, a herd of Exmoor ponies with very young foals in a adjoining field and next to that a flock of sheep and lambs. With this view, the skylarks singing their hearts out and the wind blowing through the grass I almost got poetical!

After approximately £5000 in lessons and more than one test, Lucy has just passed her driving test!!!! Derek and I now go through the next stage of parenthood – worrying each time we hear the question ‘mum, dad – can I borrow the car’? But its wonderful that at long last she has done it!

Springtime on Exmoor

Lots of young animals out and about now enjoying the lovely spring weather and many birds are performing their mating ritual. It never ceases to make me smile to see the male doing all the work with dancing in exotic plumage for the female who then just flies off totally unimpressed. Some things are the same in every species!

We went up onto Ley Hill a couple of evenings ago. It was lovely up there – huge sky with loads of swallows darting and swooping and skylarks singing. The views across the channel were clear with the mountains of Wales visible in the background. All was peaceful and quiet until Soda thought she found a rabbit and promptly spent the next 5 minutes barking down a hole. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the rabbits had long since packed up and gone!

The trees are beautiful with the oak long out before the ash. It will be interesting to see whether the old saying of ‘oak before the ash and were in for a splash. Ash before the oak and were in for a soak’ comes true this year and we have a dry summer. The ground is desperate for rain now and the fields are starting to crack open.

Colin and Sue came to stay with us again for bed and breakfast and they had a great 3 days meeting up with old friends and exploring Exmoor. We have also had 2 different parties staying from Switzerland this week. Giving them maps and directions, they too went off exploring and fell in love with the area.

We have Helen’s walking party of 12 staying at the moment so it’s full on here this weekend as we provide evening meals for groups. Derek, Lucy and Charlotte do tend to like it when this happens as I usually cook too much. Lucy was looking a little green last night after eating a lemon posset closely followed by a rather large sticky toffee pudding (with clotted cream of course)!

Paddy cut his leg and is now on stable rest for a couple of weeks and is feeling a little sorry for himself and bored. The image on his bottom isn’t a tattoo but a bird that was whizzing past when Derek snapped the photo!

Point to Point races

Helen has been back to stay with us for the past few days for a bed and breakfast break. She loves riding and often goes out with Derek on our horses but unfortunately Paddy has recently cut himself so is out of action for a while. Helen has been down to Huntscott Stables and has had a couple of lovely rides out over the moor with David.

Our friend Ron has also been staying for the weekend and all four of us went up to Codsend Moor in the evening to take the dogs for a walk. It’s always lovely up there and with the sun shining through all the beech trees, leaves blowing in the wind and the sound of the skylark it was magical.

On the way home there was a herd of about 30 Exmoor mares, yearlings and foals trotting along by the side of the road. As they were so close Derek was able to get some great picture of them. The foals are just being born so there were some very young ones amongst them – they are so sweet!

Yesterday it was the Holincote point to point at Luccombe. This is a beautifully located course lying in the heart of the Holincote Estate between the foothills of Robin How and Selworthy with views stretching down to Porlock Bay. Lucy went down with some of her friends and had a very good afternoon socialising! Derek went down a bit later on and spent the afternoon chatting and taking photos. It was a great afternoon and next week there is another meet down there.

During the week we had a lovely couple from Australia staying. As we know the moor so well we were able to send them on a walking and motoring ‘tour’ of Exmoor so they were able to get a true flavour of the area. Dunkery Hill Beacon, Exford, Lanarce Bridge and walk to Withypool for lunch. On to Tarr Steps and another walk following the River Barle. Then to Dulverton for a meal at The Bridge Inn and finally meandering home up the Exe valley road to marvel at all the bluebells in the oak woods. They arrived home tired but having fallen in love with Exmoor and planning a longer stay on their return trip!