January and February always seem like long months - the endless nights, and the cold (sometimes), and the dark. This year has also been marked by the Wet, with record floods further south and rumours of a possible breach in the levee of la Loire towards Angers. In this week alone, we have recorded 87.5mm of rain - for those who do Imperial measurements, that is 3 and a half inches. No wonder there is a pond in the chicken run! Earlier in the week, when it was too wet to leave the nominal shelter of The Shack, I spent a happy while trying to photograph what I used to call rain fairies when I was a small child. This was my best effort.
It wasn't as though it rained all day every day either! Thursday was slated to be vile, but there was sunshine at first, and the rain held off where we happened to be, which was really good news. Thursday was special as we had a day at the Races, at Angers Hippodrome. A nice course tucked behind housing estates and just off the motorway, but with a good sized circuit, stabling for over 100 horses and three different tracks, including the obligatory (for France) all weather trotting track.
We were there to see Legend Race do his thing, for the first time since we last saw him a year ago. His trainer, Louisa Carberry, said he was looking good, but that she didn't think he would win, but should get round. He had grown and filled out since we saw him first this time last year.
Like I said, the facilities are excellent and there is a nice big screen so you can watch the action all the way round the track.
In the end, we didn't need that to admire Legend Race's progress. He was way too keen and over-confident, misjudged the water jump and dropped his jockey at the second obstacle! He then carried on to do a good three to four circuits of the track before he could be persuaded he had had enough fun and that his hay net called. Both he and the jockey were fine, but we gave him a bit of a talking to when he was back in his stable!
Louisa had two other horses running that day, and we were able to stand on the owners' mound in the parade ring for a different race to admire the horses again.
Here the horse of interest was number 8 or the one in the middle. He had a replacement jockey (the one that Legend Race ditched), as his intended jockey had fallen earlier, won his next race but was feeling a bit off. The replacement jockey had to be called back as he had started to go home, but was back in time for the ride, which was a good thing, as he won!
Yesterday was also not actively rainy, so we were able to do a bit of work in the One Acre Wood. The lower of the two clay ponds now has water in it - hopefully the local newts and salamanders will enjoy that. I suspect that after today, which has been totally wet, the upper pond may also start to fill up. Broken branches are providing a good ecosystem for fungus - this example was rather beautiful, if difficult to photograph well in February murk.
Hopefully next week will not be quite so outstandingly wet, but the weather forecast holds little promise of a day when I can dry the laundry outside. At least I have exercise classes twice a week or I would be feeling like Jabba the Hutt! Anyway, for now, I am going to do battle with a kidney, to see if I can recreate one of John's favourite dishes - steak and kidney pie!
Have a good week!
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