They're here at last!

I really overdid it yesterday. Vacuumed the whole cottage, washed floors, did an hour's gardening, picked up walnuts off the lawn and finally manufactured a wire aerial for my stereo so I can pick up FM stations.

The big news though is that Briar and Tobermory are here at last. I had a call from Darren the farrier on Friday night to say that he would be collecting them Saturday morning and delivering them in his horse float. He arrived out here at 11.30am as it took him an hour and a half detour which didn't involve so many windy hills. When he opened up the trailer Toby was frothing at the mouth and really unwell. Darren said he'd been lethargic when he picked him up and not to be surprised if he dropped dead as he's sort of at the end of his life. Briar surprised me as she leaped off the float ramp, ignored me completely as she could see all this wonderful green grass. Darren said at the other place it is down to dirt and the ex landlord's horses are completely emaciated.

I made Darren a coffee and we sat out in the sun chatting for an hour before he left again. By this time Briar had eaten her fill and rushed over to say hello as if she'd never seen me earlier and then spent five minutes chasing Toby round the paddock. When I checked on them later he was sitting down in the grass and she was grazing happily. I rang my brother and told him they were finally here. At 5.30pm I heard noises out the back and found Rich there with Diane. They had been out to the farm and collected Toby's house as Richard didn't want him to be without it for one night. The man loves that goat! They couldn't get over how Toby kept wanting to stand next to me but I had suspicions he was getting ready to try and push me over which he likes to do. When I went to put the chickens to bed in the afternoon I called Briar over and she followed me to the hen house- I knew if she was with me Toby wouldn't try anything as he's scared of her.

Diane told me there have been changes at my old place. They have cut down the two beautiful tortured willow trees on my front lawn and have got satellite TV for the cottage. They are also putting new carpet and lino through the whole building and doing all the repairs they hadn't done for eight years.

Today my friend Gretchen asked me what I liked best about this place. Well it's really peaceful, there are no farm dogs running through my place all the time so I can let Mishka out whenever and not be afraid I'll get bitten, I can drink the water, the water is clean and I can use the cold tap over the bath rather than running the hot and letting it cool for half and hour before I could get in, the TV reception is clear, the toilet doesn't block up all the time and it's very private with no one going past and looking in. Oh and I have a really lovely caring landlady.