In my infinite wisdom I have taken on another rescue pup from Battersea Dogs’ Home for the next two weeks. I need something else to focus on. Her name is Ruby and she is hilarious - clever and a bit of a minx!! This is the perfect location for her up at the Fire Hills and it gives me the opportunity to function in the here and now, as opposed to worrying about what the next few weeks will bring with my parents’ health. I would take pictures but at the moment she is either attached to my foot or sleeping in her crate, so not a lot to show.

Made it back to Bath last night. More snow over Salisbury Plain but I got home much to the excitement of my daughters and my dogs. Tony is away in the US. He will be playing Prospero in Bermuda but I don’t think I will be able to go. At least he can visit my sister out there. It is hard for her being so far away from the family.

The farm is running smoothly and the first horses of the year have already been in. The fields are white. The air is blue. My team have been battling with people tobogganing in the fields. It is not that we want to stop all fun. Far from it! All we ask is that the ‘happy’ sledgers stay out of the fields where the horses live. We want our animals and the children to be safe. With another thirty acres of empty sloping fields which we will happily let them use we do not think we are being unreasonable but apparently we are. The language is extraordinary! Adults swearing at Tina in front of their children. Charming!!