Back to work

It's not just me that's back to work, Bea and the boys have ended their winter holidays and is time to start working off their grass bellies! Bea did a wonderful impression of a rodeo horse when I first got back on board, but after a week of hacking, she is back to work. I think having two months off could have done her good.

Has 14 months off done me any good? Only time will tell, but it feels good to be back in the saddle! A great local project with a client and team that I know, so I couldn't ask for more.

And now the yard is full to the brim, George is also working flat out with a lot of help from all, including the small furry ones!

We will not be beaten by the snow.

The brickie and his trusty foreman (Charlie) continued building the stable fronts this week once the antifreeze had been added to the mortar, this is not usual for our temperate isle!

Helped by the dogs we warmed up the batteries and fired up the laser to guide the excavators while leveling the new manége, in this weather all those litle jobs seem to be taking so much longer, but hey, it's all happening. And with arrivals at the end of the month, we can't let the wonderful british weather hold us back!

Happy Christmas

Life at Westfield Farm goes on...

It all arrives through the snow..

We woke up to this morning to Radio 4 spreading doom and gloom about the weather while we got ready for our stables to be delivered from Cornwall. We arrived on the yard to read that the temperature was -10deg C and all the thaw from yesterday had turned to thick ice. Just behind us the builder's merchant turned up to deliver 7 tonnes of concrete blocks and sand with more to come later.

I was expecting a phone call from the stable delivery saying it was a no go. But Hendrik Wiegersma (Lucy's dad), called to say that he had a slightly over size wagon only 30min away, and that he had made it through the weather, what a star! With a lot of pushing and shoving with the fork lift we managed to get the wagon in and the stables off loaded. A real effort, way beyond the call of duty, I cannot thank West of England Stables enough for their service.

Just as Hendrik was leaving the temperature started to rise and the ice started to thaw turning everything into a skid pan. And here comes another delivery of concrete blocks, onto the ice and going no-where. We tried everything under the tyres but to no avail. Land Rover to the rescue (thank you Ciara), A Defender 90 and a webbing strop can pull a 40t wagon off the ice, way to go!!

After that is was plain sailing and a lot of grunt by Paul, Brian, Ciara and Ruthie, but we now have the stable partitions in place and ready to be bolted up. HUGE thanks only partially shown by the roast legs of wonderful Cornish lamb enjoyed by all. Off to bed and a well deserved rest.

We are moving

We are off again... It's time to leave the Duke of Wellington's fine estate and set up camp just down the road from the stables that we are (hopefully) about to build. It is what you might call compact, but it has a footpath out the back that leads directly to the farm, just over a kilometre away.

So as from the 15th Aug 2009 we will be located at:
1 Butts Cottage
Kings Street
Odiham
Hants
RG29 1NF
Tel: mobiles at present, land line to be confirmed....


All guest welcome but overnight staying could be.....fun!

The Tour de France in Annecy

On Tuesday evening we jetted out to Annecy for a quick rest from all the recent trials and tribulations. The Tour de France caravan was coming to town for Stage 18 - the 40km individual time trial round the lake.

Having checked the availability of space on the local campsites, we had bought flights, hired cars, etc then found that the campsites were fully booked! So we found a lovely little hotel for our first night in the medieval center of town, great apart from the 30mins spent trying to get through the tiny streets of the old one way system.

Having finally found a campsite with space on Wednesday morning, we set up camp and returned to a bar in Annecy to watch the action of Contador win Stage 17.

So with all the roads closed on Thursday morning, we took the early ferry boat up to Annecy, to get into the middle of the action. The sponsors caravan can only be described as nutts, after which, the time trial could commence. We spent the day moving between the Start, finish and the "paddock" where you really can get up close to the riders; Thor, Contador, Van Develde, Hincapie, Sastre, Millar etc. The only rider that we couldn't get close enough to see the colour of his eyes was Lance Armstrong. Only by standing on an official car could I get to see the Big Texan dressed in Livestrong colours warming up on his time trial machine. Bradley Wiggins proved elusive and hadn't shown for his warm-up by the time we left to follow them down the lake. Our ferry back down the lake set off as Bradley started, and we paced him for the first 5 minutes on the lake side road. A little further down the lake, there on the adjacent stretch of road was Lance on his fantastic Livstrong time trial bike. Bubbles, bread and cheese outside the tent was then perfect end to a great day in the mountains.

May I apologize to anyone on our campsite as we left at 4 o'clock this morning. I hope you managed to get back to sleep!

Stratfield Saye sponsored ride

The first stratfield saye sponsored was held today and what a turnout,
over 200 riders! Boo and I took Hugo and Bea for a nice day out, 10
miles and loads of cross country jumps. So much fun, an to think that
only 4 weeks ago I was having my last chemotherapy session!

Final scan...

Tick tock, tick tock. I suppose I should be used to waiting by now! 5 more weeks until I can have my PET scan - 28th July. That seems so far away, but hay, I'm going to be so well and fit by then!

Chemo 10

Well I'm done with Chemo number 10, only 2 to go. Now that feels great. Number 10 was the worst yet, very nasty but if it is making me feel that bad it should be giving the cancer hell. That was a week ago and the immediate affects passed as usual after 24 hours once the steroids worked their magic, the usual crash followed and three day later I'm back on my feet. Now I'm starting to wonder, what comes next?? How do I get fit enough to last more than an hour on my feet? When will I get an indication of not having to have any more poison poured through my veins? When can I usefully get back to work? All I know at the moments is that the treatment is getting progressively more debilitating, but only two more to go.

So what have we been up to since last updating? Straight after Chemo 9 we ran off down the M4 on our annual pilgrimage to Badminton Horse Trials. 5 days of camping and watching the best equestrian event in the world. If the weather is good camping is great, but May in England is unpredictable at best.... cold wet and windy, but the company was great and the steroids kept me going until the sun came out on the last day. Such fun!

I also had a CT scan at the beginning of the month and as yet I'm still awaiting the full results, but the verbal report from the radiologist was that the tumor was responding as predicted. Hopefully I'll get the full report next week when I see the consultant. Watch this space.....

Off to Badminton

Not to ride..... just to camp and watch all the shinanigans.

After the scan on Saturday I was hoping that as well as having chemo yesterday, I would also have got feedback from the scan. But alas, the UK bank holiday got in the way and the info had not made it from the radiologist's desk onto the computer system. The preliminary feedback was that the cancer is responding well to the treatment, but my consultant has yet to see the reports.

8 out of 12, wear sunscreen

So Chemo no. 8 has been and gone, and I have a scan at the end of this week. The scan is routine and will hopefully just confirm that I have 4 more hits to go then I'm free! Watch this space.

The Docs are still impressed with the fact that my hair is mostly intact, I've even had to have another haircut. The one thing that I I have been warned about is the evil effects of the sun, so loads of sunscreen and big hats. So I can look at the fine spring weather but I'm not allowed to touch! All the talk of sunscreen reminded me of the the 1997 monologue:

Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted On The Young

By Mary Schmich

[ Reprinted without permission from the Chicago Tribune. Originally published: Sunday, June 1, 1997. Initially attributed as written by Kurt Vonnegut for the 1997 MIT graduation ceremony. ]

Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who'd rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there's no reason we can't entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.

I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

• Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
• Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
• Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
• Do one thing every day that scares you.
• Sing.
• Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
• Floss.
• Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
• Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
• Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
• Stretch.
• Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
• Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
• Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
• Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
• Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
• Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
• Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
• Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
• Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
• Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
• Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
• Travel.
• Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
• Respect your elders.
• Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
• Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
• Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

...... But trust me on the sunscreen.

What is Twittering??

A quick explanation of Twitter:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Twitter Frenzy

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

David's big race

This is a clip from my best mate's blog, David emegrated to NZ a littlele while back and seems to have taken up Ironmen!! This year he has a decided that he has a new cause... finding a cure for the evil Cancer. If you can, please post him a little somthing to remind him to keep going and together we will find a way to find a cure....

Please sponsor me in the Ironman

A year ago I decided to try and complete the Ironman New Zealand race. It’s a big ask. 3.8km of swimming, 182km of cycling followed by 42km of running. At the time, I didn’t have much of a purpose for doing this - I just needed a challenge.

During the last year, a very definite purpose has arisen. Firstly my Dad died after an operation to combat bowel cancer and now my best friend is having chemo to combat lymphona.

Cancer should be a very curable disease, and with enough funds, it is steadily becoming so. Help me add a modest amount more to the huge effort that is being made to combat this disease. Over 7 million people a year die from cancer - a chilling statistic that shows the huge amount that can be gained by beating this disease.

To sponsor me, you have two choices:

If you are in the UK I’m raising money for Cancer Research UK

You can support them here

If you are in New Zealand I’m raising money for the NZ Cancer Society

You can support them here Many thanks for your support, and keep an eye on this blog and my twitterfeed to see how I go in the race on 7th March.

Chemo number 4 done

A quarter of the way to the end of the chemo, the end is getting closer and nastier!

This seemed like a harder hit, even if the doctors remain very happy with how I'm holding up, in fact they can't get over how well I'm holding up. Everybody has said that the hit from the drugs gets more pronounced as the treatment goes on, the aren't wrong. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be riding and up for whatever is going, and I've even had to have a hair cut! The Apple TV is a godsend as are Boo and Bea! And we are off to Badminton Horse trials for are annual holiday in May, so see you all there.

To help distract me, Luke and Kat jetted in from Portugal on Tuesday afternoon for their fix of Buckley cooking... Stratfield Say venison... it doesn't get much better. It was so good to catch up with them while Kat and her growing bump can still travel.

More photos to follow, but with the grey and overcast weather at the moment is is not condusive to getting the camera out and have a good snap. Bring on the spring sunshine....

Three down, nine to go

Chemo number came and went yesterday without cause for concern, the doctors a really happy with the progress and the lack of nasty side effects. All my blood counts are hanging on in there which is also making the smile. Finally we have the results for the bone marrow biopsy and it's all clear, the best news about that is that I won't need to be attacked with the eveil corkscrew needle again. I seem to be banging muscle on rather than building up fat reserves, this won't help is I go down with an infection, oh well! And I have had to book in a hair as my hair is refusing to fall out, famous last words.

So all in all I feeling good with all the steriods coursing through my viens, poor Boo has to put up with me bouncing off the wall

Happy new year

The end of another year and the ringing in of a new one...

Having piled off to the Isle of Wight on Tuesday afternoon, 18 of us congregated at Hugh and Suzie's for the last black tie event of the year. As usual, fine food, fine wine and great company and in came the new year with a bang. The Chinese wish lanterns were a great success apart from the one that descended into the neighbours garden and set fire to their thatched outhouse... It's OK, small children were dispatched with buckets of water!

New Year's day required a good walk from Whale Chine to Freshwater for those that were strong enough. So 2009 has arrived and it promises to be a fine vintage.

Boxing Day hack to the pub

On a beautiful, blue skyed day and a little help from Diane we blew the cobwebs out and took all the horses to the pub for a quick pint. Any excuse... well we did have to meet up with Ciara, Paul Rosie and Josie, and the pub just seemed so convenient.

What a happy Christmas

So after giving the horses a Christmas breakfast and having ridden those that needed riding, it was off home for Christmas brunch and prezzies. As you can see, Dizzy got so many prezzies from her surrogate grandmother the she decided that it was all a bit overwhelming!

Post Prezzies and more pony faffing it was time for the goose to be sacrificed in the name of Christmas Dinner, though the only real casualty was Boo, who just couldn't say no to just one more helping!!

The latest news from the wonderful doctors is that it is definatly Hodgkin's Lymphoma that I have, so we should have the full battle plan when I see the docs on the 30th. This was the best christmas prezzie that I could have hoped for... if you are going to have cancer, seemingly this is the one to have!!

Thanks you for all the messages of good will at this time, they are so appreciated. Happy Christmas to you all, I hope that you all got what you where hoping for and not that baggy old jumper that seems to be to the eternal rounds....

Having a quiet afternoon

What better way to spend Christmas Eve but having a quiet afternoon after all of yesterday's fun and excitement. I finally made it back onto a horse yesterday stiches and all, boy, did it feel good especially as Bea let it slip that she has a fine piaffe in her, all I need to do is find those buttons!! So Nutty and I settled down on the sofa to catch up on a few issues in H&H.

I had the remaining stitches out this morning, that feels so much better! The latest news from the doctors is that it is definitely Hodgkin's Lymphoma that I'm dealing with, they are emailing the full results through shortly. Watch this space for more news....

I survived the mediastinotomy!

That's a hole cut between the ribs to get a good sample of the nasty! Again no pictures as I didn't have a handy nurse in the OR to take photos!

Mostly resting now, back home and in one piece.