Spring Fever

It's been a ridiculously warm week here at Little Hartley - I've barely had the fire going, and when I have, it's made the house too hot. Yep, spring is sprung in The Enchanted Garden; the deciduous plants are all abloom, and the lawn has gone nuts. So I called in the Cavalry, in the form of a neighbour with a ride-on mower to finally cut the grass back and make the property look a little less like a hovel. 

The lawns looking neat at last!

Having neat lawns has made a huge difference, and it's made me realise just how desperately I need my own ride-on mower. I used to dream about buying a nice pair of shoes, or a pretty dress; these days, I lust after mowers, mulchers and whipper snippers. Anything to make this massive job easier. 

I've decided I want the 'back paddock' completely bulldozed, apart from the trees. The shrubbery, which I've been cutting back and weeding this week is pretty blah, so I would like to lose it altogether and just have trees and lawn out the back. Which one day might be Cass' paddock. I've been working my arse off this week trying to get this area under control; still a way to go, I've just started cutting back a hedge which I really don't like and would eventually like to remove completely. It's certainly worn me out, I'm sitting here aching like you wouldn't believe! 

The front garden, meanwhile, is ablaze with colour. The crabapple tree is just magnificent, hot pink blossoms buzzing with bees. And the wisteria is starting to come out, soon it will be a purple picture - my pride and joy. 

The gorgeous crabapple in bloom

Cass also has Spring Fever. On Friday, he decided he didn't want to be caught, running away from me in a merry game as soon as I got within a metre of him. His young chestnut girlfriend, who is skittish at the best of times, just encouraged him; soon all five horses in the paddock were galloping up and down, anywhere but near me. 

I couldn't help but smile at Cass' antics - he looks so handsome prancing around, shaking his blonde mane and tail, despite being an annoying shithead. In the end, my horsey pal Michelle had to come down and help me, with Cass finally succumbing to a bucket of bread and allowing himself to be caught. 

I took Cass out on the trails three times over the weekend; yesterday we went bush-bashing up a mountain, managing to get lost about 300 metres up a ridge. Then Cass got tangled in a fallen fence; I totally freaked out, thinking he was going to panic and slash his legs; but he stood there like an angel, trusting me completely as I untangled his feet and released him from the wire. My heart was pounding like crazy - think I was more scared than he was. 

Think there may be a bond forming between me and my pony ...