flick: (Default)
Flick ([personal profile] flick) wrote2013-06-14 03:21 pm

Useful to know.

I was noodling on Amazon and I found a book called "Managing Horses on Small Properties": sounded good. All about how to manage the grass, and so on. Very useful. Thought I'd splash out and get a copy.

Today, it arrived. In between the chapters on avoiding soil erosion and conserving water, there were helpful tips about considering using a small python, in place of the usual terrier or cat, for rodent control, and about the best ways to modify your fences to encourage wild kangaroos to cross-graze with your horses.

I suspect it's incredibly useful, if you have a 15 acre property in Australia....

Without wishing to jinx anything, we seem to have a buyer for the flat. The offer includes white goods, which is both moderately inconvenient (another thing to buy / try to correctly time delivery of) and fab (yay, new stuff!).

Today, I took GB out in the woods. He had sore feet, poor little thing. He had a trim on Monday (which is why I took Jonny out on Tuesday), but they're still bothering him on the stony bits (had a lovely gallop ont he grass, mind, so not too painful). I suspect it's because he'd gone week longer than usual to keep him in sync with Jonny. Hope he'll be ok tomorrow. Hope he'll get used to it. Hope I don't end up having to put shoes on him for the sake of the one hack a week that's pretty much all he'd want / be able to do....

[identity profile] mireille21.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 02:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Welcome to life down under.
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[identity profile] flickgc.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I quite like the idea of keeping a python in the feed room...

[identity profile] elvum.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
You should just bite the bullet and get some kangaroos.
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[identity profile] flickgc.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
That would be very cool. I'm not sure how well they'd get on with the pigs and the ducks, though.

[identity profile] hano.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
How would a python get on with the weather? Bit cold and wet isn't it?. Beats having a burglar alarm though...

[identity profile] frostfox.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Eventually got a reply from Jon on the question of BBQ's, not particularly helpful as he doesn't specify what model he currently has but anyway, he responded, bless 'im.

"Argos do one similar to this which we have had in the past and it lasted years but he says Homebase also do a good one.
Brinkman are one of the top brands if they want to spend a bit more.
What he did say was that you really need one with two separate grills that can be at adjustable heights so you can vary the temperature it is being cooked at. Unlike gas which is easy to control charcoal just tends to blast out at the same heat."

FF
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[identity profile] flickgc.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sure we could rig up a heat lamp, or something....
ext_5856: (Legs)

[identity profile] flickgc.livejournal.com 2013-06-14 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, we'd already decided that two grills was a good idea (a) veggies at bigger gatherings, b) just use one side when it's just us), but there don't seem to be any around: most places seem to have smallish, round, charcoal-burning ones and enormous, rectangular, double-grill, gas ones....

Will keep looking. It was an Asda one that we were looking at that seemed to fit the bill other than being made of tin foil, but I'll have a look at Argos too: ta!