All the news (good or bad) from Summerhill Stables

It’s been a week for arrivals..

Firstly, Robyn’s step daughter had a baby boy, Harley (9lbs 6oz). Secondly, yesterday one of our next door neighbours, Anna Cooper - not Mrs Tipping who is nearly but not quite as old as Robert – had a baby girl, Henrietta (7lb 4oz.). Anna left home early in the morning when she "started" and was back from the hospital by the evening! Amazing considering what used to happen. Thirdly, Robert saw this picture of a Madagascar lemur and its baby (3 oz, sex unknown) on the Tiscali web site - we think Mrs Lemur is on some sort of powerful drug!!

Robert thinks she knows who will grow up the most attractive but then he never did have a overwhelming penchant for little boys or monkeys and generally preferred girls!!

Robert had all but decided to go on his long awaited trip to the States to see Edward, Susie and Hugo and had reconciled himself to leaving Pikey in the care of others. However on Tuesday he mentioned to Pikey that there were some snowdrops out in the garden; she went to look out of the bedroom window, put weight on her left (good) leg) which promptly gave way and she ended up on the floor. No damage done we hope but it could have ended up with another trip to hospital with more broken bones.

Hopefully no long-term effects so far after four days but it brought it home to both of us the potential dangers and the immediate problems they cause. It was only twelve months ago that Pikey broke her right leg twice in two months in very similar circumstances.

All in all Robert feels that if he did leave her for any period, even in the most capable of hands, he would spend the whole time worrying and the mental downside would more than counterbalance the possible physical upside of a holiday.

Pikey is now entirely confined to a wheelchair although she does walk a few steps on her zimmer frame but that really takes it out of her.

Anyway Edward is due to arrive for the weekend today and we are going to discuss the whole issue.

So sorry that the second half of this blog is gloomy but it's good to talk and a trouble shared is a trouble halved - that's the whole point of the blog.

Loads of love ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ from Robert and Pikey.