Micklewood and Sheepwash

Micklewood and Sheepwash
Adventures from the Stables and other Happy
Tales.
This is a magical time of year in Micklewood when all the flowers and trees are
bursting into life, with long sunny days, a fresh warm breeze, every living thing full of
energy, wasting no time, making the very best use of all the lovely sunshine and late
spring showers, to grow as fast and tall as possible. Bees busy collecting pollen, birds
nesting twittering, tweeting feeding their young, lambs are playing in the fields, even
weeds are changing into flowers, with the promise of long summer days ahead.

Just beside the magical wood, there is a very very special place,
it’s were Paddy, Mazy, and all the yard animals live. There has
never been a happier bunch of friends in the entire world. I am
not sure how it all came about, and why I was so lucky to see it for
myself, here are the adventures, ups and downs, fun and laughter,
of the story so far that is, Micklewood and Sheepwash.
The grass is growing faster than Paddy, Mazy or the ponies can eat it. With every rain
shower it just keeps shooting up greener than ever before.
“This is the best thing since sliced bread” said Paddy the Irish cob “it just doesn’t get
any better than this does it”?

Episode 1
Let’s open the gate and take a walk down the gravel track to the stable yard. It is a
lovely bright sunny morning, the birds are singing loudly as if they are staring on a west
end stage, the performance of their lives. Shrills of the swallows diving, pewits
tweeting to each other, trying to wake the entire world to the glorious day ahead
Arthur the yard cat stretched out his paw and gave a wide yawn trying to pretend he
didn’t hear the commotion.
“I will surprise them” Arthur thought to himself, as he crept up quietly behind a
pheasant sleepily resting on a fence post. Being as quite as a mouse Arthur crouched
behind a small bush waiting to make his move”.
“Meow” Arthur pounced “got ye!”, with a flutter of feathers and fur flying the startled
pheasant was too quick, he managed to muster up a quick spurt of energy just in time,
and with a quick flap of his wings flew off like a rocket squawking into the woods.” mist
me mist me” “ha ha” “ha ha”
“I’ll get you next time” said Arthur grumpily, “not sure what you lot are so chirpy about,
either, birds!”
Arthur exhausted by his antics decided to go back to cat knapping, his favourite hobby,
and so he curled up by the stables on a bale of soft warm hay.

In Paddy’s stable the baby swallows had just started learning to fly and were perched
precariously on the electric cable that ran from the roof light into their nest.
Parent swallows think of everything when nest building, the cable makes a great perch
to stand on for young swallows. The nest was made of mud stuck together in a cup
shape with feathers inside to make it nice and warm for the baby swallows to sleep in.

Whoosh, Mrs Swallow swooped into the stable through the open door at
100 miles an hour, then landed with expert precision on the edge of the nest.
“Now then children stop messing about, no pushing”
“Me, me, me, me” they all shouted!, asking for the wriggling fly in Mrs Sparrows beak,
”This is the last one now, you will all have to start flying to catch insects of your own
today, this is not Tesco you know, no home deliveries here.”
Gingerly the young swallows took turns launching off the electric flex as it swayed back
and forth, each time the cable becoming more and more wobbly, until with a wobble a
squeak a squawk a desperate dance of disaster ,finally the last baby swallow lost his
grip and fell backwards of the wire tumbling towards the stable floor.
“Oh no” he squealed falling towards the ground, hurtling downwards getting ever closer
to a dollop of poo in the stable straw, just as he thought he was going to meet a very
smelly sticky end, with a squeak using all the strength he could muster into his wings,
he managed to flap fly up over the stable door out into the yard outside “phew that was
close, nearly had it that time “he thought to himself as he soared into the sky, ready to
dive bomb a bunch of unwitting butterflies fluttering on the warm, sunny morning
breeze.

Mazy and Paddy were heading out into the field to graze on the luscious green grass,
chattering to each other about the latest exciting news on the yard.
They were all going to the show that afternoon at the local Jim carnet. Mazy was a
little nervous about the show and whether she would be able to jump over show jumps,
as she was still quite new to the yard. She had only jumped over an old bucket and a
small brook when out hacking in the lane.
Paddy said reassuringly “don’t worry I will look after you” as he munched his way
through a particularly tasty patch of grass “you will be fine everyone gets nervous for
their first show” you will soon get the hang of it, we all have to start somewhere” he
said in a sturdy brave voice as he skilfully flicked a massive fly of his rump with his tail.
“Never stop biting” those things said Mazy “how are we supposed to get on with eating
our grass if we keep being interrupted by pesky flies all day”
Buzzzzzzzz “we have to eat too you know” buzzzzzzzzzzz

“Have you put your suntan lotion on your nose Paddy” Mazy said “it’s hot today and you
know how it gets sunburnt so easily”
Paddy was feeling a little silly at this point as his nose was bright red and a little sore
from doing exactly the opposite “Yes yes of course I have” he said hurriedly ,”so why
is it so red then” mazy said trying not to laugh out loud”
Paddy “what’s so funny and why are you looking at me like that, anyway come on let’s
get the jumps out in the manage so we can practise for the show, we can ask Symphony
to be the judge there’s not much that little pony doesn’t know about show jumping”,
Mazy “I’m not surprised at her age she has been there, done it and got the T shirt and
medals to prove it too!”

They all worked very hard together to put the jumps up ready, the ménage was setup
with a small course of jumps just like they would be at a show, with symphony presiding
over the practise and judging the contest.
Rocket the race horse said he would also like to have a go and putting on a brave face,
trotted over from his field, his tall slender legs could easily step over the jumps but he
had not done any practise jumping and felt a little nervous.
They set the height of the jumps to just under half a metre which you can easily step
over, there were no expert jumping horses here and everyone was being careful not to
try anything that would bang them on the legs when they jumped over
Paddy went first thundering around the ménage,”one two three up and over” Paddy
cleared the first fence well done said Mazy “I’m not sure he is going to get a clear
round” said Rocket he is going too fast to make the turn for the next jump, Paddy
turned on a sixpence at the corner heading down towards the next fence his eyes were
fixed on the posts in the shape of an x which made the jump look easy.

Paddy lined up for the jump and counting in his head 1 2 3 he knew just how many paces
he needed to take before jumping into the air and landing on the other side of the
jump. Just as he was about to take off a pheasant waiting in the wood by the manage
decided that this was a great time to fly across the mange into the fields on the other
side to peck at some grass seeds , the pheasant flew right under Paddy’s nose “look out
look out look out ” the pheasant said flapping past right in front of Paddy’s nose
scaring him so much Paddy lost his concentration and crashed straight into the jump
posts with a great skidding snorting sound knocking all the posts flying into the air.
Everyone fell about laughing including Paddy after he had recovered from the shock
and dusted himself off “those pheasants need to learn how to fly he said that could of
been very dangerous” his sunburnt nose seemed to glow even more as he was all hot and
sweating from cantering around the ménage.
“Sorry” chirped the pheasant in the distance I didn’t see you there I was just trying to
get to the seeds over here”,”sorry”
“It’s ok” Paddy was still laughing with the others “try and be a little more careful when
flying about next time” “OK will do” chirped the pheasant. Paddy looked over to
Symphony “how did I do”
Symphony smiled “full marks for the landing I think!”

Ducks were quacking loudly on the pond in the woods next to the stables they had
heard the laughing and decided to join in even though they did really know what they
were laughing about.
Quack quack quack quack
Laughter is infectious like that you know, once one person starts everyone just seems
to join in, even the baby swallows had gathered in a long row on the manage fence to
enjoy the comedy slip ups of the practice jumps.
“Ignore them Mazy” Paddy said still slightly grinning “come on Mazy let’s give it a go”
“Mazy it’s your turn next” Symphony was trying to appear regal and in charge as a show
judge should do, “Ok but does Rocket want to go next he looks like he is ready to burst
with excitement” she said with a slightly trembling voice trying to put off having a go
at jumping as long as possible.
“ye ye can I have a go next” Rocket raced towards the first jump and launched himself
into the air about ten times the height of the tiny jump and about three times longer
“wee this is great fun he shouted” with excitement , his legs looked like they were not
attached to the rest of his body, his rear end seemed to take ages to reach the other
side of the jump while his front legs were already heading down the mange to the next
jump, “watch out Rocket you will run into the gate if you don’t turn the corner”
everyone took a step back away just in case he spun out of control.
“It’s ok I can make it” yahoo” Everyone held their breath and crossed their fingers
Story teller: you will have to wait until next time to hear what happens with Rocket,
Paddy, Mazy and the others on Micklewood and sheepwash

See you soon at the show