Tuesday 22 October Summary Min 12 Max 18 Rain increasing. Chance of any rain: 95% Rainfall amount: 10 to 20 mm Melbourne area Cloudy. Patchy rain, becoming more extensive in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of thunderstorms from the early afternoon. Light winds. Looking at the above Melbourne forecast for tomorrow, there is only one potential upside, which is that the rain is becoming more extensive late.  This makes me wonder whether I might avoid a soaking tomorrow morning at Moonee Valley?  What are the odds?  My rain covers are already in Melbourne, so at least I don't have to pack them, but I'm feeling gloomy about it, because I want to produce great images of "Chappie", or It's a Dundeel, working tomorrow morning.  It's one of life's real cruelties............

It just wouldn't be a Spring Carnival without Freelance banging herself up and needing bandaging and antibiotics.... I took her bandage off this morning. The top of the leg looks much better, with all the swelling below and around the hock now gone. Not so good lower down, where the wound was clearly deeper and more puncture like, it's swollen and and a tiny bit pussy above and through to the fetlock.  Which made me frown, and sigh while I hosed it.  So I phoned her vet, who's very good and knows the mare and me well, and she was able to leave oral antibiotics and bute for me to collect, which she'll need to be given in my absence. She does it every year.....  She was a very good girl though, while I rebandaged her leg in the cool red bandage on my own, and didn't try to kick me once.  It's not ideal having to put another bandage on, I was hoping to leave it off today, but we are hoping that this course of action will stop the leg deteriorating, wh...

Yesterday was a very long day, and it was well and truly dark by the time I got home. I don't enjoy driving that way home in the dark.  It was a good day though, and while running the Cup so late is taxing and the horses felt the hard track by day's end, the light really was truly pretty.  There's always a lovely friendly feel to the press rooms in Melbourne, and on the big days like Caulfield Cup Day, it did feel as though almost everyone was there. Just last weekend my sister asked me if I'd heard the song "Dog Days are Over", which is by Florence and the Machine.  I have, because I'd heard it at her place, and had downloaded it a while ago.  I love the song.  I love the lyrics as well, because let's face it, any song talking about horses is pretty ok with me.  My sister says she always thinks of me when she hears it..... "Happiness hit her like a train on a track....   The dog days are over The dog days are done Can you hear t...

Here's a little bit of trivia.  Just as I prepare to be able to reduce the amount of traveling I have to do, by actually moving to the city where most of my work is, Qantas upgraded my Frequent Flyer membership to Silver.  I tried out the new gadgets this morning.  First, there is a cool new bag tag.  And a very fancy silver card, that is actually, apparently, once I do an online check-in, actually a boarding pass itself.  Cool eh???  There was a v nice Qantas man who came and talked me through it, because I didn't know whether I should do a bag tag.  I still printed a boarding pass, but apparently, I don't need it...  Amazing..  The fancy bag tag proved tricky to read, but from now on, apparently I don't even need to go to those little check-in booth thingies, and go straight to the bag drop place.  And in another little bit of trivia, a little bit like the lengthening crack in my windscreen, I of course never think about having to...

Today is Friday.  Tomorrow is the Caulfield Cup.  My head aches slightly, because I am still tired.  Maxie sits on my lap as I type.  We spent an hour or so outside on the front step after I returned home from rebandaging Freelance's troublesome hindleg.  It's gradually getting better, and the swelling on the hock is beginning to go down, but it's still sore.  Kaylene met me again, and she yet again had to hold the mare's near foreleg up while I bandaged the hind.  And yes, Freelance tried to kick me.  She missed though.  The leg is now wrapped up again, and although when she tried to kick and the cotton gauze fell off, wiping most of the cream I'd carefully put on, I hope that it will stay intact and be alright to unbandage on Sunday or Monday. I've spent some time repacking suitcases again today.  I long for the day when I'm not living out of a suitcase.  I've spent 5 nights in my house in the past month.  And tomorrow morni...

I arrived home to a couple of disasters. Fortunately Maxie isn't one of them. First, this morning, I noticed that my precious plant looks almost dead. I wrung my hands in despair. Gave it a huge drink. And spent a bit of today wondering whether it may show signs of recovery by tonight. The 2nd was a phone call from Kaylene. My lovely mare Freelance had put her leg through the fence. I asked "has it blown up?", although I already knew the answer. Of course it had. She always does. I surveyed the damage gloomily this morning. Nice up like a balloon. The toad. And sore. And on the hind leg of course. Kaylene agreed to meets this afternoon. Sore and swollen hind leg bandaging with my temperamental mare is a 2 person job. Freelance kicks when she's sore. And she aims too. She is now bandaged up. I'd never have managed it on my own. She got me once. Not hard though. It's not as well bandaged as I would like. Touch wood it will stay on for a day or two, and the...

We are having a final break at Yass. I went to order a coffee, but then realised it would be my third for the day, and all of a sudden I couldn't face it, and what I really wanted was a cup of tea. And to be able to sit quietly. A couple of my friends have spent a bit of time with me on the phone on the drive back which helps me on the long drive home. I never enjoy the drive back. I'm tired. And it seems such a long way. Dan is traveling well, but I grow more conscious of his rattles the further I push him. And find myself wondering how nice it would be to drive a slightly newer car. I don't mean that to be mean Dan. Honestly I don't. You are a good boy. But at 354,336km, I realise that he's getting tired. I made the big decision last night that I would fly instead of driving for Melbourne Cup week. It saves me 2 days in the car. Seeing as I've been home for only 2 days since 18 September, those 2 days suddenly seem worth a lot to me. And given we have...