An Owl Called Willow (and Other Animals)

On a breezy but sunny day, the children and I loaded the boot of the car with a substantial picnic, blankets, rain coats and sunhats and set off for the annual Anglesey County Show.  Pea's boyfriend came with us but we left the dogs at home.  We took them for a 3 mile walk the day before, so didn't feel too guilty about it.  Besides, they would have hated being dragged through thousands of pairs of legs anyway; much nicer for them to enjoy the peace and comfort of their own baskets at home.  The show ground was humming with activity and excitement when we arrived but there was plenty of room to look around and enjoy the atmosphere.  I love a country show and as we haven't been for quite a few years, I was all set for a grand day out.

I have a thing for owls; they are so elusive and hardly ever seen during daylight hours, which gives them an air of mystery.  We are so fortunate as to hear tawny owls in the trees at the back of the house, but as yet I haven't had the pleasure of seeing one.  Shows like this one give us all the chance to get up close with these gorgeous birds and even touch them.  Willow was one obliging young lady!  She is 7 months old and has a sister called Wendy.  Her mum was rescued and cared for by the falconry society who then reared the two eggs she laid.  Willow and Wendy are so used to people handling them, they took the whole thing in their stride and were very relaxed about being stroked and photographed.  She was so beautiful it made my day to be so close to her.  Thank you Willow!

Leaving Pea and Boyf to go their own way, the boys and I set off in search of more animal excitement!  I soon spotted the big shed that housed the cows waiting to be taken into the show ring.  Oh goody, I thought and mentioned it to the boys.  H1 looked at me aghast.  Are you mad woman?  It seemed to say.  'Now what?'  I asked.  'I am not going in there,'  he replied, waving a finger in the direction of the shed and the huge sign that read 'BULLS' in giant letters.  'Oh, it's fine,' I replied airily, 'Come with me, please.'  H2 joined in the protest and hoped to add weight to the argument against being flattened by rampaging bovines.  'You two are such cowards!', I said and headed for the shed.  This seemed to galvanise them into action. 'Wait!  We're coming with you!'  Presumably they had decided to throw themselves in the path of any bull intent on goring their mother.  Sweet.

H1 sagged with relief when he saw that all the bulls and indeed the cows and calves too, were in fact, tied securely to railings.  'Oh, I thought they'd be loose!'  he confessed.  Silly boy, as if I'd go in there if they were.  I breathed in the sweet, clean smell of fresh straw and bovine breath.  Lovely.  The animals all looked relaxed and content as if they did this every day of their lives.  The people milling around them did nothing to faze them and they just waited patiently for their turn to shine in the ring.

Some of these creatures were seriously huge...

  Others were just gorgeous..

And some were feeling a little uncomfortable...

It may be show day but cows still need to be milked!  I was thoroughly enjoying myself among the straw and animals, but the boys had seen enough, so we set off to appease H1 and find some cars.  I am not a car person at all, but seeing the delight on his face when he found a BMW i8 (or something) gave me as much pleasure as it did him.  He waited in the line for his turn to sit in said vehicle and then slunk down in the leather seats and held the wheel like a pro.  He beamed and said 'I'm going to save up for one of these!'  On the pocket money I give him, he'd have to live to be five hundred and two.

By now H2 was looking slightly grey and not at all happy.  He isn't into cars, hates crowds and being dragged about looking at things he has no interest in.  So knowing that the only thing that would revive him was food, we went back to the car for the picnic.  Pea and Boyf found us near the horses so we walked back together.  We had planned to sit on the grass to eat, but it was too windy, so Pea and I sat in the boot with the door up and handed food and cups of dandelion and burdock to the boys.  Very Famous Five!  Having given up on enjoyment for the boys for the time being, Pea and I decided to hunt for the poultry tent and look at hens.  We trudged off, well fed and for some a little happier than before lunch, having gone from sullen silence to hysterical giggling in one chicken drumstick and a cheese cob.

The poultry tent is a peaceful place.  Hens are not prone to galloping about and being noisy.  H2 seemed to enjoy this experience a lot more than the bulls.  I long to keep hens again but it will have to wait until the small matter of getting a job is dealt with first.  Anyway, I could certainly take pleasure from looking at the bevvy of beauties on display here.  Typically, Pea spotted a cage with two pretty white Pekin bantams residing within and a For Sale card slotted into the bars.  She turned to me with a pleading expression and begging words on her lips, but I cut her short before she got into the flow.  I can be a hard woman at times!

Not sure what variety this little one is, but she looks surprised to find herself bedecked in such an alarming array of feathers.  After leaving the chickens and geese (reluctantly) behind, H1 noticed a peregrine falcon soaring about above the crowd.  We tracked down the handler in the countryside arena and went to watch and listen.   There was a tent nearby where the birds waited on their perches until it was time for them to work.

After a bit more falcon doting and some dog agility action, the afternoon was waning and everyone was getting tired and a bit peckish again.  Some just needed a nap...

But the little ones needed something a bit more substantial to keep them going...

The wind got up and the sun hid behind gathering clouds giving us our cue to think about leaving.  On the way back to the car we bought some allium bulbs;  fifty to be exact.  I could have bought lots more but remembered that I am trying to save up for roses for my garden, so restricted myself to the alliums.  Back at home we stood about in the kitchen and finished the picnic.  The dogs were excited to see us home but seemed none the worse for being left for the day.  Despite a few minor complaints from H2 about the crowds (can't blame him for that), it was a lovely day out and one we will certainly repeat next year.  Although I may leave any reluctant children at home to dog sit.

Thank you for reading and have a good day.xxx