Happy Easter 2011 Everyone

Hello everyone it’s Motoko blogging here this afternoon!

Well it’s Easter which is always a fantastic time of the year, as it means I can get away with eating too much chocolate and my wife can’t stop me. Well she can and normally does but it’s always worth a darn good try I think.

Before the blog starts lets check out the forecast for my little part of Cumbria.

Well isn’t this shocking, Cumbria looks like its having a heat wave with tropical temperatures, this I know will not last but me and my family really are making the best of it. I did say tropical temperatures didn’t I, well the temperatures are tropical for Cumbria I assure you. Our part of Cumbria is mostly overcast and damp, with plenty of rain so you can see why I am really happy that it’s dry and warm for once.

Me and the family (me, Jenny and our daughter Amanda) just been touring kayaking Friday and Saturday and we just got back now, we really are making the best of the great weather while it lasts. Breathable waterproofs are a must when it comes to kayaking in this weather, but we did have a heavy thundery downpour last night as you paddled to where we were going to set up camp for the night. Below is my trusty helmet I use for white water kayaking, kayaking in general and white water rafting. I has seen better days but it still works and still provides protection. It’s resting on some Icelandic 66N rainwear we use for work when leading a trek out.

So it is Easter, and me and a few of my friends planned a fun Easter picture for you all. I took the photograph, my wife Jenny modelled for us. Moria designed the shot and Sam Mia provided the cuddly rabbit. It really was fun to do and it was a joint effort, Jenny is wearing a rubber catsuit form honour, and this may be mature for some viewers but there is no adult theme or anything rude so it is safe to view. The picture is below, we think it turned out well and it makes us smile which is good.

Well that is it for now everyone, we shall blog again soon. I am off to sort things out for the Easter BBQ we have going. We have Moria and Sam Mia around for it; they have brought drinks and some fantastic farm shop food to go with the BBQ.

Take care, everyone.

Click the banner to learn about our wonderful paradise in England, which Is Cumbria.

As always we are supporting the RNLI, click the banner below to find out what the RNLI is all about and what do can do to help and support them.

Jenny and Motoko Carter

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We are both alive and well honest!

Hello you lot, its Jenny blogging this morning.

Me and Motoko have been ever so busy of late (I know we always say that don’t we) been doing so many things at once and putting so many eggs in one basket (that’s not an Easter pun I assure you) that we have found it hard to find the time to just chill out and relax. But this week we have found the time as we have booked a week off and we don’t care if work falls into ruin we really need time off so we gave ourselves some.

Before the blog starts in its entirety lets have that all important Cumbrian weather forecast for the next few days. We do this as a matter of habit now I think, but someone out there may find it handy so we keep on doing it.

So then why have we been really busy? I shall tell you why. After Motoko flew out to Japan, Kyoto to sort out and attend her fathers funeral I had just started proceedings to buy out the yard from the current owner. I and Motoko have been playing with this idea for a while as we could see that the owner of the yard we worked at had simply lost interest in it. So as you can guess I had a lot of work to do, paperwork to sort out and attend solicitor meetings and all sorts, and they owner of the yards farther made it a rocky ride. Without Motoko t support me I felt very much alone and lost at all the meetings but each night me and Motoko had webcam chats so that cheered me up and set me up for each day to come.

After New Year the yard was ours and we have been working very hard to transform the yard from a riding school to a horse trekking centre. We have sold a lot of the horses and brought in tough native breeds that can handle that kind of work. While all that is going on we have the builders in taking down some old log cabins and putting up some new ones to replace them, newer modern ones in which guests can stay. The yard will still offer livery although it will be reduced and we shall still be offering lessons but that will also be reduced. Motoko and I know this is a massive gamble but we are determined to make this project work, and we have a lot of responsibility now that we are the new owners.

So then now onto other news, as you know we have fostered a young person before which ended happily by Motoko’s older sister adopting the young girl we fostered. Well early this year despite the entire goings on at work, we decide to foster again and this time we got a seventeen year old girl to foster called Amanda. I and Motoko have a really good life, we have a 24/7 alternative lifestyle which we would never give up, we have our own home, a good job and we really enjoy our lives together. But something was always making us feel that there was one part of us that needs to be filled in to make our lives complete. That part was to have a child or adopt one, Amanda is a really bright, energetic young women and very loyal and had no problems with mine and Motoko’s alternative lifestyle or our work commitments. She also didn’t mind living in the middle of know where in Cumbria! So one evening me and Motoko had a long talk which went long into the night and then spoke to Amanda in the morning about the conversation me and Motoko had the night before. We asked her would she like to become our daughter and for us to adopt her rather than just foster her. She got very tearful and gave us a big long hug. Rest is personal and a long story but she said yes! After much paperwork and visits and all sorts of red tape things she is now Amanda Carter, our daughter.

Well that is really it for now, sorry it wasn’t that interesting and it was rather short I know but we shall be blogging more very soon.

Take care, everyone.

Click the banner to learn about our wonderful paradise in England, which Is Cumbria.

As always we are supporting the RNLI, click the banner below to find out what the RNLI is all about and what do can do to help and support them.

Jenny and Motoko Carter

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It’s Bank Holiday Monday, and Yes We Are Working!

It’s Bank Holiday Monday, and Yes We Are Working!

Hello bloggers it’s Jenny here, I finished work half an hour early to do some paperwork but thought I would type up a short blog too! Well as normal on a Bank Holiday me and Motoko are working, I can’t remember when we have given ourselves a bank holiday off. Best not think about it as it may depress us if we remember how long ago really actually did give ourselves a Bank Holiday off. Today was very lacking in customers, which is normal for a Bank Holiday in August, we did have a children’s group lesson this evening but that was basically the sum total of customers apart from people who keep their horses or ponies here on D.I.Y Livery.

Before we set off with the main blog, here is the Cumbrian forecast!

To keep Motoko happy, here is the Kyoto forecast as well.

Well had a feed delivery today and some of the feed inside the sacks where gone off, musty and mouldy. This is a real pain as we will have to wait for them to be collected and swapped with good sacks of feed. This will not happen until this Friday, so Motoko had to get some feed else where to tie us over until Friday! Picture below is how shocking the feed was.

Saber my new horse decided he would go and trash his new rug today as well, naughty horsey. Yes, I am talking to you Saber! While he was busy ripping his nice rug open he also ripped himself apart as well. *sighs*. Luck we could sort it out without the need of our local equine vet.

Chilly today and was raining on and off, so the ground is really very soggy again. But not very flooded now at the moment so we are all hoping that the ground will not so water logged to a point where we will have very little turn out. One reason we have Ocean Crewman© waterproofs and Dickies coveralls is that Cumbria can be harsh to work outside in and was glad to have warm coveralls today.

Motoko brought some fly wipes that keep flies away from horses, you can use them around areas of the horse that the horse my not like to be sprayed with repellent for insects. They are great for doing around the horse’s eyes and face, so we highly recommend them.

I am not a great fan of rubber riding boots but I decided to give them ago since the ground been so mucky of late and although I don’t mind riding in hunters I prefer not to. So got some toggi rubber riding boots to wear when it’s muddy and when I have to ride and I have to say that although they are not as good as leather ones they are good. Was surprised that they were fairly comfortable as well, and fairly hard wearing and a reasonable price.

Me and Motoko spent the weekend at our friends Sam Mia and Moira fields home, which was a nice welcome break. We have a few good lay-ins which we really needed and the company was great. Sunday we watched F1 which was one of the best F1 races of 2010. So Sunday morning me and Motoko got up, after spending the night in a single bed together, we could have spent in the two singles but Motoko climbed in with me. Had a epic full English breakfast cooked by Sam Mia and then me and Motoko went back to bed, but used Sam Mia’s and Moria’s bed (as it’s a double) for two more hours sleep where we were not cramped into a single bed. Then got up, had shower and then settled down to watch the F1, while having the lap data flowing on laptop screen next to us. After the race we had post race chat as we always did. Had a game of monopoly afterwards and then Motoko in the evening cooked a fantastic ramen dish for us all and then we left after we finished the game of monopoly.

Going to be my turn to cook tonight, and me and Motoko want an early night so going to do a cheat meal and put two twelve inch oven pizzas into our Rayburn for dinner tonight. May wash it down with a bottle of ruddles county, which our favourite ale at the moment.

So I shall finish blogging for today and change out of work gear and have a cuppa and relax for a while with Motoko who has just arrived in from work. Take care all.

Click the banner to learn about our wonderful paradise in England, which Is Cumbria.

As always we are supporting the RNLI, click the banner below to find out what the RNLI is all about and what do can do to help and support them.

Jenny and Motoko Carter

Our Online Gaming Playstaion 3 ID

Cumbrian vixens are back and bright eyed and bushy tailed as ever!

Hey there everyone its Motoko blogging today! Well long time no see huh guys? Sorry we have not been blogged for, it seems almost a whole year. But this year of 2010 has been a long and busy one and as always I and Jenny are working all hours to keep things going well at the yard. Cumbria recovered from the flooding almost and our trekking centre has recovered at last but it took a good three months. Our great friend Sam Mia has also left the Royal Navy in March 2010 after 18 years and is now working for us at our trekking centre. So far she is getting on really well, and everyone here very supportive towards here which is great to see! I also had to have time off work as I got appendicitis and had to have an operation, and Jenny had to have her arm re-pinned but apart from that heath wise we are both fantastic! Was also mine and Jenny’s wedding anniversary on 15th December 2009 in which I cooked a massive meal for me and Jenny and opened a bottle of a very good homemade wine.

Before I continue properly, it’s time for that important Cumbrain weather forecast.

Also let’s see what the weather forecast is like in Kyoto, Japan.

Well I and Jenny had learnt the hard way last year when it comes to not taking time off and enjoying ourselves. We had very little time off last year and this year we where starting to feel it. Began to feel extremely worn out and moody and so we started this year to take a little bit more time off work and because of this we are feeling slightly more refreshed than what we did before we took time off. We work Monday to Thursday 5am till 5pm so we always have three days to recover. But one of the days is taken up by food shopping and house work as normal. So we have been getting away a little bit more even if it’s just a day away. We have been spending weekends on our Beneteau First 31.7 yacht, by ourselves and sometimes with other friends. Not taken it out for a sail for a while, just popped down to stay on it for a weekend, just to get a change of scenery. There is nothing more relaxing than snuggling up with Jenny and reading a good book and feeling the boat lightly rock. The Southampton Boat Show is on the 10th till 19th September 2010 and I know that Sam Mia is going with her wife, but who else is going?

Playing and listening to music is also a big part of our lives, and we have been playing a lot more music together as well, which is greatly needed as its relaxing. I and Jenny are massive Muse fans and I and Jenny play muse songs a lot with my Ritsuko who is my Japanese friend who is working here. Sam Mia also joins in now and then, it’s normally Jenny on drums or violin, me on my MB-1 guitar, Ritsuko on Bass Guitar and Sam Mia on violin or keyboard. Sam Mia is a massive a-ha fan and so we play a few a-ha songs to please her, I have to say that I rather like a-ha now since I have been around Sam Mia more. What’s more Morten Harket, is in his fifties and doesn’t look a day over thirty, I hope I age as he does.

If you remember a blog we posted called “Enter… The Dragoness!” posted on December 7, 2009 we have a friend called Esumi, well she has been visiting again, as like last time she came over from Japan she has been lending a helping hand on the yard. She also packed her Kendo hear so me and her and indeed Jenny and my big sister Sarah and her daughter have been doing Kendo together for the duration of Esumi’s stay. Me, Esumi, Sarah are on the same grade in Kendo but Jenny and my big sisters daughter are beginners. Doesn’t take the fun out of it and our Kendo sessions become mini tournaments and lessons as well.

Ritsuko has become interested in the subject of the English and their tea time”. Because of this she has started to buy a vast range of teas and has in fact started to write a book on which biscuit goes well with what tea. I think she is on something like page forty so she isn’t doing badly. Her aim is to produce a book to help Japanese tourists enjoy an English tea time when they come to the United Kingdom for a holiday. It’s an interesting idea and I really hope that she can pull it off!

Well I think that this is all that I can blog for now, but we shall blog again very soon.

Click the banner to learn about our wonderful paradise in England, which Is Cumbria.

As always we are supporting the RNLI, click the banner below to find out what the RNLI is all about and what do can do to help and support them.

Jenny and Motoko Carter

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Enter… The Dragoness!

Good evening to you all, it’s Motoko blogging tonight, and before I say anymore about the topic in the title I want to talk about the weather.

The weather is at last coming to its senses and it’s stopped pouring it down now which means that the lane is slowly becoming less flooded and is still dropping. By the end of the week the flooded lane will just be a normal lane again, although it will need to be swept clear as I am sure that a lot of silt and rocks will be on the bottom of it. It’s still deep enough to canoe on still which is our only way to get away from the stables at the moment, as not even my Jeep will able to drive thought it at the moment. Below is a screen shot of the forecast for a small area of Cumbria, less rain so it’s all good. Looks like it will be a little bit gray though but its better than more flooding.

Now I will tell you what the blog title is all about. The Dragoness is my very good friend called Esumi, and she is also a member of Dark Cherry, but not any old member of Dark Cherry. She is the top model and is a figure heard of the club, so she is well known in the club, which if you don’t know Dark Cherry is in Kyoto in Japan. She arrived a few days ago but due to the flood stayed in a local Bread and Breakfast for a night and then the day after got a taxi to drive to edge of our flooded lane and then we canoed to her and picked her up and took her to our home. She is here for two weeks and already she is helping out at the stables so she is also very useful. We have already done a small fun shoot army style directed by Esumi, not for my Dark Cherry profile but a fun shoot for my personal blog on the Dark Cherry’s website. Esumi also was the bringer of my favourite brand of green tea, which I am hooked on. Pictures of my favourite green tea brand are pictured below. Esumi is now a physical education teacher at school in Kyoto but before that she was a member of Japan Air Self-Defence Force, her nickname was Dragoness and she has carried across that nickname for her Dark Cherry profile and model name.

For all of thoughts who would like to know the area where I grew up in I have taken a few photographs to show you. I love Kyoto but I love Cumbria more so, I wouldn’t give up Cumbria for anything in the world.

Below is the week’s weather forecast for Kyoto, very different from Cumbria!

If you wish to learn more about Kyoto click my banner I made below.

Final Fantasy XIII is at long last made real and the date for release is 2009-12-17 of course that is the Japanese date for release. The English copy of the game is out on 2009-03-09, which Jenny has reordered, but sadly for her my Japanese copy will be here just after Christmas. Jenny also can’t fully understand Japanese so looks like she will be jealous while I play it in front of her. Below is a video of Final Fantasy XIII.

While we are on the subject of Christmas Me and Jenny should be going out to Kyoto but this may not happen due to the resent flooding and so on. We shall have too see, and if we can’t go out to Kyoto we will do what we do every year which is have a nice small joint of beef and spend it together with no one else. Eat the dinner in front of our log fire and then snuggle up and red a good book and have some nice background music on. Must remember to stock up on log as soon as the flooded lane is fully clear, as we can’t fit all the logs we need into our canoe *laughs*

Work at the moment is a little less hectic and things are starting to go back to normal now at last I can say with great relief. Once the lane is clear our customers will return and we shall get the part time staff back in as well to work. This means that me and Jenny will have our days off totally clearly as at the moment we are still working the mornings on the days we have off. But all the staff here has been really supportive and helpful and I can’t fault their gallant efforts at all, they are a good team. Jenny’s sign on the gate is still up and always make me laugh when I think of it, although the paint has ran slightly but you can see what and read it. With my friend Esumi lending a hand she had ti be kitted out of our work uniform and she borrowed some of my stuff including a pair of coveralls, which are slightly too big for her but looks funny. Coveralls are photographed below, red is not that bright its just the light =^.^=

Also I am still supporting the RNLI for all the good work they have done in our small English paradise that is Cumbria. So please support them and click on the banner below. Also see a video below of the RNLI in Cumbria.

That’s it for now!

Jenny and Motoko Carter

Our Online Gaming Playstaion 3 ID

A Change in the Weather!

Good evening one and all it’s Motoko Blogging tonight. As my blogs title says the weather is indeed starting to change and it’s about time too. The flooded lane at the bottom of our drive way has started to drop and the distance that the lane as flooded has decreased dramatically. Me and Jenny geared up and put our canoe on the flooded lane to check how far the flood was now, and that’s when we found that the water level had dropped. So we paddled back slightly happier knowing that things are changing for the better at last. It’s still raining here but that doesn’t matter, its Cumbria after all isn’t it! Below is the new forecast for our area of Cumbria.

We are still unable to leave the stables and so on so we are still working the mornings that we normally have off, but it’s not as bad as I could have been. I made a good call saying that our staff should wear our 66N waterproofs we use for hacking out and leading treks, rather than our Ocean Crewman waterproofs while the flooding is on. As it’s been so mistily with fog and hard rain and its very slippery on the yards and the fields are potted. Anna sipped up and twisted her ankle, it was hard and raining hard, but we found her as she showed up well. Once the harsh weather has stopped we will use our Ocean Crewman for working in and our 66N for riding and stuff in. Still I and Jenny took our doggy out for a stroll around the yard and we chose to wear our Musto gear for a change, some of our Musto gear is pictured below.

If you want to know what 66N looks like this is a photograph of our stuff. As for our Ocean crewman is Orange and Blue bib pants and smock, and they are sort of hi-viz but you will have to look Ocean Crewman up s our gear has our yard name on it and I am too lazy to edit the name out off them hehe.

Tonight I am going to make homemade spicy potato edges, with fresh carrots and broccoli. This will all go with my homemade stake and ale pie, which is currently in our Ray Burn and it’s making an awesome smell as I type this. Jenny is curled up on Sofa next too me reading one of her favourite books “The Wind In The Willows” she hasn’t head it for years. I my self have been playing Uncharted: 2 online, below is a score walkthrough from one of my co-op matched I played this evening.

Cumbria has updated its Flood Bulletin made by Cumbria’s public sector organisations, click on the picture below for the 27/11/09 update.

Click the banner to learn about our wonder paradise in England, which Is Cumbria.

I am still going to show my support for the RNLI, as they have done so much good work in Cumbria.

Right I must be off to finish off dinner, and then relax before our mornings work tomorrow morning.

Jenny and Motoko Carter

Our Online Gaming Playstaion 3 ID