Costello

What a great summer I am having.  If you’ve all been wondering where I have been then this post will let you know!  I managed to get a new job for the season – walking Alpacas along the coastal path between Wells-next-the-Sea and Stiffkey.  It has been a really great experience so far and I look forward to many more treks before the season ends.

Sadly not many people book treks during the winter months.  I’m not too sure why, except for the weather factor of course.  One would assume people still walk during the winter – indeed there are plenty of people out on the beaches when I take my dog out over the winter months, and not all have dogs to walk.  So I wonder why they don’t enjoy the experience of trekking with the Alpacas while they are walking.

The man I work for has six Alpacas, two groups of three.  You can see all the guys (they are all boys) here: Alapaca Trekking.  Above is a photo of Costello, the leader of the second group.  They are about two and a half years old now and came a year after the first group, who are about three and a half.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I got this job.  I have really missed working with animals since the horse project finished.  These guys are a great step in the right direction for me.  I get fresh air and exercise and they are so lovely to be with.

If you are in North Norfolk anytime book a trek.  I’ll see you there!

Living near the coast one of my greatest ways to relax is to sit somewhere I can see the sea, smell the salt on the air, feel the sand under my feet.  It’s so peaceful just sitting quietly, listening to the waves washing onto the beach.

Another way I relax is here on the internet.  I sometimes play a game (Farmville is my favourite!  Sad, I know but Tracey Peapell plays too so it’s not just me!), I visit interesting blogs and enjoy reading the variety of entries (check out the blog rolls alongside here for other interesting blogs to visit), and I maintain this blog, and one or two others.

I am currently undertaking a ’100 blog comments challenge’ during August that was the brainchild of Steve King and Jacinta Dean.  You can check out the list of other contributors on the dedicated page listed in the sidebar.  The purpose of the challenge is for any participant to publish one post in the month of August and try to achieve 100 comments on that one post.  Everyone visiting is also encouraged to socially bookmark the post after leaving their comment.  This is my challenge post.

So to help me reach my target leave me a comment and tell me, how do you relax?

Enjoy the journey.

A few years ago my partner went on a course in Wales, ‘Healer, Communicator, Horse Whisperer’.  The course was an experience never to be forgotten, and local horses have benefitted from the great learning that took place throughout the 9 month course.

Now the herd are struggling.  We have just been advised that they are in need of funding, and the owner of the herd, who is also the course leader, would like to register the project as a charity.  This would enable her to tap into a vast amount of funding that is only available to charitable trusts.  In order to register for charitable status the sum of £7,000 must be raised, and fairly quickly, to enable the project to apply for grants to ensure the future of the project.

This week my partner and I will travel to Wales to help the project move to a new home.  In the meantime we hope to raise some funding via our email requests and a display encouraging donations that we have put into our art gallery.

The project has a great website and have asked for people to donate the sum of £10, making them a ‘friend’ of the herd.  In return everyone who joins as a friend will get an invitation to meet the herd at an open day to be held in Wales next year.  I can’t wait for the open day, as I know the project will get the money they need.  There are so many people who love animals enough to give this very small sum of money.

You can visit the project website at World Of Whispers and see for yourself what wonderful work they do.  You might even be tempted to donate that £10!  Donations can also be made via paypal to helen@helenwingstedt.com.  Do something amazing today – save a herd of horses.

Enjoy the journey.

This weekend we are off to Scotland.  Our friends are both 50 and they are holding a joint party on Saturday night.  One of the pair has been in training for a couple of years for a challenging 10 mile swim from Ailsa Craig to Girvan.  Her swim takes place on Saturday afternoon and part of the plan for the weekend is to join the party that greets her on her arrival in Girvan.

Although I have been aware of the swim, the fund raising, the challenge, for the last two years I didn’t really know anything about it.  I mentioned it to someone yesterday and they said ‘what is Ailsa Craig?’  I didn’t know so thought I’d look it up on the internet.  During my search up popped a blog my friend has been keeping of her progress during training.  I was fascinated to read her journal, and it is so well written and so amusing in places I thought I would share the link with you all.  Take a look, and especially read the post that confirms that ‘chocolate makes you float’!

http://rossurtees.blogspot.com/ and if you would like to make a donation visit http://www.ailsacraigswimchallenge.moonfruit.com/.

What a way to celebrate your 50th birthday!

Enjoy the journey.

Even though I love my gaming and the internet in general we must all remember to meet people in real life from time to time too!