Back Valley to Cowra and back again.

we left on Friday morning, a 3 am start, picked up R at a bit after 4 am and on the road to the big Pony 2 day sale held at Bamborough Stud Cowra NSW.we were looking at an Imperial Welsh A filly and R at a Bamborough Welsh B mare.
After all the fiddling with a float I finally collected Tabbys which was big but pulled very well.
We did seem to go through a lot of petrol to get there though!
Bother some of these are in the wrong order. At Pinaroo when we stopped for petrol around 6 am, the power was out and thank heaven we had enough to fill up over the border, this is our rig in the second photo.
We met swarms of locusts all over the place but they were worse coming home. The view of the road shows the red soil and locust splatter on the wind screen.
We got to West Wyalong on the first afternoon and had time for a wander around the town before a relatively early night.
Up early the next morning for the 2 hour drive to Cowra and on a bit further to the sale, arriving at about 10 am.
The first photo is of the sight of a paddock of brood mares who were to be sold, then on our way home out of the gates, ponies in the back ground, Sarah and R shutting the gate, and the view across the paddocks to what I call 'Fred Williams' hills, he was a painter who loved these hills.
Tomorrow I will put up the photos of the lovely Japanese garden at Cowra.
Sarah bought her pony and R didnt just buy one but three, a filly on the first day and then the lovely mare and filly foal on the next. The prices on ours were reasonable but prices on others were huge and almost ridiculous.
We went back to celebrate with champagne and a dinner out.
It was lovely, met up with so many old friends and some new ones. All very tiring but exciting too.
We stayed in Cowra for 2 nights and as the sale finished relatively early on the Sunday sat and caught up with people, and had time to relax and wander, that is when we went to the Japanese garden.
We had aimed to make the trip home in 2 days but as we got to the town we were going to stay in at around midday, and it was very hot we decided to head for home. 15 hours drive but we had quite a few stops to give the ponies water, fill up with petrol and we seemed to eat a few ice creams to keep us going!
We were up at 5 am the ponies were loaded before 7 am and we here home around 10 pm.
Sarah and I shared the driving this time.
I ache and am tired but have been up and about, washing cleaning etc, about to go to the physio as I wrenched a knee slightly, not the bad one the other one!!
Not looking forward to Thursday and the knee ream out but lots to do before that happens.
It was very hot driving yesterday and is hot here today, we are not used to this sudden burst of heat and the poor garden looks a bit miserable so some hoses on tonight.
We also came home to a new filly foal and one cat dead from snake bite, not mine, one of Sarah's daughters, very sad but this is a farm and these things happen.
I think John and Oscar were pleased to see me. I loved the trip but it is nice to be home.