Six-legged horse

An evening with friends discussing downsizing; we have done it, they are considering it. Do you follow your children? Do you cling to rural views or, given that we are ageing, seek out urban facilities? Is it important to be in a community that includes young people? What do you do with the family-heirloom furniture that is too big for a small house? Do you need bedrooms, or workrooms, or studies? Do you need outbuildings? How do you shed stuff? Can you have a small, manageable garden but not feel hemmed in? Do you need enough space to be separate from your partner? What is the right compromise? How do you choose? Do you trust your own assessment of your wants and needs - how well do you know yourself?

No, we don't have all the answers. No, we weren't smart enough to think all this through in advance. Lots of things here have been unexpected, happy surprises. One of these is charming little views and vistas through the windows that seem to crop up almost daily. The movement of chestnut caught my eye - a perfect contrast to the greens of spring that frame them 

Why do they graze so tightly together like that? A hangover from herd behaviour, I suppose - stick tight together for safety in numbers; occupy the minimum space