This morning, I was greeted by only two little innocent Shetland ponies still in their little field. We were minus one.  Waffle.

He had managed to escape.

According to OH, Waffle had made a Waffle-shaped space where the hurdle is securely tied to the shed.  I have no idea how he did this. I lugged a large rock to block any more escapes.

I have no idea how long Waffle had been out and about but at least Tiddles and Albie didn’t go too.  They didn’t want to do “bad things”. So sweet.

There might have been assistance from outside.  I’m not pointing fingers but I won’t lie, it seems pretty obvious to me.

So feeling generous, I opened up a little bit more of the small paddock which has a bit of old grass and docks that was quickly eaten down. I told them once it’s gone, it’s gone.

I also moved the big water bucket so it can be shared by all as well as being filled with the hose so now I don’t have to lug any more buckets of water.

I am optimistic (or stupid) that Waffle won’t tip it up or dance in it.

That should save my back a bit.

Anyway, Waffle is not remotely sorry but seemed quite happy to return to his friends.  Back to their strict régime then.

These are my flower photos for calmness.

I have terrible anxiety at the moment and I am not coping well with it.

I am just about to bring everyone (Shetland pony) home so I can try and monitor all the food going in. It is raining slightly now and I am scared the grass will just explode into growing and Storm will start slowing down, showing signs of laminitis as he gets fatter.

I had to go into town today and drop off more sheep and lambs.  I can’t keep up with the demand. Stressed, I then left town forgetting the other reason I was going in – dammit.  I even had a ruddy list, which I kept consulting, but I had forgotten to put it on.  Luckily OH is going in tomorrow so he can sort that out.  My brain has seized up and I hate feeling like this.

There are other things going on too so here are my calming, peaceful, relaxing flower photos that might bring my over-thinking down a level.

My first sundew in the hill – huzzah!  Favourite plant.

Sorry for the whinge.  Someone once told me that all I did was whinge so I try really hard not to but today I am because that’s all I have.

I think it’s good to have a hobby. It keeps the mind occupied.

The incarcerated Minions’ hobbies include tipping up the water buckets, despite my best efforts, as well as sticking their noseys through the gate and then successfully untying, to throw around, any haynet I anchor down in their hayboxes with knots worth of Houdini.

They are settled in their wee paddock and shed.

The shed has been a god-send.  It is lovely and cool in this hot weather with very few midges or flies.  However, for me, outside the midges have been hellish today.

Anywho, back to new hobbies.  This is Iacs’ latest.

On the pretext of wanting to chat, he likes to hang over the fence and play face biting with anyone who is up for it.

Today it was Waffle and Tiddles’ turn.  I think they gave as good as they got and it is an endless source of amusement for both teams.

Albie is less keen as he is not very good at interaction with others.  He is not that type of chap. Never has been. I think it is because he was an orphan.  He lacks essential social skills, despite Fivla’s best teaching.

My role is waitress. I turn up with food and drink about five times a day, while mucking out as I go.  OH kindly mucks out every morning for me, which is another god-send.  Everyone is very into their soaked fibre-block, which is their afternoon meal.  Iacs obviously has to have a bowl too.

As does anyone else who turns up.

Iacs basically wants anything anyone else is having. That’s one of his new hobbies – wanting – that and biting Minions in a playful and non-damaging way.

The Old Ladies are a nice healthy weight now so I opened the gate and put them in with the remaining Minions.

And with that, Vitamin got her raison d’être back.

While she was living with just Fivla, Vitamin was not very active.

She just tended to mooch about with Fivla with nothing much to do or think about.

But now she is back in with the whippersnappers, Vitamin remembered why she was put on this planet.

….. to tell Storm off!

And, yes, being Storm he got the bucket but only when Vitamin had finished, walked away and said he could have her permission because there was nothing left in it anyway!

So you know.  There ain’t no flies on Vitamin. They wouldn’t dare.

Storm is doing ok but I am watching him like a hawk for any signs of being miserable, lame or stiff. He also gets a daily blob of sunscreen on his nosey.

Newt’s lookin’ good.

As as Silver.

Fivla, of course, is perfect.  While she is happy to be with the others, she does miss Albie very much.

Poor old Bibble had his operation today.  I have been spoiling him pre-op, like giving him leftover soaked fibre-block as a treat. He basically wants everything the Minions have despite having access to 50 acres of lush grazing.

Today, I put Bibble by himself into the wee paddock before the vet and vet nurse arrived for his operation.

Moral support then appeared too and Bibble seemed calm and happy with his lot.

I had scrubbed the small stable as much as I could and, as Bibble was being operated on standing up, so it didn’t have to be too perfect.

Bibble was heavily sedated and “relaxed” so that he would “let down” and was a total jewel about the whole procedure.  There were midges everywhere so we wiped him and sprayed ourselves with anti-midge.

The offending bit was ligatured and promptly fell off onto the floor. It will be sent for histology, etc and hopefully that will be that.  Bibble will be kept in for a while and then back out into his wee paddock.  Just now, I left him eating the Minion’s fibre-block, which he adores so fingers and toes crossed for Bibble.  Antibiotics and painkillers/anti-inflammatories for the weekend.  He was such a good boy.  Everyone said so.  Fingers and toes, folks, please. x