While I was waiting for a friend to get back home, I sat on a rock with the sheep and we had a lovely chat.

Mostly I talked to Harrel-the-Barrel and his friend ‘Ster.  And then Lambie came up for a scratch and so did Maggie.  They were brief as there was something going on with them two.

Harrel was practising his best photographic pose.

He was trying to convince me that he would be this year’s Easter card.

He even gave me his best Winning Smile, which is good but not as good as some.

(Lambie from yesterday)

But I have to admit Harrel’s is not too shoddy.

So I gave in and said, ok, you’re it!  Happy Easter everyone! xx

As it was such a lovely morning, I walked down the hill to the ponies’ field where I found Lambie had snuck in by himself.

We had a bit of a special moment together (I got to hug him) – which, of course, no one will believe as they weren’t there. He was in an especially good mood.

And then I moved on to talk to the Minions who were very happy eating and enjoying the wonderful, if rarely seen, sunshine.

Waffle

Magnificent Silver, who was surprisingly friendly too. It must be the sunshine.

And Tiddles’ nose.

Newt was standing uphill on the other side of the valley and, for once in his life, he was taller than me.  He liked that idea and kindly helped me climb up the hill with me hanging onto his tail.

Albie was in pensive mood.

And Storm *** sigh *** – yes, you guessed right, I did spend the first part of my morning trying to catch him so he could eat some breakfast and then try and catch him again, to put him back with his friends.  He is not learning the routine. Not even slightly.

I don’t think he intends to while I am there to run after him.

Every morning the Shetland ponies leave their field and walk up the hill to where their breakfast bowls are located.

Every morning. Nothing has changed.

The old ladies don’t want to climb the hill, so they get their buckets at the bottom of the hill, by the gateway to their field.  They know this.

Everyone except, that is, Storm who apparently has no brain.

He just gallops around the field hysterically refusing to listen to me, follow all his friends or use his brain.  I have decided this is because he probably doesn’t have one.

So I eventually caught him when he came trotting up to me, out of breath, miserable and obviously starving.  I led him through the gateway and he galloped up to his breakfast, or what was left of it as he had spent so much time pratting about.

Afterwards, I went up and caught him, put a headcollar on and led him down the hill to the gateway, where he, again went all stupid and ripped the rope out of my hand, missing going through the gate and then couldn’t work out how to follow all his friends, yes all, who knew how to walk through a gateway and were now happily back in their field.

So I walked around to where Storm was and, when he had stopped galloping about hysterically, getting himself caught on the rope, and generally being a tit, I caught him again and led him back to the gateway, making him listen to me and not to his own voices.

Once I let him go, I could see he realised he had been a bit stupid.  He was now embarrassed.  Yesterday was the same behaviour.  I hope he learns quickly. I am sorely tempted to leave him outside the fence, but I know he would trash it.

Guess who came on the dog-walk with me?  It wasn’t even a particularly sunny or nice day but still Monster whinged and walked with us.  It was nice to have the company.  The dogs always rush off, possibly disowning me.

However, Monster had one small mishap when he under-estimated the depth of the ditch he wanted to cross and so very nearly fell in head-first!  His front end was filthy and clarted in dirty ditch-water mud (yes, I was trying very hard not to laugh – poor chap).

And then he wasn’t. All the mud had immediately vanished – just a slight bit on his paw and manly chest and chin.  Whatever that cat is made of, should be marketed as totally stain-proof.

Feline Rampant (heraldry terminology).

And we walked the whole circuit of the ponies’ track together.

We all climbed over (me) or through (Pepper and Monster) or under (Ted) the fence and walked along the burn for a while.

Monster is so intrepid and yet, so clean.  How?

And by the time we got home, you would never have known that Monster had been, albeit briefly, a brown muddy cat.  He has magical qualities, I tell you.

And, yes, I folded, and let the ponies back into their field as their track is so wet and very muddy even after a few days.  My new plan – track during the daytime and inner field evening and night.  I have no will power.  There, I’ve said it.

Yesterday, we woke up to snow – not a huge amount but enough to be annoying for everyone but I refused to put open a new bale and start lugging hay everywhere.

And so, after breakfast, I opened the gate and let all the Shetland ponies into the middle of their track field where the grass is slightly longer and easier to find.

Oh, they were one happy little herd, bouncing around everywhere.

Lots of galloping and playing silly-billies, which was sweet to see and confirmed no one has laminitis….. yet.

But the sun shone all day and the snow quickly melted leaving me thinking the ponies don’t need to be in that field anymore.

There was no way I would get them to leave their new found happy place without a huge bribe, but by this morning they were all lined up at the gate wanting to go and get their routine breakfast bucket.

After a bit of a muddle trying to work out how to walk through a large empty gap where the spring-gate had been, they all went up and ate their breakfast.  I closed the spring-gate and told them they were all back on the track.

And that went down badly.  They finished their buckets and all left in a sulky fashion looking longingly at their previous field.  I am finding it very difficult to stay firm about this but the spring grass will soon arrive and with it will come laminitis unless I keep them away.