The track is becoming increasingly muddier in places so today I tackled one of them by making a larger layby so the ponies can circumnavigate that patch of mud as well as having a bit more to eat.

And this is my next project.  Mud patch #2.  As you can see, it is nearly up to Newt’s belly but he is small (26″ or so) and manages pretty well.

Surprisingly, the ponies don’t mind this particular patch as it is very wet so they almost swim through.  It was the mud from the first area I dealt with first that was getting them down.

But the thought of more food cheered them up.  However, I read them all the Riot Act about laminitis.

After working so hard, I reckoned I deserved a treat, so I went off to the other field with the dogs to see how the sheep were all getting on together.  Today was the first day they had  gone out together as a flock.

Everyone was around so I sat on a rock and waited.

Dahlia and Gussie came running up for a chat and that was lovely.  Dahlia is beginning to realise that Pepper is not going anywhere so she should just give up hating her and trust her instead.  It is work-in-progress.

Ted sensibly sat a safe distance away.

Gussie was on superb huggable form.

He and Pepper are very sweet together.

And this is the first time both of them have sat down close to me, which I take as a huge compliment.  These things can take time.

So a lovely morning achieving things that needed to be achieved. There’s always something.

Courgettes?

Yuck or yum…. as we say in this house.

I was given a few for the ponies from Turriefield yesterday that were unsellable so I thought I would try them out on everyone, after the dreaded worming.

To some they were definitely yum.

I think Fivla liked the fact that courgettes are soft and less like hard work on her teeth, or what’s left of them.  She struggles with the hay, as does Vitamin, but is always easily diverted with anything else.

She is an old lady – she likes soft food.  Less effort.

And, surprisingly, ,Tiddles was the biggest courgette fan.

Courgettes are his thang!  I never knew this.  Go Tiddles.

Everyone got a courgette and I left Storm nosing his one around the field, trying to work out if he liked it or not.  He is probably still there, eight hours later.

Conclusion:
To some, they are most definitely yum.
To others, they are not.
And carrots always win!

Because the sheep are becoming increasingly lame as the wet weather returns, I decided to muck out the sheep shed which was not its best.  It was only meant to be a quick job. Nothing huge.

But, like most things, this small job turned into mammoth task.

Sheep poo has a unique formulation that it sticks like concrete and we had to chip the welded blocks off the rubber matting from the whole area.

Ugh.

A few weeks ago, our electric wheelbarrow arrived and I cannot tell you just how much easier it made the task of lugging everything to the muck heap.

Dumping the old bedding was effortless and for those of you wondering how I can possibly have this – I sold a field and the proceeds have gone into making our lives (and backs) easier this winter working with the animals.

Anywho, we scraped and shovelled all morning and eventually we could see a change.

My afternoon was spent packing vegetables but when I came home…..

….. I found OH had continued with this job and the place was looking even better.

You could eat your supper off the floor.

Dahlia and Gussie were around, occasionally popping by to give encouragement.

OH had spent the afternoon cleaning and  relaying the rubber mats, which had migrated and curled up over the years.  Some needed trimming.

I laid out two bales of wood-shavings first.

And then two bales of straw on top of the shavings.  The perfect sheep bed.

I ache therefore I am so I am going to take every known painkiller in my possession and go to bed now.  That was one huge task.  Never again.

Not much is going along here, which is just how I like it. No dramas, please. I am trying to promote normality with routine in the household, inside and out.

Some take to this better than others and some have absolutely no idea what I am going on about.

The two newbies are becoming familiar faces around the croft.  The sheep are all busy sorting out their hierarchy.  My lot are very snotty but integration is always a slow process. The bullying is calming down slightly so thank you to Maggie and Harrel, who should know better.  Less butting, more invading space and making a point.

When the others have gone away into their field, I feed Dahlia and Gussie often.  They need to put on weight, ready for the winter ahead.

They are very inquisitive sheep and are completely taken with Monster.

He, less so!

I am also treating Gussie’s right eye as it is not as open as the other.  He was very good this morning having drops put in.  These two are tamer than the others.  For hill sheep, this is most odd.

Also, Iacs seems to have perked, which is a huge relief and thank you for all your kind vibes.

He has now rejoined the herd of three and that is all I wanted.

Perhaps he had a sore tummy and worming has helped.  He was due.  In fact, they all are and I have wormer for everyone else – that is my next job for tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, every available minute, I am still making sheep to sell and then there are the diaries.  I am racing through 1938 and WW2 is looming…… oh, the worry.

I will just leave this here.  As I was doing my afternoon chores, I came across this little reprobate looking very hopeful.

I was, of course, immune to his charms! ❤️