My day did not go to plan.

Yes, it started well. Everyone in their place, eating their breakfast without a fight. Huzzah.

And I was pleased for that, although Haakon disgraced himself when he bit Fivla’s bottom (much to her utter horror).

Then, as my day unravelled, it slowly distintegrated.

Flossie and I went to town in the horsevan with the purpose of bringing a large round bale of  hay home as well as the contents of Tesco’s.  It was not to be. While horse-feed was being loaded into my van, it was mentioned that I had a flat tyre.  This was quickly inflated and we quickly limped our way to the local and luckily nearby tyre centre, only to be told they were far too busy to help us. And I couldn’t find the spare (I discovered it later propping up a fence at home). To be fair, the garage reinflated the tyre again and told us to drive home asap.  This we did, not stopping for the hay bale or Tesco’s.  Dammit.

To make up for this, and my depression of a flat tyre (possibly a corroded rim and a whole new wheel needed), I walked down the hill to the field where the sheep were.

I wanted to see if the wild primroses had started.

They had and that immediately cheered me up.  I do love the first sign of primroses.

Flossie was Queen of Sheep as well.

And that’s Lambie’s face that says he loves just about anybody else in the whole world apart from me!

Meh to everyone then.

It was a lovely sunny morning and Flossie arrived home for a long weekend (lovely).

So, of course, I immediately put her to work and we moved the three old Icelandic horses to the large back field, where they will stay until Autumn.  Well, that’s the plan.  This is where Fivla and Vitamin are already living.

So we had Haakon and Kolka on headcollars, trusting Iacs to follow.  How stupid was I?  I didn’t listen to Floss who said I should’ve led Iacs and of course, he got distracted and left behind.

But we put Kolka and Haakon in the field, where FIvla and Vitamin were.  I thought it would be good for them to have some company of their own age.  More friends to talk to.

Haakon was his usual self and I could see he was wondering where Iacs had got to.  He is used to this.  We all are.

And Flossie kindly went to fetch Iacs.

While the others made friends.

I think Vitamin has a new BFF now. I felt rather sorry for Fivla who looked left out.

Flossie spent a little time with Fivla, her Shetland pony.

And I must say that I think Vitamin brightened up considerably.

So that’s it for spring and summer.  Hopefully, these horses and ponies can all stay together and be friends.  I think it will do all of them good and maybe they can share the care-in-the-comunity responsibility that is Iacs who does tend to get lost frequently in this field.  *** sigh *** – he is not the brightest star in our firmament.

I’ve not got much to say today. I am feeling suddenly very tired so I won’t go on and on.

But here are some photos from my efforts at Turriefield.  Everything (just about) is growing, which gives me a good feeling.

My job is to just put the seed in the soil pots and the rest is done with knowledge (not mine) and time.

I popped by the fruit poly-tunnel as it is blossom season.  This is plum blossom.  It had a faint beautiful smell.  Special.

And this, I think is pear blossom, which smelled revolting – like old-fashioned Copydex (a latex-based rubber cement glue).  A huge disappointment considering how beautiful the flowers are.

I did a quick trip around the other polytunnels just to see my planting efforts growing, ready to be harvested for the shops and veg boxes.  Some of the seedlings from my first week this year at Turriefield had already been planted out.

And there was veg ready to harvest too.

While I long for a polytunnel, I have realised that I actually don’t want one as I can’t bend to weed and quickly lose interest.  This is the best way for me – all the glory and none of the physical effort apart from planting, packing and distribution.

Along with other volunteers, tomorrow I will be packing the veg up to send to the shops, and put in the boxes.

And, on a good note, the ponies all went to bed without a fuss this afternoon, so am feeling a bit more positive about this new arrangement but I am still exhausted.

Last night was Tiddles’ first night outside for many, many months.  As it was warm and calm, I thought I would change all the routines.  The old ladies were outside too.  Less work, I stupidly thought.

And this morning, everyone was still alive, which was a plus but the work remained the same as no was very cooperative.

Once done, I drove over to plant seeds at Turriefield.  Here are some I prepared earlier!

Later this afternoon, I went down with my poo-picking bucket to clean up the track and then told the Shetland ponies to “GO TO BED!”

They didn’t believe me.

And galloped up and down the hills with me following like a Dalek who doesn’t do stairs. I was very slow.

I walk with a stick now because the mud is so slippery up the side of the hills.

Four times, yes four, they ran back giggling, bucking and farting with absolutely not intention of going to bed until OH arrived and manned the top gate, while I stayed at the bottom of the last hill threatening with my walking stick all manner of awful things.  Apparently OH had decided to help when he could hear my cursing from the house!

Anyway, the ponies are all in their grotty paddock for the night. Newt is cripplingly lame (possible a strain or something – I am not that interested) and I have taken to the bottle telling myself it is five o’clock somewhere!

God, I hate Shetland ponies.  Evil little beings.

Muzzah’s Day (or even Mothering Sunday) was yesterday and last night, late to the party as ever, Lambie almost managed to acknowledge my existence, or possibly the biscuit tin’s existence, by coming up to the front door and demanding to go inside.

He barged his way into the porch and I was grudgingly allowed to hug him in return for the promise of biccies.

Afterwards Lambie left in disgust at such an unnecessary public display of affection.

This morning was different.  I was surprised to find that Lambie had snuck into the big shed to make himself at home with the big hay bale.

While others favour wearing it.

The sheep were following me everywhere.  Ever since Fivla and Vitamin have started going into the big field, most of the sheep now refuse to go in there with them.  Dahlia and Gussie are the exception and I think quite like the old ponies.

What the sheep didn’t realise was that all the Shetland ponies were together eating on the new piece of track and no one was in the big field.  It was lovely to see them like this and it made poo-picking really easy because it was all in one place.

Anyway, I left all the sheep trying to work out where they wanted to go for the day, deciding it was their problem not mine.

And went indoors for my breakfast and to catch up on emails, etc.

I gave up pretty quickly on that idea.