I will probably regret writing this, but the Shetland ponies are doing very well on my strict regime of utter misery and bare nothingness resulting in total starvation.

And they even enthusiastically come home when they are called in the evening.   No more messing around, which is much better.

I think one of the reasons is that there is very little grass out there and so they are hungry by evening.  They also don’t get breakfast anymore so I have a nice bucket of food is waiting for them all.  Food with no calorific content, but they don’t know that and it is filling.  Plus 2 haynets of soaked hay and another 2 later.

These days I am one tough Muzzah. I have to be.

And as the ponies all seem to be surviving and looking healthy, so it must be right.

Surely?

The dog-walk has resumed as Ted’s paw has almost healed.  We went around the fields dropping in on the horses and ponies too.

This photo made me think of Father Ted – “These [he points to some plastic cows on the table] are small, but those [pointing at some cows out of the window] are far away… Small, far away.” – Father Ted.

Gussie and Dahlia like to stay in this field too. They don’t go under the fence into the next field and the next, like the other sheep do.

So Floss and I found a dry bit of ground and sat down. I wanted to see if Gussie would go and talk to Flossie.  Surprisingly both mother and son are very scared of anyone different.

Pepper of course sat on my knee because apparently I belong to her and only her.

But Gussie was feeling very chatty too.

I love the way Gussie has absolutely no fear or concern about Pepper.  They have been firm friends since he was a lamb, and so she is someone he understands completely.

Flossie leant over and Gussie said he could possibly sniff her hand…..

…. or eat it.  Whichever worked best.  He does eat everything.

And he was still wearing most of his food – he carries a few snacks just in case because you never know when you will be hungry, if you’re Gus-Gus.

Such a sweet smiley chap.

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.