WARNING – DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE OF A SQUEAMISH DISPOSITION…..

But Teddy had an amazing day, today.  He was what Mum always wanted him to be – “a proper dog”.  He killed his first wild bunny rabbit.

Pepper flushed the rabbit out and it came racing down the hill towards me. Ted was with me and ran in a straight line, working out as he went the best way to intercept the quarry, and he was right on the mark.

Seconds later, it was dead.  It was an efficient and correct terrier kill.  Ted’s instincts have finally kicked in.

And then Pepper let the side down and quickly stole dead rabbit from him carrying it all the way home, while feeling very proud of herself. To be fair, Ted had already lost interest.

Pepper didn’t want to let “her” quarry go and so Ted and I went into my shed for the afternoon….

…. while Pepper sat outside in the cold northerly wind and rain. Her choice, not mine.

In the end, and mostly because it was not an afternoon to be outside, I told Pepper it was “dead” (a gundog command she knows that means “let it go now”) and she did give up the rabbit without a fuss and I threw it onto a shed roof for the seagulls.

The minute it was gone, Pepper lost interest too and went back to her day job of pestering me while looking incredibly cute.

Anyway, well done Ted.  He’s a proper dog. It’s official.

(and I’m sorry if all that was gross, but I am very pleased with Ted. Good job! That’s what terriers do and they should do it expertly too).

Everyone was basking in the sunshine, when I went out this morning to give the dogs their run. It was very encouraging.  Summer is finally here, I thought to myself.  At last.

The horses have finally lost the last of their winter coats and are looking well-covered and happy.  The ponies need one last brush for theirs’ to go.  I will get round to it one day but always rather hope the wind will do my job.  I am not a great brusher if I am honest.  There is always something else to do.

The sheep followed behind me into the same field. They had refused to be helpful earlier when I had fed them and was trying to put them into a field for the day but now they wanted to be there, so I quickly shut the gate behind me telling them this was where they would spend the rest of their day. They come home at night as Lambie has to be in bed by 10 p.m. (and you think I’m joking).

After the walk, I found Monster snoozing outside the front door.

Everything is better when the sun shines.  I only hope it stays now for a while (rushes off to look at ten different weather forecasts in the hope that at least one says it will be be sunny).

The dog walk started badly for Monster.  He really wanted to come too, with the dogs and me over to Clothie – my 5 acre croft that is a little way over the open hill, where Lambie was having a bit of a sit and a morning cogitate.

That well known phrase or saying “The lights are on, but no one is home” – well, that’s Lambie.  He was looking pretty vacant.

But there were also hill sheep around and they were curious about in this whiney small white Panther.  There were words and hissing.

And even some swiping with a paw.  The sheep backed off and Monster made a hasty retreat to the safety of home.

Meanwhile, the rest of us had already reached Clothie and I could hear the whining even from there.

After a while, sheep being sheep, they got bored and gave up hassling Monster, so he made his “speedy” but careful way over to where we all were.

Yup, I could hear the whining getting closer, every step.

Once arrived, I had to make a fuss of Monster and tell him just how wonderfully brave and intrepid he had been.

We had a nice walk. The dogs galloped about, hunted and had fun and then we wended our way home again, whereupon Monster was followed again, but this time by one chicken and some rather hopeful ducks!

These days, I think he feels persecuted.

I like taking photos like this.  So dramatic and the track has two hills where it is perfect.

Tiddles on his ownsome

Silver and Tiddles

The scrunched up pink nose (don’t think like a pig), the belly, and the short little legs in the air …..❤️

An Abba moment – very Name of the Game!

Ditto.  Probably Verse two for the video.

Meanwhile, indoors, Monster made Pepper squeak for being too boisterous at tea-time.  They have this daily game where Pepper swings off Monster while he is asking for his tea/breakfast/supper/2nd breakfast, etc.  He tolerates her but today he didn’t and so he got her and then SQUEAK! 🐭  Someone said “Serves her right!” and no one was sorry.

And just when Pepper had recovered from her poorly paw too.  I have stopped the painkillers as all four feet where working equally and obviously the annoyingness is as good as new again.

I am not talking to Vitamin.

She has developed a terrible habit.

Not enjoying this enforced summer diet, Vitamin has taken to leaning over the fence to get more grass from the adjacent field.  I can see her from the house and it drives me mad.

She knows I know and she knows I don’t like it one bit.

I’ve given up having words with her about this as it does not good and falls on very deaf ears.

And the moment my back is turned she goes back to doing it.  The fence is slowly getting wrecked too.

So far….. the other ponies don’t do this.  Waffle would try if he could (I’ve watched him attempt to copy Vitamin) but he is just not tall enough.  The only other one would be Silver as he is the tallest but he has better manners for the time being…..

The only way to stop this heinous behaviour would be to run another electric fence on the other side of the track, almost all the way round, which I am very reluctant to do as I hate the idea of the ponies living with electric wire on either side of their track.  It seems mean but, watching Vitamin’s behaviour, I am almost tempted to do it.

And, to be honest, I don’t mind Vitamin having the extra grass (as long as she doesn’t get laminitis).  She is happy and doing well (aged 30 years old) and I would be being stingy to ruin what this fun she has in life.

I think I will hold off with the electric fence until the others start to do it and then all bets are off.  I have a fencer coming in August – I will see what suggestions he has too.