And moving swiftly on from the little ones, here are some pics of the Ancients.

Kolka – who has settled in here just fine.

She rules the two old men and they follow her everywhere, which is good otherwise they would just live by the gate looking hopeful possibly forever.

Haakon looks just the same as he always does.

And I have no nice photo of Iacs because he didn’t feel like cooperating.  Haakon told him off for me.

This is the best I could do.

Kolka and Haakon together – very few rows except at meal times when Kolka wants everyone else’s bucket.  It is not allowed.

(sorry this is short, but I have just returned with OH and Pepper from a fabulous late Sunday lunch and I am so full I can’t think straight!)

At lunch, as well as the humans, there were five dogs and Pepper. All were very well behaved and Pepper enjoyed herself making friends.  She was the only girlie in the pack.

I was very proud of Pepper.  Although Ted was invited, we decided not to bring him as we felt he would be more settled (and calmer) at home with Monster to look after him.

And all was fine when we got home so I think that was a wise decision.

A rather fat Newt – his real name is “Viking” but I just can’t bring myself to call him that.  So he is Newt as in My-Newt because he was 24″ high when he first arrived as a foal, and probably not much more than 27″ now.  Small, sturdy, with an attitude around the others but not around me because he knows better.

And his cousin, Storm.  Storm is an evil genius but also agreeably open to all ideas of my stupidity, like trying to lead him with my coat because I have nothing else to hand.

Vitamin. 30 years old now and still the Queen of the herd.  Mad as a box of frogs and I can’t catch her, but then completely calm while I clean her mouth out standing in the field without a headcollar.  Who knows what goes through her head.

She gets two pictures because she is so pretty.

Vitamin’s sort-of BFF is Fivla. She is 28 years old and drifts through life in her own world.  She always has. The summer diet seems to suit her and she is no trouble to anyone because that would involve effort and at her age, why bother?

Fivla’s doppelgänger is Silver.  He listens to his own voices, as my previous neighbour would say, and looks so much like Fivla that he sometimes gets her bucket before I realise.  Like Vitamin, some days he is my best friend, and then he is feral.

This little soul is Albie.   He is speshul and wants all the love in the world. He follows me round.

Waffle, who briefly managed to put his head up – he probably can’t see out and didn’t know I was there.

And little pink-nosed Tiddles, who is the best kisser of them all.

I adore them all. ❤️

My day in photos…..

Apparently there are iPad apps for cats.  I downloaded one for Monster.  He loved it.  Guess I am going to have ration viewing from now on.

This afternoon was spent in my shed (this morning, the gas man cometh to mend the cooker) and I left the door open so the dogs could entertain themselves.  I was feeling guilty as I hadn’t walked them.  I usually take them out in the morning.

Pepper was outside watching for invaders…..

…. while Ted sought refuge on the chaise longue.  He had it all to himself so he spread out.

After tea, still feeling bad about the lack of dog walk (due to the gas man comething), I took the dogs out into the fields to go and see the Ancients.  Iacs was snoozing by himself totally oblivious to the world around.

I wanted to take photos of him fast asleep, but when he heard me, he woke up.  He was hoping I had brought something to eat.  I hadn’t.  I have turned into Mean Muzzah as everyone is rather *** cough *** robust/fat.

And this photo disturbs me. Pepper looked so sweet and teddy-bear like when I took it, but now I see a small determined Gremlin looking back at me.

Monster loves his dear old Mum, he tells me, but he has an addiction…..

He also loves Cat TV – you can find it on YouTube.

Every morning, while I have my breakfast, Monster likes to watch the telly.

And, for the sake of peace, I put it on for him on my iPad which I feel is safer than the tv – which he could easily knock over looking for the mice.

And I have an addiction (I am not proud) too – Grey’s Anatomy in the afternoon while I hand-felt my sheep.

– which Monster is not helpful about.  Poor Karev. He didn’t deserve that.

Monster likes to come into my shed in the afternoon and he gets in the way, trying to find a space on my table.

Note the cup of tea.

I could cope with the tail in the saucer….

But I was annoyed at the mess he left behind when the tea was knocked over.

He had to be evicted.  So off he sulked.  He came back twice afterwards to whine outside the door and then got in the way all over again.

Pepper and I paid a visit to the vet this morning as they had Halti headcollars in their shop and I wanted to get the right size fitted by experts.

When we came home, I put on the Halti and tried walking Pepper home from where I park the car.  She was very unimpressed, had a tantrum, a sit down strike and tried to rub it off by walking with her head sideways on the grass but it would not move. But she couldn’t pull!

After making my statutory afternoon sheep, I decided to take anyone who wanted to go outside for a practice walk with the Halti.

This is the face of someone who is determined not to learn and is very resentful.

But outside we went.

All of us.

And Pepper quickly realised the Halti was not coming off and she had to take responsibility for her own behaviour, ie she pulls, it tightens around her nose.  Her choices.

She also realised how to get her leg stuck the wrong way and in the headcollar but being Pepper she learned that was not a great option and stopped doing that.

And so we calmly walked up and down the track.

On a lovely loose lead without pulling.

We will do some more one-on-one practice in the indoor school, where she can’t lose focus and really get this method of walking nicely down.  Meanwhile, I shall also watch a few Halti training videos to make sure I am consistent and asking her for the right behaviour, remembering to reward her for it too.

And then we can be acceptable in public and not nightmare-dog-from-Hell followed by her owner.