What is that yellow shiny thing in the sky that gives us light and some heat? A wonderful, if rare, sight.

And being Saturday, it was flute duets with Mandy, or as we like to say, two arguing sparrows because that’s what we sound like.

Pepper came into my shed too.  It’s Her Job and I gave her a box of assorted dog chews, telling her to pick one for her afternoon’s entertainment.

Monster hovered about outside unhelpfully trying to decide whether to come inside or not.

Pepper took her time choosing her treat.  The perfect afternoon treat.

Every single one was examined, tested and carefully thought about.

And her choice was made, actually two choices, but I let that go (the hoof thing behind was also an old one).

Monster eventually decided to come in too, which was nice as I could then shut the door.

He mooched around being annoying and then demanded to go outside, having created his usual chaos.

Pepper ate most of her snacks and nodded off feeling slightly full, while us sparrows continued to argue (and drink tea and play Mozart, Haydn, Faure relatively adequately, though we did have moments of sounding almost good).

I do love a Saturday afternoon.

This is Pepper’s “spot” in our house today!  I was not thrilled as that glass shade on the oil lamp is very fragile.

I told her this.

But Pepper replied that it was nice and sunny and she could see everything.  So then I told her I was going out for the day as I had a dentist appointment in town.  See ya!

Oh dear.  Pepper was not happy and I hate seeing her a) plotting her egress and b) knowing she will succeed.

So I decided to take her with me.  The journey into town was not great as Pepper couldn’t see out and she wanted to look at everything.

But once we got there, we had a good time on the street.

I topped up my sheep field and gave Pepper to a random (but kind) stranger who sort of agreed to take her lead while I completed the necessary sheep-selling invoice/delivery note.

More walking down the street and we visited a few shops, with me asking first if dogs were allowed.  At the Cancer Research charity shop, I bought 2 large cushions.

Then Tesco’s, with a quick walk up and down on the grass, which she loved.  Lots of smells, etc.

Then the dentist (the waiting room) – ugh!

And home with Pepper sitting on her two newly acquired cushions, much happier because she could see out and watch everything all the way back!

Pepper is spark out now, fast a-bye-bye’s as her whole day was exhausting with so much to see and do.  It was lovely having such an enthusiastic companion.

Monster went away first thing to the vet (again) for his dental procedure and the house instantly felt very odd without him.  I didn’t like it.

So, I decided that I didn’t want to be at home and took the horsevan to town to buy a round bale of hay and a few other things.  That took all morning.

I definitely know that Ted and Pepper missed Monster very much.  I mean, who is going to tell them what to do and where to go (and yes Ted’s right eye is not very good – he had just had his treatment for dry eye which is now three times a day).

So later, while OH was fetching Monster home after his surgical ordeal, I did my afternoon/evening chores…..

…. while constanty looking at the road in the distance for OH’s car headlights.  I needed to know Monster was coming home.

And he’s is just home now and seems ok.  He instantly said he was hungry so I gave him something to eat and he is much happier.

And now everyone else can breathe a sigh of relief too.

I’ve taken off the leg bandage and am delighted to say that Monster has put on 0.3kg in a week!  That’s my boy and the antibiotics are finished, so that’s another ordeal over and done with too.

“We will be restoring normality just as soon as we are sure what is normal anyway.” – D. Adams

After a two day awol, Gussie and Dahlia appeared for breakfast.  The reason for their absenteeism was that I had drenched/wormed and multi vitamin’ed them, much to their disgust.

Anyway, food called Gussie and Dahlia, his mother, obviously had to follow.  I noticed she didn’t say no to her breakfast bowl.

Gus-Gus is very keen on his food and is becoming more independent too.  Dahlia is the one following him now.

Feeling rather bad about the fluke/worming saga, I sat down on a cold rock to talk to anyone who wanted to chat.

Gussie came up and Pepper was instantly jealous and jumped onto my knee.

Dahlia left us to it.

I apologised for the shock of it all (worming is never fun) and explained it was for their own good.

Pepper and Gussie have not forgotten their friendship.  Gussie has never been nasty to Pepper, though Dahlia still has her doubts about this ginger non-sheep.  Ted sensibly stays well away.

I am glad we are all friends again. I was surprised for how long the grudge went on for – two whole days, which is long for a sheep (ask Lambie, who is our expert sulker!)

Pepper never sulks. She just makes everyone apologise to her for whatever awful crime she has committed.

Don’t you, Pepper!

Monster has not had a good day. He was driven to the vet first thing, having been starved since midnight, to have his scheduled dental procedure.

But, it didn’t happen (an emergency took precedence) so OH brought Monster home 7 hours later a wee bit disgruntled. Luckily he has rallied after large supper and lots of attention.

The Old Ladies spent their afternoon around the house eating the better grass.

And I have a new hobby – constructing a mini brick Bonsai Sakura tree that I was given for Christmas.

The tree has taken me three afternoons to complete .  Total relaxation just following instructions and thinking about absolutely nothing. I needed this.  I didn’t realise I did until I was totally absorbed building my tree.  I am feeling very accomplished.

I will go back to making my sheep soon.  I just needed a complete break.

After tree building, I went outside to find the Old Ladies looking for me.

I only had to shout “Fivla, Vitamin” and they were there.

Vitamin was even trotting towards me as she knew I would let her go to bed and obviously buckets of food would follow.

An old lady on a mission.  Vitamin would be the one who got the seat on the bus, no matter what.

(I am feeling very relaxed and with a glass of wine so I am now looking for more mini-bricks trees to build!)