Today is a Monster blog day, so you know.

Here he is sitting on our postbox – the one OH had to make and position outwith our property as Ted came with an ASBO (anti-social behaviour order) from the English police for biting my mother’s postman!

Yes, Ted! Oh, the shame.

So, after rearranging bits of my electric fence, obviously with assistance from everyone furry, I took the dogs for a walk around the fields.

The grass is very high now and Monster, who insisted on coming too, often looked like he was swimming his way through.

But he struggled on doing his best to keep up.

The great white panther hunts…..

When we reached the stream, I sat on a tussock and waited.

Monster even got his little paddy-paws wet.

He didn’t complain about it. Just walked about going where he wanted.

This was the homeward stretch and Monster was walking up a steep hill.

Finally home, and a rest.

Later, this afternoon, I saw the ducklings were checking him out too.  I was making another duck-run as I heard tapping on Mrs Ducky #4.  Exciting times ahead, again.

Do I trust Monster not to eat the ducklings?  I think now this lot are bigger, I probably do and Mum is still very protective.

It was our farrier day today so I wanted to get everyone in one place ready and waiting.  First, the Minions escaped from their paddock (they rushed past OH, which I consider a heinous crime). Rude.

I only knew this when Newt and Silver arrived in the stable. Guessing what had happened, I shut the door fast on them while the other four ran around trying to eat, canter, chat to the Oldies and generally cause chaos.  Again, rude.

Eventually, with some begging and guile and waving hard cash, I got them all into the stable and then moved them one at a time into the school.

So they had a good canter around, giggle, buck and fart and it was nice to see them all move freely.  Later, could I catch them for the farrier?  Could I hell.

I put up haynets and put down buckets of water.

And I think they are all looking fairly good, showing no signs of laminitis now.

Then I went and fetched Fivla and Vitamin.

Everyone was pleased to be together again, even if it was brief – only for the morning.

Sweet boys and girls.

Stephen, the farrier, trimmed only those that needed it.

I had the ponies out of the pen in pairs.  Tiddles and Newt were the last.  While Tiddles was being trimmed, Newt was exploring…. ie helping himself to the hay.

So that’s us until October on the hoof front.  No one had laminitis now.  Waffle and Tiddles showed very slight previous signs of having had it recently but that was all. No permanent damage. I was also pleased for Albie and Storm. It seems I had got them home and on rations in time.  Phew.  Now to clear up the mess left behind in the school. Tomorrow is another day.

All the ducklings are doing well in their separate nurseries.  This is the latest batch and, yes, as ever, Mrs Ducky #3 hates me while I give her and her bebbies fresh food and water twice a day. At least they are consistent.  I couldn’t fit her ducklings back into their eggs so they must be growing and very, very cute.  Does the yolk equate to their yellow bits?

In Nursery #1 (now allowed outwith their pen and Daddy joins them in the afternoon), things are also going well.

They seem a very happy little family and I’ve stopped worrying about any of them. I just let them get on with it.  I tried to keep Daddy Duckie out but he would get in somehow.

Seeing baby duckie in the water bowl made me smile.  It is just the right size for a not very wee duckling.

This morning, when I was letting them out for the day, the duckling family discovered my shadow, Pepper.

And she was so good. She just sat there, averting her gaze, showing them she was no and they knew that too.  So I award Pepper with my Best Dog in the World.  She just wants to be friends with everyone and I expect the bebbie duckies are now included in her immense animal family.

Yesterday it felt like I did nothing but go and check Bibble.  I walked miles around his field and I took this photo last thing before I went to bed.

Yes, he was fine.

And looking pretty good.  So majestic.

This morning I found an almost-back-to-normal-in-himself Bibble happily eating his breakfast food.  A pink bucket means it has something different.  Yes, I colour code, so shoot me.  It makes my life easier.

He’s (all my fingers and toes are crossed) doing very well – very cuddly and sweet again.

The Minions are also on good form.

They have a complicated life which consists of me alternating between feeling guilty for them and then thinking they are too fat.  They have to live 12 hours with soaked hay only plus another 7 hours on the eaten-down-to-nothing track and spend only 5 hours on the almost eaten-down-to-nothing track.

Them’s the breaks.

I sat with the little boys this afternoon.  Pepper, of course, came too.

A small point of interest, I have plants taller than Newt!

And I love this photo.  Good friends together.

First thing, we drove like the clappers to Lerwick  to collect Bibble off the freight boat.

He was very good and I had to lead him past every piece of plant while he watched the lorries unload the rest of the freight.

My main aim was to get Bibble home as soon and as safely as we could.  Normality could be resumed at home.

Of course everyone was miles away, pressed up against the furthest fence in total silence.  Bibble and I were calling for them. Every time I shouted “Haakon, Kolka”, Bibble would join in neighing very loudly.  Eventually Kolka appeared at the top of the hill and cantered happily over.

Eventually Haakon put in an appearance too.

I think this is Haakon telling Iacs off for a) being away so long, b) smelling different and c) copping a cheeky sniff of Kolka!

There was a bit of a conversation between these two.

And then Bibble had a lovely roll to get the herd smell back on himself.

Bibble has done so well and I can’t tell you just how relieved we are to have him home now.  Yes, he is a bit bargey and rude, almost angry, now but I think the best thing is to leave him for Haakon to sort out.

Time will change Bibble back into his original Bibbly self. He was very agitated when he arrived home. I’ve never seen him like this.

One small problem, Bibble hates his hard feed, with essential added drugs (antibiotics and painkillers), but I am more worried he will colic so I have been making him buckets of cool mint tea, which luckily he drinks.  He did a massive fart, so I am hopeful he will have not averse after-effects from his adventures.

Oh, the worry!