Today is Pepper’s 2nd birthday, so happy birthday, little Pepper-pot.  You’ve changed our lives for the better and we’ve made new friends, mostly from having her brought home by complete strangers!

And here are a few photos from today’s dogwalk with Ted, whose doing great as well.  He does not get brought home by strangers because he is a good dog and doesn’t stray (famous last words).

A keen hunter.

And this was from when Daisy and I went south to meet Pepper and her sister, Lexi, to bring them home to Shetland in the autumn.  She was such a sweet sossage then.  Full of mischief.  You can see it already.

Lexi – 2 years old today too, obviously. Happy birthday, too. xx. She’s a darling and much loved by her owner.

Photo ©Ryan Griffiths 2023

And possibly my most favourite photo ever! ❤️ 🐕 🐑

Things, as in plants, have rather taken off now we’ve had a bit of rain.

Outside it’s madness and my Belfast sinks are gorgeous.  I am really pleased with myself.  I even weed!

This year I am growing potatoes – well, they are growing themselves as they planted themselves leftover from last year and I added a few uneaten sprouted ones too.

My usual Jerusalem artichokes (which were pathetic last year) and some radishes are making an effort.

And the fields are full of high grass. The dogs have to jump on their walks. Pepper looks like a meerkat as she bounds through trying to see what’s going on around her.  It is very funny as she is incredibly nosey.

The smell in the evening is amazing. The clover is out and intoxicating.

These forget-me-nots are by the backdoor. I have asked OH not to strim them until they’ve finished.  He is a keen strimmer and there can be casualties.

Indoors, I am growing tomatoes in the kitchen. They were given to me by Transition Turrifield (my Thursday afternoon job).

I am excited at this. I water, feed and tap them diligently as per instructions.

In my shed, I have aubergine plants given again by Turriefield.  I have absolutely no idea what I am doing but advice is proferred when asked.  Tap, water and feed.

Exciting times – flowers on both plants.

Aubergines, along with artichokes, are possibly my favourite veg.

So I am hopefuly we won’t starve this winter.  Not convinced though.

Yesterday it rained and rained and rained and …… well, you get the picture. It rained a lot.  Torrential at times and I ran out of coats and almost clothes.

And with the rain came the mud.  It was revolting and I couldn’t keep the Waffle, Storm, Tiddles and Albie like that.  They were cowering in their little shed as it was the only hard-standing available.  Tiddles was shaking.  I had to lug their buckets into the shed for them to eat during the day.  It wasn’t fair on them.  They were miserable and I felt awful.

So I opened the gates.

There isn’t much grass, if any to be perfectly honest now, in the surrounding field. The others did a very good job.

And they didn’t need asking twice and were so happy to rejoin the herd.

No one should live like this. I would’ve reported myself to the “cruelty man”.  It is hard work to walk through.  One day of rain too, albeit a lot.

And they are so happy.

Lots of whizzing around, giggling and annoying their friends.

Vitamin and Fivla are in the next door field as there is more grass there and I don’t want them on a diet.  Vitamin pushed passed me when I had the gate very slightly open so I just added Fivla for company.

I’ve lugged the wooden hayboxes into the field too and, as there is actually very little grass-grazing, they are eating from them too.

I’m glad the ponies are moved.  I worried so much when they were incarcerated and, if laminitis occurs again (seriously, on this?), then I will shove them back into the hopefully dried out bare earth, though sometimes mud, bit.  Fingers crossed I won’t have to.

We still have four Muscovy ducklings, so I am very proud of Mummy-Duck. She is doing a great job.  It’s just a pity she is such baggage to me.

She even flew me from one end of the shed to say stay away, but get on with bringing the food and water that I change twice a day, including a small very shallow swimming pool.  Not even a thank you.

But it is lovely to see the ducklings walking around now, getting braver by the day.

I took the unhatched egg away (probably why Mother Duck hates me so much), using a “grabby hand” leftover from my foot in plaster days.  We keep everything.  It might be useful and it was.

I don’t mind the ingratitude but I do mind being attacked.  Hopefully Mother Duck will see that I am only interested in a brief head-count and to exchange the food and water for fresh.

I haven’t mentioned Family Duck are sharing their shed with an old cooker.  Maybe I should and she might be a bit nicer to me (not that I would ever eat one of my ducks but she doesn’t know that).

I am wondering whether I should put the old folk on a diet.

Everyone is beginning to look very well covered.

Possibly a bit too well covered but then it doesn’t take much to lose it and, when winter comes, they will be very glad of their extra inches because they don’t like rugs and don’t want to go inside.

But the grass and gorgeous flowers are going bonkers now, almost growing while I watch.

The horses have access to all the land, bar the little bit with the Minions and they walk miles every day all around the place.  I never know where to find them in the morning.

The sheep are everywhere too for most of the day and night, coming home only for breakfast and then to be chucked back out again to roam.

So I spent part of my dog-walk marking out the field that is going to be the track so I can discuss it with the agricultural contractor next week.  Maybe I need two tracks?  Maybe they could all live together?

So, to diet or not to diet?  I dunno.  Maybe I will put them on the hill.