Maggie didn’t turn up for breakfast this morning, so after feeding everyone else, Pepper and I set off to look for her.  I took a bucket of rattly sheep nuts.

I love big fields until I have to walk them looking for someone!

And I found Maggie, right at the far corner, with her new love – a white Shetland hill ram on the other side of the fence.

He didn’t want to leave and neither did Maggie.

It was like the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.

So I rattled my bucket of sheep nuts.

And Maggie left her Romeo. I gave her a few mouthfuls so she knew I had something nice with me.

And together we all walked back across the large field.

And I thought I was succeeding…..

…. until Maggie turned tail and ran back over the hill to her handsome prince.

I called and called for her and she almost came with us – she kept appearing on the skyline and then going – but no, I was left behind.

I let the other sheep into the field in the hope Maggie would see them and join back up with them, coming home in the afternoon, but no. Maggie is still out there with her ram the other side of the fence.  There is nothing more I can do.  We have a storm looming tonight and I would think the hill ram will go and seek shelter in the hill. Then maybe Maggie will come home. That is up to her. And, if there is a lamb(s) in a few months time, then so be it.  We will cross that bridge if or when we reach it.

This afternoon found Floss, me and Monster (and Pepper) in the stable sorting out rugs and tidying up. We are inheriting much of Kolka’s stuff so need to make space.

Daisy, at Christmas, always organised, wrote me a superb spreadsheet for all my rugs, their sizes, colours, make and who they will fit so it was now just a case of putting them in an order where I can easily find them.  Ok, I stuffed most into bags and shoved them where I could find space!

So, that’s what we did.  All tidy, swept up and note the wet Pepper paw prints everywhere. At one stage, I think I possibly swept her up. She is probably in a bag somwhere.

Then, being late afternoon, ie 3pm and the sun almost gone, Floss and I put the vampire ponies outside for the night.

For the night, they get a box of soaked hay and whatever they can find in their field.

And yet….. Waffle still will not lose weight.  I think that pony lives off fresh air.  He looks like a small side table.  The others have lovely waistlines now, which is encouraging.

We had some friends over for lunch – Chinese hot pot.  They brought their two dogs. Pepper was thrilled.

Monster was less thrilled but not going to back down or disappear. He is not that kind of cat.

So he kept an eye on the proceedings and made his opinions very clear.

His point once made, Monster then turned his back and walked away back into the kitchen.

Meanwhile Pepper was flying around the garden.

And the flying was reciprocated too, which is always good.

Monster came inside and said what he had to say about dogs and more dogs.  We all listened and then ignored him.

The hot pot was excellent. I may never eat (or drink) again.

Well, what can I say?

It’s like Kolka has always lived here (btw, she has a rare double tooth thing we know all about on her right side that Stuart, our equine dentist, treats and it doesn’t affect her eating).

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Haakon has got over himself. I think he is secretly relieved there is a strong mare here who will now take over the role of boss.

Three geldings living together never making a decision between them can be tiresome.  Kolka is happy to be their leader and they are more than happy to let her have this job.

Klaengur remains totally smitten and Kolka tells him what to do.

He loves that.

This morning, all four came up the hill for their breakfast. It was interesting watching them. Day 1 and no one bothered anyone for their bucket.  Kolka has fattening food because I want to keep her rug off.  Iacs and Haakon have semi-fattening food because they are ancient and need a bit. Klaengur had a token gesture of nothing.  And they all just got on with it.  No bickering, no stealing and no bouncy bottoms. Kolka made sure of that.

While the weather was pouring down last night, I was much calmer too. I just thought “well, they have Kolka so they will all be fine now” and went back to sleep.

Long story short. Last year my friend asked me to take her Icelandic mare, Kolka, because she was dying.  At that stage, I said no, because we had just come through a hellish winter, I had too many horses, and I couldn’t have another female with a stallion about too. I felt very bad but could see no way to help. I offered to put the mare to sleep, though as she is old (27?) and I also thought a big change moving to a new herd would be horrid for her.

A few months later my friend died. I sold Taktur (and Dreki) and every day I drove past this mare to visit my Minions.  It struck me that if I had died, someone would possibly put Haakon, Iacs, Vitamin and Fivla to sleep because they were old too. They are all around the same age – 27 to 29.

And then I envisaged myself doing just that – putting this mare to sleep just because she is old and I couldn’t do it.

I also remembered that Kolka had lived here for a couple of years when we were a riding school many years ago so she knew Haakon and Iacs, but not Klaengur.  I went to talk to Kolka in her field (she was another horse’s companion) and she was just the same as she ever was when she was with us.  Quiet, easy to do and kind.  So I phoned my friend’s husband, now the owner, and offered Kolka a retirement home here for the rest of her days.

Today Floss and I went to fetch her home to Thordale.

The boys were interested – lots of sniffing, a little squealing and stamping from Kolka.

I went out later to see what the herd dynamics were doing.

Klaengur is very taken.

Haakon is furious.  He hates change. He came up and complained. I told him to get on with it.

And Kolka pretty much rules them all.  She tells them where to stand and what to do.

Iacs dreams of cake and staying out of the way!

This was a few minutes later when I had run out of carrots.  I am hopeful they will all sort themselves out with minimum fuss.

Later on I let the “vampire ponies” out for the night and they started all over again.  Waffle loves the ladies!  It will be interesting to see where they all are tomorrow morning.

I hope I’ve done the right thing by my late friend.  What’s one more geriatric?