A few photos from today. The Minion herd is back together.  My neighbour and I brought them over in two trips and they were all very pleased to see each other, which was lovely.

After lunch, I found the ponies in a huddle eating their heads off.  They all came running up to me to say “thank you, thank you” so I sat down on a rock and gave them hugs.

I love seeing them here, at home.  It is where they’re meant to be but circumstances dictated it was not to be, until now.

This lot suddenly went cantering off when Waffle realised there might be others around.

The rest followed, just slower.

Even slower.

Anywho, the Minions told Haakon and Iacs what they thought of them so they were duly ignored.

Waffle: “Oi, you, come over ‘ere!”

Haakon: “Iacs, what do you think of these little people?”
Iacs: “They’re very small!”

So the little ones cantered off again.

I worry that Albie might find this field triggering as he spent his orphan days here and I can see him thinking about it.

But I gave him a big hug and now he is thinking his happy thoughts.

Vitamin is trying to be pleased that her herd are back together, though she secretly loved just living with Newt and Tiddles.  No pressure.

I have FIvla on a promise that she will stop being a mardy cow and start being nice again.

We’ll see how they go. This is just a brief holiday.

Little Miss Pepper comes outside with me every morning to feed the throng – sheep, hens, ducks, ponies, horses…..

And she is getting to know the Shetland ponies who are now living here.

Pepper is not scared and she holds her ground too.

Newt and Tiddles were very curious about this new dog.  Yes, they were used to BeAnne but they could tell Pepper was new.

And little Pepper-Pot was fantastic.

She just sat there and let herself be fully investigated.

What a wonderful little dog!

I told her that, often!

Well, three little ponies are really enjoying their holidays.

I must admit it is lovely having them home.  The Minion herd haven’t been at Thordale for years and to see them, even just these three, in my fields close to the house is wonderful.

I have decided that the rest (that would be Waffle, Fivla, Storm, Silver and Albie) are all coming over on Friday to spend a week here.  When my horsevan comes back from the garage, then I will take them all over to Leradale.  I just really want to have the Minions at home, even for a little while.

Everyone deserves a holiday.

The little shed is popular.  I usually find someone is living in it when I come with my buckets.

Today it was Vitamin and Newt’s turn.

And in the corner was a new room-mate – Penthesilea – my Muscovy/Amazon duck from last year’s hatch.  She had moved in and was refusing to budge.

Everyone seemed perfectly happy about Penthesilea living with them so who am I to say she must move?

If the ponies are happy, I am happy.

Tiddles was outside today.

So I fed them all (Vitamin her  big bucket, Tiddles and Newt their mere whiff of food), and left.

When I got back from feeding the Minions, I went back to the shed to see if Penthesilea had taken up permanent residence. I already have one duck nesting so I could understand if Penthesilea wanted to sit.  Plus, the other night I had managed to shut her in the indoor riding school all night. She was thrilled and has been trying get locked in ever since.

No duck sitting but instead I found a beautiful duck egg (before Pepper did, which is a huge achievement in itself).

Earlier, I opened the big gate out into the big field and the ponies eventually found it and so they spent the day eating but quickly came home when I called them in later this afternoon.

I went out first thing this morning to feed everyone. Added to my list were now Vitamin and her field-mates.

I found Vitamin, Waffle and Newt having taken up permanent residence in their wee shed and they were not coming out for anyone……. oooh, look a bucket!

Eventually I coaxed them outside to eat and Pepper got to meet three Minions.  Everyone behaved beautifully, which was nice. She has never met Shetland ponies before.

Then onwards to see the rest of the herd who were miles away and cross with me, I could tell, but I had brought big carrots and so was quickly forgiven.

I left them all to their munching and went back home to hear Vitamin shouting her head off. Newt and Tiddles have a new trick now – they hide and Vitamin thinks they’ve gone, shouts endlessly for them, while they stay quiet and say nothing.

Poor Vitamin. Her holiday is not quite as she imagined it.  Still, she has a lovely bedroom (but she has to share with two naughty boys).