We woke up this morning to another gale.  *** sigh ***

My only consolation is that it is not freezing cold and it was not raining…… yet.

I shouted for Haakon (ancient gelding who lost much weight last winter) and Taktur (stallion in work) to bring them in to feed.  They have a daily breakfast tailored to their individual requirements.

BeAnne, funnily enough is always on hand to vacuum up anything dropped.

Taktur at least looks fairly embarrassed that his best and only friend is a small greedy Patterdale terrier that has no shame.

Haakon is very enthusiastic about this feeding regimen.

After the boys have finished eating, we rugged them up as rain was forecast later, to go with the wind.   That’s nice (not).

I am glad we rugged these two up. It is now not nice out there (I am writing the blog late afternoon).

Meanwhie the Boyzenberries have a new slogan – Free the Three!  Pah.  Like that is going to happy any day soon.  Their life now consists of living in a field during the day and then being allowed out to go round the house at night.  If they want breakfast, they have to go into the field.  So far, this is working and it means people/cars can come and go during the daytime without the worry of anyone running away into the hill.

When I let them out in the evening, they get carrots and ginger biscuits as a reward for spending the day in a field full of green grass!  I think I am a mug.

Monster is pretty much settled here now.  He has us all very well trained.  Monster wants to be fed every minute. He is also a liar.  He even has a bowl on a timer that flips open at 05:00 to stop him pestering OH for food all night.  This mostly works although there was one day when the lid did not flip open and it was his WORST DAY EVER! 

Monster also worships at the Temple of the Fridge.

And addresses many prayers to it.

When not praying or worshipping, Monster Cat has taken a liking to BeAnne’s bed – her special bed, the one next to mine in which smells only of her and in which no other animal has sat.

Ever.

Until now, that is.

Monster climbed in and professionally went to sleep at BeAnne, much to her rage and fury. She was almost in two minds as to whether she should get out of bed.

But as BeAnne was in bed with me, there was not a lot she could do about this invasion.

Monster then did that irritating thing of looking very happy and comfortable in this new dog-smelly bed.

Even practising his yoga – the ultimate insult.

We’ve had a terrific storm these past few days. The vile weather has been unceasing but at lunchtime today it finally stopped and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief.  We had one casualty – an old wooden garden table is now in its component parts.

I haven’t seen the sheep since my return.  They had galloped off into the hill last week.

So, armed with a visual pink bucket I trudged off into the open hill and was very quickly found by Lambie.

I also brought ginger nuts.

Lambie was happy.  He had his mum (and his bucket) back.

I could not see ‘Bert or ‘Ster anywhere so Lambie and I went further into the scattald to look for them.

Eventually I spied the boys watching me from a great distance.  They had no intention of coming home so I waved my secret weapon – the ginger biccies – and they quickly hurried over.

We walked back to the furthest gate that opens back into my land and I lured them in.

We then walked through my fields –  they all followed rather contritely.

When we got home, I fed everyone their missed breakfast – only one – they ‘re not having a week’s worth off me for leaving home.

Then the whole lot, to a sheep, went and stood by the front gate to go back out into the hill again.  At that stage, now in a fury, I put them into the only field they can’t escape from, now known as “Alcatraz”. The Boyzenberries can think on about their behaviour and I must work out a Cunning Plan to stop them doing this again.  The rams are in the hill and hormones are flying around so that is why my lot want to be out too.

My only consolation is that they came home with lovely hill decorations on their wool.

(I am secretly glad to have my Boyzenberries home).

The routine now involves driving over the hill to Leradale to check everyone living there.

Always, without fail, Lilja appears out of nowhere and follows me (or whoever is doing the checking) around.

She accompanies me down the hill to the Minion field, usually walking behind hopping and skipping to herself but never intimidating or mean (I hate that).  I can almost hear her singing little songs to herself as she goes.

I think Lilja splits her day – half spent with the Minions and half with the “grown-ups”, ie her Mum and her boring fat friend.

I did think about letting Lilja back in with her Minions but she would get less food and that is not good for a growing young lady.

And so, once I have dished out the hugs and kisses to every Minion as fairly and squarely as I can, I walk back up the hill with Lilja, again, following like a well-trained hound (which is something I can only dream of as Her Maj favours, at this stage, the sit-down-strike and I have to pick her up and lug her to the car.  A teacup dog, BeAnne is not.)

A cursory glance from the grown-ups who barely register my extremely caring existence.

A kiss goodbye to Lilja who is now begging to come home with me.  She really is a people-person.

And off I drive back to the boy herd who live in the fields at Thordale.

I do wish Lilja could come back home but it is just not logistically possible at the moment.

I do love my little pest.  She is a very special little horse.

This evening we put up the Christmas tree, after a lovely lunch out with friends.  This is Monster’s first Christmas with us and it was interesting to see what he would think of all the new-to-him decorations.

Monster was a bit unsure about all the boxes coming out from under the stairs plus the arrival of a tall green “tree”.  No one likes change in this house.  We are all creatures of habit.

BeAnne wandered about getting in everyone’s way, like she does.  She was just irritated that all the attention wasn’t on her.

Monster is very much a family cat – always around and always hungry.  He likes to be with us.

But this evening he was fairly nonplussed and left.

Once we had finished the tree construction and decoration, Monster returned and realised what Christmas is all about.

Basically it is for exploring the tree and understanding that every ball is for trying to knock off.  It is a cat thing.  Last year Wu got to the top!

We will have a sweepstake on how long this tree lasts upright.

Me? I give it 24 hours!