I think the sheep are finally a flock.  In this photo, (L-R) ‘Ster, Edna, Maggie, Lambie, Dahlia, ‘Bert and Madge.

They are all happily eating supermarket own-brand cereal hoops, which are my bribery to get them to go out every morning into a field of my choosing for the day.

I actually think this integration is all thanks to Gussie.  He really has no fear of anyone, or anything – and he still looks like a hay bale.

Maybe that’s why everyone likes him – he is a very friendly walking snack!

Meanwhile, Barrel had taken up residence in the wee shed where the nicest of the mineral licks lives. He is also not a huge fan of the mud or the potential rugger scrum for cereal loops so I gave him his own private handful.

Lambie is rather smitten with Dahlia and followed her out of the field while the others polished off everything they could find.

So, my method of integration?  Tesco’s Multigrain Hoops scattered in a field far away from the gate, so I can make a run for it while they are eating and close the gate very quickly, only stopping to give Harrel is quick handful too!

Today has not been a good day for doing much outside.  Pepper came with me as usual and braved the elements.  Nothing stops her.

She would hate to not be included.  She sees it as Her Job.

We both sat on the outside step waiting for everyone to finish their breakfast buckets.  It was very windy (F9) and the minute Iacs lifted his head, his bucket blew away.  I eventually tracked it down and brought it back to wash and put away feeling annoyed with myself that I hadn’t grabbed it as it went whistling past my head at 50 mph.

The little Shetland pony boys seemed oblivious to the weather.  They were out into their grotty field, eating whatever they can find, and I saw them running around playing too, which was lovely.

But Albie was missing because he had snuck back into the container to stand with Fivla and Vitamin, who had asked to be let back into the field for some strange reason.

I think they wanted some peace and quiet from the battering they were getting from the weather.  I let them go into their night-time stall a bit early as they were obviously fed up of today.  I don’t blame them.

We return to that time of year again – when I receive a message from Transition Turriefield asking me if I would like to come and help plant seeds.

Too right, I said and off I went this morning.

Last week was my first week back and I planted lettuce and beans, I think.  But this week it was the most difficult planting – celeriac.  An unhelpful teensy tinesy little seed that is fiddly at best and unhelpful at worst.  Three seeds per wee pot.  Yer, right.

The skills required for this job are a damp-ended pencil and the patience of a Saint.

Once done and labelled, we covered the pots with bags and took them, along with something else I planted – possibly dill and coriander – down to the polytunnel.

Things are already starting to grow.

For me, this is the best part.  Seeing such amazing results and so quickly too.

“My” lettuces, apparently.

I was given a bag of small swedes for the ponies and decided that if Fivla and Vitamin could manage them (teeth), then they could have one a day each for a while.

Apparently Fivla and Vitamin still have the necessary and when I returned later, there was not one scrap of swede left.

So a daily swede for the old ladies is now on offer.

The wind has started to get up now and, while everything is drying up beautifully, it means there is less water around for the horses to drink.

So I drove the Jimny with large containers of water for the Icelandic horses over the scattald (open grazing).  It is much easier to move water this way rather than me carrying it over and the four-wheel-drive proved invaluable.

(I also secretly love off-roading too.)

The horses came over to see why I had arrived and what I was doing.

Luckily I had also brought three carrots with me.

Phew! I would not’ve been popular to have come empty handied.

Afterwards, OH mentioned the wind is going to get up now for the foreseeable so it might be better to have the horses nearer the house. It was a good idea and we brought all three home!  The water can stay in its containers.  It will be used some day, I tell myself.  Nothing is ever wasted.

Today is the last of the quiet calm days that we’ve been having recently.

The weather revs up again on Tuesday for the foreseeable.  It was lovely while it lasted.  Everyone thinks that and it is all anyone talks about at the moment.  Not that I am obssessed with the weather, but I am, totally!

Having said that, it is still very cold and once the wind starts blowing, the temperature will rise – so that’s the plus side.

The old ladies enjoy being around the house and I trust them to behave themselves.  Others possibly less so, but Fivla and Vitamin would never do anything energetic like kick out or destroy anything.

They have better manners than that.

And I secretly love having them around too.    Fivla has been in our family for 29 years.  We know each other very well.

Vitamin and I have an understanding.  Basically, I do whatever she says.  She bosses me around as much as the Shetland ponies.

The others are getting on fairly well without the old ladies in their field.  I think Waffle is the boss of them all now.

Albie knows he will be alright if he sticks with Waffle.  Albie always needs a role model around.  Independent thought is not his strong point.

And Silver is staunchly refusing to mind about his enforced diet.

He looks like he swallowed a button in this photo – and that would be the only thing he’s eaten all day, though there are small pickings in their field.

I am determined to stay strong on this diet front.