One thing I’ve learned this winter is to never get in the way of Vitamin and her bucket.

In the afternoon, just before it starts getting dark, I like to have everything ready so there are no arguments.

The ponies had come up from their grazing and were pacing the perimeter fence.

I shouted for Vitamin as she was not by the gate and she knew.

Oh yes, she knew.

As you can see there is a black rope with a clip on the fence as belt and braces in case the gate opens by “accident”.

I was fiddling about trying to open it when Vitamin said “sod that”, pushed through and past me cantering (yes, 30 years old and she canters) into the shed for her bucket!

Swiftly followed by a trotting Tiddles and Fivla.  I shut the gate feeling somewhat flattened by the dinner rush.

When I reached the shed, I found Tiddles in his pen eating, Fivla in her’s and Vitamin pacing up and down like a ravenous fire-breathing dragon.

She was in no mood for reasoning as she pushed Fivla off her bucket.

At the opposite end of their shared pen was another bucket for Fivla.  Don’t feel sorry for Fivla, she does the same to Vitamin when the mood takes her.  They are both old bags these days.

And in the container paddock, this little lot had their scoop of slushy nothingness while I shut them in for the night.

And also, don’t get in the way of Newt and his bucket.  He has a very nasty kicky little arse on him.  He hasn’t quite dared kick me yet – more luck than judgment on my part. And, yes, there are many bowls of slushy nothing but Albie insists on sharing much to Waffle’s dispair.

It was good to see the little boys playing this morning, while I trudged round poo-picking (or trying to work out what was possibly poo or not in the thawing snow).

While I wandered around the field (and I use that term loosely – a bog, or swamp would be more accurate) with rubber gloves and a bucket, I watched the ponies having fun.

It was particularly good to see Tiddles having fun.

He is officially disgusting and when he came inside later, I dug through my rug libary to find some stable rugs as I was convinced he must be freezing.  But no, he was completely dry underneath the mud, snow, dirt, god-knows-what….. so I towelled some of it off and left him eating his haynet.

If I had a pound for every time Albie knocked over my poo bucket I would be rich!

Anyway, the topic is me being tough.  I decided that as long as I could see green grass, I was not going to put out haynets.  Nope, get used to finding grass again.

I texted Daisy and she replied “stay tough” so I repeated this to Iacs.

And then it snowed.

And I had to change my mind.  Haynets for all then.

Last night I got everyone inside as the forecast was pretty grim.  This morning, I put them all outside as it was still pretty grim but they wanted out.

The snow is gradually melting now and I told everyone to be careful on the ice when they crossed the track to their respective fields.

I also opened up a bit more field for the Shetland ponies but it was too windy to poo-pick later.  I can do that tomorrow.

And then it started sleeting and everyone took themselves to the containers.  I got the old ladies and Tiddles in an hour early, gave them buckets and then took out some haynets for the other Shetland ponies.  They will stay outside now.

I also spent the rest of the afternoon hiding from Iacs who is desperate to maintain the routine of being fed at least twice a day plus haynets.  As Daisy reminded me, he is fat, he has a thick woolly coat and there is grass in the field.  So I am doing a lot of creeping around, avoiding being seen.

But in the same breath, I am terrified Tiddles will have one of his “funny turns” because he is cold, wet and miserable so I am keeping an eagle eye on him.  At the moment, he likes the idea of buckets.  I am also back to soaking his hay in the hope this will up his water intake.

I will be glad when the snow melts completely as will everyone else, I think.  We’ve all had enough of it now.

The snow is refusing to go.  There’s been a slight thaw with a re-freeze overnight resulting in sheet ice everywhere.  Ugh!

And it’s bloomin’ freezing outside with a harsh north wind too.

Edna continues to follow me everywhere.  My constant companion.  Every time I open the feed shed, she barges in and I have to back her out using harsh words.  I can’t be having that kind of behaviour and she knows this.  She is pushing her luck.

After the billionth outburst of rage from me, Edna finally asked nicely and I gave her some food as a reward and a thank you for learning, but she probably didn’t. We have been going through this routine every day recently.

Lambie et al were distinctly unimpressed and said I was a soft touch.

At lunch, I noticed Tiddles by himself and had a mild panic about this, telling myself that these were the first signs the last time.  So I went back to the shed to get the lunge and a headcollar…..

Meanwhile, his friends joined him.

And Tiddles instantly cheered up.

So I clambered over the fence and unhitched some unfinished haynets, etc and gave them to the Shetlands to finish.

I told myself that if Tiddles didn’t eat, then I would lunge him but when I saw him tuck in, I stopped worrying.

The old ladies are still eating around the house and are very happy there.

That’s all I want.  Someone to be happy.

And less work lugging things for everyone.  My back is putting up a fight now.  Everyone is in for the night as there is another winter storm brewing.

Today was a bit of a day.

My visitors were leaving (flights permitting) so I put them to work before they left. I like to get my money’s worth.

While they were doing lots of lugging (hay bales, water, stuff), I fed Gussie and Dahlia, who had appeared.

I cannot tell you just how pleased I am to have these two.  Such sweeties.

And in this weather, Skippy is a total godsend (as is the driver who has now left us, sob).

Everything is a family affair.

And we were pottering along ok today until Tiddles appeared at the fence (lunch time) and said he would like to go inside, please thank you. So I led him indoors and he said he was ok now. Then I noticed that he wasn’t eating despite four buckets of lovely little “amuse-bouche” in front of him.  I gave him some tummy stuff and then he lay down. At that stage, I called the vet because I felt we were rapidly entering Storm territory.

While the vet was on her way, I lunged Tiddles outside and, when he started to gallop, bucking, I realised he possibly wasn’t as ill as he said he was.  I put him back in his pen and he instantly started to eat.  A good sign.

The vet still came and examined Tiddles, while he farted liquid and poo.  She gave him a painkiller and said the bowel sounds were good.  We decided that his sojourn outside last night was possibly too much for him so now I am trying hard not to over-think this.  Fingers crossed we are out of this.

I am now indoors with a gin and tonic to recover too. My visitors are on their plane flying home and OH is cooking supper.