Tag Archives: Pepper the Patterdale

Going Out

There was a weird eerie light this morning, when I went to fetch the buckets in to wash before putting them away.

The “big” horses had let themselves out and looked very picturesque in front of Stourbrough Hill capped with low cloud.

(173-metre summit located at the center of the Walls Peninsula)

The sheep were also meandering their way out of the paddock and into the big field.

They remain wary of the horses for absolutely no reason.  Shetland ponies, well yes, I can understand, but not the horses.  They’re no bother to anyone.

All the sheep held their collective breath and went past the totally ignoring horses with their eyes closed.

“Don’t notice me, don’t notice me, don’t notice me” I am sure I could hear.

For some reason known only to herself, Dahlia had been left behind.  She soon caught up, though.

Meanwhile, in the wee paddock with the wee shed, Vitamin was busy offering a washing-up service on all buckets.

“No food too small” is her motto.

She did a very thorough job.

And I told her so.  Well done and thank you, Vitamoobag. You’ve saved me a job.

Fivla had just vacated the shed and was doing her own thing – more eating then.

And apparently I have still yet to be forgiven for being disappointed with Pepper.

We Are Absolutely Not Talking To…..

We are absolutely not talking to Pepper today.  She has disgraced herself beyond redemption.

She was found with a baby Muscovy duckling hanging out of her mouth – tragically, dead.  I am pretty sure it was the one and only duckling that I didn’t know had hatched.  Mummy Duck has been nesting under the container for, what seems like, years and finally produced a baby, only for Pepper to immediately murder it.

Pepper has been following me around all day, begging forgiveness and we’ve had a long conversation about friends, not food but I fear it has gone in one ear and out the other.  And to quote my grandmother “I am very disappointed”, which is far worse than furious in our house.

No else cares or possibly knows about her heinous crime.

Meanwhile, we are all talking to Newt.

Because he has a yummy scrummy nosey that needs kissing.

Go on, I dare you!

Newt is today’s Good Boy.  Mostly because he is standing in the only clean container and not stirring up trouble, though I did hear a rumour at breakfast that he was his usual despotic self, but it was only a rumour, mind. It’s not like he killed our one and only duckling that I didn’t know we had.

Oh, Pepper – the disappointment.

The Circle of Life (or Pepper’s Tummy)

You left us yesterday with no power but thankfully it came back on in time for OH to watch the World Cup Quarter-Finals. I went to bed as I was exhausted and didn’t really care.

I woke up to the sun shining and it has been lovely and warm, if breezy – a good drying day.

My dog-walk consisted of me mostly trying to urge the sheep to follow me and the dogs out into a field.  The sheep were not particularly helpful this morning and they needed to go out to graze.

The sheep are not fans of the horses and, as they were loitering around the gate, I think that is what put them off.

But I managed to get them all out in the field after some enthusiastic shouting but I failed on the dog walking front. Pepper wasn’t feeling well (again) and had a sit down strike. I ended up sitting on a rock for a while chatting to any passing sheep.

Pepper looked very miserable at me too.

I do feel very sorry for my little wee dog but she there really is nothing much I can do that helps.

Our vet knows about Pepper’s tummy but has no advice or treatment to give either.  I think if you live in these parts this is what happens to quite a few “hunting” dogs.  Monster is no use either. He is the killer in the family and brings the carcasses home at night, which Pepper quickly finds in the daytime.

Anyway, after a good afternoon’s sleep while I made another hand felted sheep, Pepper felt much better and ate her supper without refusal, complaint or after-effects.  She is asleep now again and will be back to her normal self by tomorrow when she will find another carcass and we will, no doubt start all over again.

Thanks Monster.