The track is being eaten down faster than the grass is growing.  I am in a conundrum.  I want there to be enough grass for the ponies to eat, but not enough for them to get laminitis.

Some parts of the track have become quite eroded – first mud, and now dust.  Albie is coughing and I don’t like that either.

So today, I pulled back the fence to give the ponies a large corner of grass to eat and I told myself that this is like strip grazing a field. I also told Tiddles that he is absolutel NOT to give himself laminitis and everyone must all still keep moving around the track.

After the initial feast of grass, they did move off and round the track, so I felt a bit more encouraged and hope that my new plan will work.  I intend to add little bits for them to eat as and when I feel they need it.

Sometimes I feel that I can’t do right for doing wrong and I know that, if I had the strength to poo-pick, the track would probably hold up better but poo-picking is a surefire way to be the end of me.  It is too big a task so it won’t be done.

On a good note, though, that one strand of electric wire at precisely the correct height, even for Newt’s little Machiavellian mind, is proving enough to keep everyone where I want them.

It is strongly zapping away, so that might be why.  I can tell everyone knows what the wire is all about and they all have a very healthy respect for it.  Quite right too!

Track life is going ok.  There is not much grass around to eat, but the Shetland ponies seem to find something to eat and spend many hours looking – they also come up to the paddock for hay and their breakfast in the morning and, if I’m feeling nice, I sometimes open up a little bit more of their field for them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence everything is growing fast as we’ve had some lovely warm days.

The spring flowers are beautiful and when I walk around, I see another new species.

There are carpets of marsh marigolds by the burn and in the fields.

Today it was Spring Squill.

A dog-violet

And the wild primroses are in full bloom.

While I was taking the photographs, Pepper went wading in the burn. I wanted to see if she would swim.

But she prefers to walk up and down investigating everything while staying in her depth.

So I thought if I throw something in, maybe she will go and get it for me.

Very nearly, but no.

I even tried old dried sorrel sticks, but nope. She sat and looked at them wondering what she was supposed to do.

When it’s hotter, I might take Pepper to our local loch, sit in the water and see if she will come to me then – hopefully swimming.  The burn is too rocky to stand in at any depth. I would probably fall over.  BeAnne was such a little otter in water, and I think once Pepper starts, she will love swimming too.

Well, that’s Daisy gone south now too and I know Lambie will miss her hugely.

Every morning this last week, Lambie has run (yes, run) to Daisy so they can have a lovely chat and scratch together.

Apparently only Daisy understands him because she is the Queen of Sheep and I don’t, because I am just his Muzzah and what do I know?

Lambie stared straight at me with that special look he has so that I knew exactly what he was thinking in that pea-sized brain of his.

Thanks a bunch, Lambie.

After their special morning conversation, Lambie then runs after Daisy while she tries to do other chores, like Edna’s hoof treatment.  He blocks her way so she has to turn all her concentration, and love, back on him.  He even has his “Happy Tail” for her.

I won’t say it’s pathetic to watch, but I do feel utterly unwanted after this extraordinary performance of Daisy worship.

Anyway, like I said, Daisy’s flown south now and Lambie will just have to put up with me as there is no one else left.  He will go back to his usual grudging aloof self. I know it.

So, farewell, Queen of Sheep.  Thank you from Lambie for all your love.

It’s Daisy’s last day before she goes south again so we went into the stable to put the rugs away, followed by these two inquisitive sheep (Maggie and her son, Harrel-the Barrel).

Last year, Daisy catalogued all the horse and pony rugs – no mean feat, I can tell you – and then I went and looked for rugs disturbing the “library”.  We needed to sort it all out again.  Plus many rugs had been sold/given away and needed to come off the list.

We sorted everything into various piles and drawers.

Categories were:

• Rugs I don’t need immediately but shouldnt be thrown away (bottom 2 drawers), ie for when the Minions get older, plus various stable rugs in case anyone is shivering and needs to come in to warm up.
• Sheep rugs – I like to be prepared and no one is getting any younger.
• Rugs to grab easily for Fivla and Vitamin, even in summer – two rainsheets each and a rug with fill as well.
• Rugs for the big ones in winter – two rainsheets and a rug with fill for each of them as they don’t like going inside in winter but need to keep warm.

This was my pile that I went through again and mostly put back, much to Daisy’s horror. I had to justify each rug I was keeping.  She was tough.

And I got it down to this smaller pile to give away or go to the tip.

Et voilà – a lovely tidy space.

A place for everything and everything in its place until I need it quickly and just throw it all on the ground to find the one I want.

And then Daisy and I can start all over again…….

I went to town this morning for various messages and saw some old friends for a catch-up.

The town was fairly buzzing as there was a massive cruise-ship – 2,100 passengers wandering around.  I did all I needed to do without my shopping list which I had left at my first stop, the animal feed merchant.  I then had to wing it for the rest of the day, which was very annoying and when I returned home, I realised I had forgotten the main reason I needed to go to town!  Isn’t that just the way?  I will have to go back or find someone who is going.

But one of the items I bought, that wasn’t on the shopping list, was celery which was on special offer.  I know that the Minions love this, so I bought four bags and thought it would make a nice treat for them.  Something different.

When I got home, Daisy and I took two of the bags down to the track.

Everyone wanted some.

Lots of munching and crunching.

And then it was all gone but I have two more bags for tomorrow.

Apparently celery is high in Vitamin K and I have absolutely no idea what that actually means. (goes off to research the benefits of eating celery while wondering it Vitamin K is a made-up vitamin. I thought it makes you pee).