Stiff as a post

Whisper it quietly, but I can hardly move.  I was out working the other day and seem to be a little stiff today.  To be truthful, I reckon Skye would probably beat me in a race right now, and Pie is going through a very elaborate set of stretches in front of me, humming away about her starting the agility later today.  I hope not.

The thing is we had to move the three blackies out of the West Quarry and bring them back to the farm.  It's a terrible field with the big wood for them to hide in, and it's not even as if it was normal sheep.  I hate blackies.  Stubborn, cunning little things that they are, they were darting about here, there and everywhere.  Everywhere except where I wanted them to go, so I had to have a rest on the bike after a while while we had a think about it.  I got them moved in the end though (a triumph of brain over brawn I say), which was good news but I was really glad there weren't more of them, and I never thought I'd be saying that.  Now the devils look as though butter wouldn't melt in their mouths, munching happily away at the grass.

Daisy says I should respect the sheep more and ask them to do these things and life would be easier.  Humph!  What does she know about it?  I say we get in and tell them what to do, then make them do it, as quickly as possible.  That makes my life much easier than having to chat to sheep about grass condition, more grass chat, the state of the fences, more grass...yawn...even thinking about it is tiring.  Anyway, if they won't listen to me telling them what to do, I send Pie over in a flurry of yapping and legs and she sorts them out for me.  Perfect.

Oh well, a quiet day should sort me out.  I just hope Pie's wrong about the agility...

Take care

Pip xx

Changeover day

Life's treating us pretty well  just now...nice long days and plenty of sun.  Best of all, today was changeover day for the beds so it's time to just streeeetch out and enjoy.  We love changeover day.  Even little Pie gets back from her hunting a bit sharpish so she can get a good snooze before Skye comes along and sheds about half a ton of fur all over the place.  She can be so frustrating.

The new fence is still undefeated, much to the puppy's annoyance but I'm just getting a bit worried that she's getting her energy back just in time for the agility to start...I certainly hope not, but maybe just to make sure I ought to leave the garden gate open...it would be naughty of me, but it would be really annoying not to win the first agility game.  Oh, the dilemma...I think I'll ask Daisy and the shedder what they would do - and then do the opposite.  A good plan that can't possibly go wrong if you ask me

Pie is still spitting mad with the rat man. She reckons he's stolen all her r creatures as she hasn't seen one for days and has had to resort to barking at a broody hen in the yard now.  I ask you...Sometimes I just think I should run away and get some peace before they all turn me mad as well.  Poor little Pie, she means well but she's barking mad (ha, ha I bet no one saw that one coming, but I always reckon the old jokes are the best)

Take care

Pip xxx

Feeling under the weather

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  I'm in disgrace.  Me - fancy that!!  Well, not properly in disgrace I don't think (hope) but I've eaten something out in the fields that's disagreed with me and, without going into too many details, my bottom is now an unmentionable area.  Very much so unfortunately.  I think a couple of quiet days are called for just to set me straight again, so it'll be just my luck that tomorrow will be when the agility starts.  My beloved agility...I hope not.   

Needless to say I'm getting a bit of stick from Daisy and Skye - both of who have a constitution like an ox. Nothing ever upsets them, and Skye was straight in offering to eat my supper for me if I'm not feeling like eating it myself...just to do me a favour you understand, she says.  Not because she's greedy, of course not, perish the thought.  Daisy looked pretty miffed that she hadn't thought of offering first.  Anyway, neither of them need bother as I'd need to be a site more poorly than this to pass on supper.

I'm not the only one who's fed up. We've had the pest man in to look for r creatures - much to Pie's disgust. Pie doesn't much care to see anyone unusual in her yard (even the postie is in danger and he's here every day), so I wouldn't like to be the pest man if she ever got out while he was stealing her r creatures.  There'd be tears and they wouldn't be Pie's.  Only the other day Skye was telling the puppy about the time Pie came across a couple of scrap men in the yard.  Well, we've never seen grown men move so fast and even then they only just got back to their van before her teeth got to them.  No, she doesn't take any nonsense from strangers, let alone if they were stealing r creatures, so he must be a very brave man...or maybe wearing thick trousers.

Anyway, let's hope I'm feeling better tomorrow

Take care

Pip xxx

Construction works

I'm very relieved.  For a while now there's been some construction work going on in the garden.  I hate it when they start building things - especially if there's been misbehaviour (Pie and Abby pay careful attention).  You just never know whether the latest bad behaviour might be the straw that breaks the camels back and that's us outside in kennels.  But not this time...thank goodness.  It's just some sort of useless looking lean to (Daisy says it's a pergola - she reckons she's seen one on the internet). I don't care what it is just as long as I'm not going to have to live in it.  It seems a bit of a waste of time if you ask me really - I mean, why not just grow flowers over the wall rather than put a great big hut for them to grow on?  And it's not even as though you could shelter from the rain...they seen to have forgotten to put the tiles on.  No, it's useless.  About as much use as Skye in a field of sheep, and in truth (but whisper it quietly) she's probably more use...

My hopes are up though, with all this building work and now the puppy's in lockdown, surely the next major work is the agility course.  If they've got time to waste on a useless leanto then the course should be pretty impressive...loads of jumps, possibly some water, tunnels.  All sorts.  Oh it's so exciting thinking about it.  I've been practicing like mad so I know I'm just going to thrash the puppy (not that that's the only point).  Happy days....

Take care

Pip xxx

Bone burier revealed...

So...the bone burier is finally revealed.  You know how we've got these cracking bones to chew - well, I suppose they were bought for the puppy when she started chewing the skirting boards, but we all share them now.  Anyway, these bones keep going missing, then back, then gone.  It was very worrying and when they first started going we all blamed Skye (you would, wouldn't you?).  But then they started reappearing so I knew straight away that wasn't Skye - anything she buries stays buried because 10 seconds after she's finished, she's forgotten what she's done.  It's a wonder she doesn't have more accidents as she lives in a complete daze.  So it wasn't her, which meant it had to be a terrier, but I watched them like a hawk and was none the wiser.  Then bingo!  I saw some little feet scuffing about in the soil and, hey presto, out popped a stags horn bone.  And whose little feet did I see?  Pie.  Caught red handed and very upset she looked too.  

She reckoned she was just keeping them safe but I've given her a talking to and so far, we've not lost any since.  And - more good news - the fence in the back garden has been put up to keep the puppy in.  It's very tall, and took her about a second to clock it, but I warned her that they'd do something drastic unless she started to behave, but she knew best.  Well, she's not looking so clever now I say...

It's tiring keeping all this bad behaviour in check, so hopefully now we'll have some well behaved dogs (if slightly reluctant)

Take care

Pip xxx

Peggy goes lame now

Looks like I was getting a bit too carried away there yesterday, thinking I had it easy with so few sheep.  We've just got Wobbly right and guess what?  Peggy's gone all limpy on us now.  Not that she'll take much catching mind you (and more's the pity - there's nothing wrong with a good run out in my book).  She's the sheepy equivalent to Skye - moves as little as she can get away with but she's always first in the queue for a snack.  We'll just rattle a bit of food in her direction and hey presto, one treated sheep. Looks like a job for top of the list though that's for sure.

We're still getting more swallows in, but it doesn't seem as many as last year.  Daisy says she's heard chat that it's because they get hunted in some countries as they fly back home to us.  But that can't be right can it?  I mean, not even little Daisy could make a meal out of a tiny bird (although I wouldn't put it past Pie though).  No, I think she's living proof that you can't believe everything you hear, but you can't possible mention it to her...she'll just prance off in a westie huff.

No sign of the fence yet, but I think it will be OK.  It will keep the puppy in (a good thing),  and keep all the cows back (a very good thing), AND keep all those nasty wavy trees out of sight as well (the best thing of all).  No, I can't wait and would help put it up if I could, but I'm all ham-fisted with tools - and we daren't ask Skye to dig the post holes or we'd need a cement mixer to fill them in - if we ever saw her again...just a blur of soil and paws...we all think she's part mole she loves her digging so much.  Part mole, part gannet if you ask me...

Anyway, I've got to go.  Skye's just seen what I've written 

Take care

Pip xxx

Swallows and housemartins

I love this time of year, I just love it.  Nice long days, plenty of lambs in the fields, the odd bit of sunshine and best of all, the promise of lots of sunny days still to come.  Obviously, I'd rather have plenty of my own lambs but at least I don't have to put up with Skye whining on about them and there's lots on the next door farm so I always have to check that there are no escapees onto my grass before I can relax for the day.  

The good news is that Wobbly's foot is better and that she's growing really well.

The bad news is that the puppy and Pie are back in disgrace after another late night jaunt.  I don't think they'll manage it soon though as I've overheard some chat about a fence going up in the back garden and Daisy reckons she's seen some REALLY long posts in the trailer.  About time too if you ask me...I've tried to warn them that there'd be consequences, but the puppy just doesn't listen.  After all, what do I know?  Apparently nothing, but we'll see.

The other good news is that the swallows and housemartins are getting on well with their nests.  They're such busy little things they put Skye and Daisy to shame.  It must be a grand life, all that travelling, but boy, it must be tiring.  Pie was telling Skye the other day that they do more work in one day than she's ever likely to do in her whole life, but Skye does help them - after she's had her coat brushed (which she loves, by the way), we leave the brushed out bits for the birds to pick up...that must make the nests comfy I'll bet.  The puppy couldn't believe it when Daisy told her they come back to the same nest each year after travelling to Africa and back - and no sat nav!!  All I say is thank goodness the puppy's not in charge of the route - she hasn't got the sense to find her way out of a paper bag twice

The final bad news?  Still no agility.  Aaaaargh.

Oh well, the suns out, think I'll have a quick eyelid inspection in the warm

Take care

Pipxxx