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.