It's A Mule's Life!

Oh My Mule Dragon it is such a hard life we lead….. eat, sleep, neighbray, look cute, eat, wobble about a bit, keep an eye on the ranch, eat, oh and sleep a bit more…..  I'm thoroughly worn out and it's only 10 am.  Time for a muley snooze.  

Oh dear here comes MH creeping up on us, can't be bothered to get up MH, you don't appear to have bananas with you!  Me and my Dragon are busy, can't you tell?  As you're here you can do the important job of guarding us while we doze…. it would appear that Roller is far too interested in filling his tummy with grass, hmmm the opportunist me thinks?!

Yes, yes we know we're sooooo sleepy

MH is on guard, time for a full out mule doze, ah… dreaming of grassy fields, a mini adventure and an all you can eat banana buffet!  Bet Dragon is dreaming of work…. weird girl!

Ah this is soooo nice.  Just one thing Dragon, please don't you know errmm let one of your botty burps out will you?  My nose is very close to the danger zone but I'm too comfy to move.

Have a relaxing weekend our Muleteer friends - we sure will, It's a Mule's Life!

Sleeping Beauties

Hey Roller I think we're on film!  Look up there in the corner, we're under surveillance, FH isn't satisfied with seeing us in the daytime, she now needs to check up on our cuteness at night too.  MH has kindly installed an infrared camera!

When the lights go out and the humans have retired to their stable us Minis only have two things on our mind.....

Firstly we need to eat, and eat and eat....

But most importantly we need to catch up on our beauty sleep after a busy day eating and playing!

Sometimes we take it in turns, this means that we can stand guard over each other. Roller takes the first nap most nights, he loves to sleep!

Once Roller is done napping (this can take hours) I can get down to some snoozing, I only like to sleep on the rubber mats, Roller isn't fussy but he generally likes the straw bed!

We're really chilled out though and there isn't a great deal to worry about here, our Dragon protector is next door and we know she won't let anything happen to us.  She defends us fiercely.  So that means that we can enjoy a good snooze together, what could be more cosy that cuddling up with your best mate for a snooze?

We start out all tucked up in semi sleep...

Then when all is still and we feel very snoozy we both go for the flat out, ultra relaxed snooze.  FH had to keep watching to check that we were still moving.....  it's ok FH we're just making sure we're fully rested!

Once we've had a little nap it's time to eat for a while, this restaurant is always open, it's a good job because us minis have healthy appetites!

Once we near midnight it's time for the naughty stop out to come home, she creeps silently in from her kitty cat late night adventures, we minis tut and ask her if she had a good night on the tiles, she just yawns and stumbles in to bed....

Us minis like to tell her off for being late to bed but she is soooo cute.  We like sharing our bed with Catanian, she has her corner of the bed that we do not step on or leave mini nuggets in ;-)  We take our guarding duties just as seriously for our kitty cat friend and rotate kitty duty. 

I take the first watch, I prefer to stand guard rather than lie down as I don't like sleeping in the straw, it tickles my tummy! I love my kitty cat friend and she loves me :-) No intruder cat, dog or human will get to my kitty while I'm on guard. 

Next it's Roller's turn for kitty guarding.  Roller guards with his own style.... why stand when you can lie down and snooze.  He promises me he takes his guarding duties very seriously, I think he might fall asleep on the job.... good job I'm awake, think I might be guarding both of them!

That's all for now Muleteers, time for a good snooze ready for my guarding duties later!  

To all our friends, sweet dreams xxx

Queen Callie of Dreamland

Even super mules get sleepy!

Greetings Muleteers!  How tiring life is.... I spend most of the day eating but I'm also expected to chuckle at the humans (aka neighbray) to keep them happy and attentive, I have to guard Mule HQ, see off the local dogs and cats (except Catanian of course), inspect the boundaries at every opportunity, entertain countless guests, stand on three legs, look good, assist with gardening and hedge laying, keep watch over the minis and be personal beautician to them both, I even have to carry the human - how much can a girl take?!!  So when the sun was shining, the humans weren't looking and the minis were stuffing their faces I just decided to catch up on some beauty sleep!

I don't mind admitting that I'm rather fond of  a good snooze in the sunshine folks, I like a nice high up spot in the field so that I can stare in to the distance and keep check on the surroundings, I like to have my boys near so that they can protect me from any intruders, I need a full tummy with plenty of straw, some nice warm grass and the tweeting of the birds hurrying to fatten up for winter.

The Minis are essential company for a spot of dozing

When I lay down I am still nearly as tall as my mini mule pal!

I fell asleep so deeply that I think when I woke up I must have been daydreaming a little as I looked across and saw a strange creature, it looked like the push-me-pull-you creature from Dr Doolittle.... surely this was only a figment of my imagination? Perhaps it's time to get up and stop snoozing if I have such strange dreams....

The Mini and Roller or a strange Push-Me-Pull-You?

Wherever you are Muleteers sweet dreams, may they all come true - Queen Callie (at least in my dreams!) xx

A Mini Summer Nights Dream!

Greetings Muleteers!  The summer has been and gone so it figures that the sunshine has now arrived!  After a busy day's eating I am content in the evenings to dream of all of the lovely things that summer brought me.  So what's on a Mini Mule's summery 'Best Of' list?

 

1/. My Lovely Rug!

It's all about the outfits muleteers!  I am allergic to fly bites, they make me itch terribly.... so FH bought me a lovely rug to stop them biting me.  It is very fashionable and I think I look quite dapper in it!  I do take exception to the bonnet that she bought me though, I look like quite a fool..... don't worry Muleteers it didn't last long ;-)

2/. Grooming.

I love a good scratch to itch my fly bites and it also lets my friends know that I love them!  Dragon is a little on the tall side so I have to be careful not to crick my neck.  I am lucky though as Roller is much more my height :-)

3/. Bananas!

There is nothing that a lovely banana cannot solve.  Every morning I listen carefully for the cry of 'Mini' and the shaking of peel from MH.  He is peculiar and seems to like the inside bit of the banana and leaves the lovely tasty skin, if I'm quick I can have it all to myself but these days I have to share with others!  Secretly we think that MH has taken to eating more bananas to keep us happy, of course we can't let on that we know so we're happy to oblige in eating them!

4/. Being a Lap Mule

I am famed throughout my herd for being a lap mule.  This is a position that I have been perfecting for many years.  There is a definite technique to sitting in the lap of a human.... first you must begin the Mini Reversal, gently reversing back in to the human without treading on human toes (they are never impressed by this!), then gently nudging them towards sitting on my wall.  Once there I begin the gentle reversal again until I am 'sitting' on the human - normally FH.  Some of the humans I have tried this with have not been cooperative, shame on them!  I was only after a little tail rub and of course I am happy to lend a soft pillow to rest your head on :-)

5/. Teaching the Humans

These days I am the 'Elder Statesman' so that means that I have a reputation to uphold!  No longer am I allowed to behave like a juvenile delinquent (I leave that to Dragon) or the dreamer (I leave that to Roller), nowadays I am expected to display the best of mule traits and teach my human vistors how to behave and care for me.  I have of course taken my responsibilities very seriously.  I have shown young and old appropriate hoof care, I have demostrated the correct way to take your human for a walk and of course have taught our very own feline friend mule manners.  Don't tell anyone but I'm quite happy with my new status but of course I can still be a juvenile delinquent when no one's looking!

6/. My Secret Love

I freely admit that I don't 'do' cats.  In fact I would go as far as saying that I really don't like felines.  However..... I LOVE my secret best friend Catanian.  When this bundle of fluff arrived last year I spotted a kindred spirit; a fearless, loyal and very noisy creature.  After lots of stomping (my part), chasing (both parts), posturing (both parts), scratching (her fault, my nose - ouch!) and hissing (typical woman!) we called a truce.  I'm so glad we did as I have discovered one of my very best friends.  Catanian is my number 1 mule rider, she blows me kisses and sometimes she is cheeky enough to bat me on the nose.... and when there's no one around she sleeps in the stable with Roller and I, she has given up on sleeping in her own room and she now has a Catanian sized impression in the corner of my stable, Roller and I are very careful and never stand on her. 

7/. Eating!

No 'Best Of' list would be complete without my favourite thing being mentioned.... FOOD!  I love to eat!  FH is really quite mean as she is always telling me that I am a little on the prosperous side.  Apparently I am about to start Weight Watchers for Mules, I don't know what that is but I'm not sure that I like the sound of it.....

I'm not fussy about the food as long as there's lots of it......
Straw, twigs, grass, flowers, hay, carrots, apples, hedgerow, grapes and logs.... oh and bananas!  I could eat all of them all day, every day - yum!

Well Muleteers there we have my favourites.  I'm a simple chap really.... friends, food, the odd scratch and a habit of sitting in laps, what could be better?! Til next time Muleteers, I'm off to see if I can find my Kitty Cat for some snoozing :-)

Mule-lympics Here I Come!

That’s it!  I’m off to the Mule-lympics!  The call has come in, yes the one that I have been waiting for!  Her Majesty rang my own personal phone to call me up to Team GB!  It would appear that there is a place available on the Dressage team.

Wait I can hear the phone ringing!

Yes Your Majesty, I am at your service!

 

Oh muleteers I am soooo happy. 

It all started last week when I posted off my letter to Her Majesty letting her know that I would be a stand in for Team GB.  

Sealed with a kiss your majesty, pick me!

I had been too busy to enter competitions to qualify as I have been working on my physique (larger than life fans!).  In my letter I let Her Majesty know that I would be the perfect selection for the Team GB dressage.  I have heard all about the requirements for a dressage master:

1/. Elegance – this is no problem, I think you’ll agree that I am elegant in all ways.

2/. Light on your feet – look at these beautiful hooves, how could I not dance beautifully with these?

3/. Timing – my timing is superb, I know the split second when FH is out of bed and ready to open the gate!

4/. Obedient – FH is pretty obedient and does as she’s told, I think she is pretty submissive to my ways

5/. Good looking – need I say more???

6/. Star quality – of course, I am The Mini and I would look good in gold!

And the winner is!

I have packed my saddle bags ready to go but there is just one tiny detail that I missed…..

Muleteers apparently I would actually have to carry FH so that we could dance together.  Oh dear, it would appear that I will just have to stay here listen to it all on the radio, oh well I never did like the big city anyway ;-)

 'Til next time Muleteers, FH has promised a Gold Medal all of my own just for being so mulificent!

Roller's Philosophical Friday: Dreams

Greetings Muleteers!  I am sooo excited, the Olympics are nearly here and I will be flying my union jack for Team GB.  I can only imagine how hard these sportsmen and women have worked to get to represent their countries in this amazing event.  As you'll remember I am a shetland in training for racing... I can tell you it is very hard work and I'm not an elite athlete.  We all have dreams though and although my dreams are not to win an olympic gold medal I would like to gallop around Dartmoor with the wind in my hair without getting puffed! 

So it got me to thinking about dreams and sports and I found a quote by my olympic hero Jesse Owens - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens this was a man that stood apart and followed his dreams despite widespread discrimination and unsporting behaviour - what an inspiration! 

We all have dreams.  But in order to make dreams come in to reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.

Jesse Owens

With that in mind muleteers I'm off to work on my endurance, my speed is unquestionable as I'm sure you'll agree ;-) 

Have a lovely weekend, we hope the sun shines on the athletes in London and of course we'll be listening carefully to see how our cousins get on in Greenwich.  Good luck to all your athletes wherever in the world you are reading us from - may the hardest working dreamer win!