Sunny Day = Smiley Dragon!

Oh Mother Nature the Dragon mule loves you!  You sent me a sunny day to give me some respite from the un-mulelike weather and I'm soooo happy!

In fact I couldn't hide my happiness by smiling wide and proud!

Ah that roll in the sunshine feels sooo good!

Oh yeah!  Even an itchy scratch of my Dragon ears :-)

There's always someone that tries to photobomb the shot though isn't there?

Hey you! I know you're making ears behind my head, trot off will you, this is my photo shoot .....

Oh for goodness sake Mini go on then have your picture taken if you really must, I'm too busy chilling anyway!

Let's hope for more nice weather for the week ahead - have a happy week everyone!

From Roads to Rivers

Sorry for the interruption in Muleteer ponderings, we've been battling the weather, again!  The weather is not being kind to anyone it seems at the moment.  We have had 100 mph winds and torrential rain to make this a pretty miserable winter.


None of us have seen storms like it, yesterday we had enough rain to last a month and gales that brought down lots of trees and caused major flooding of the local coastline.  We are thankful though.  We Muleteers and friends live on sloped land which drains, we have a roof over our heads and our stables and house don't flood too much - we are great believers in the fact that the little house here hasn't stood for nearly 600 years without being fairly resistant to Mother Nature's worst.

Some of our friends have not been so lucky, we're sorry for them and wish for drying sunshine and abating floods so that they can repair their damage.


The roads have been looking more like rivers, the local river itself is a raging torrent and the storm drains are not really coping that well.  This is called a buddlehole (strange Dartmoor language!) and is supposed to drain the lanes around here in to the farmer's fields next-door, it can only take so much though and the fields now look a little like swimming pools!

Some of us are not too fussed by the rain, the Cloth Dog has a lovely waterproof coat and is made for the wet, all he wants to know is where is his ball?

He can't seem to understand that it might get washed away.  This is the water coming down one of our favourite lanes for a ride, rather ironically called 'Summer Lane'!  This video was snapped by one of our friends, thank goodness she didn't have to drive up that lane!

We're hoping for a little sunshine today, come on Mother Nature we've all been extra good!  In the meantime we have glimpsed a little ray of Spring - our Hebe is flowering, such a beautiful reminder that summery flowers and greenery are just around the corner for us all….. surely?!

Stay warm, safe and dry friends!

Windswept!

Goodness me this wind is playing havoc with my hairdo!  Over the last 48 hours we've mostly had wind, rain, hail, more wind and more rain…..

This is a view that isn't seen that often, look you can actually see my forehead, it does exist underneath that luxurious forelock, honest!

Speaking of which…. my forelock is definitely misbehaving in this wind, FH says I look a bit like a fraggle, I can't imagine what she means?  There's no resemblance that I can see?

I do quite like his style though, not a bad hairdo!

That's better hair, this is a stylish windswept look, I almost look pristine and free of mud from this perspective, looking handsome hey ladies?

Hmmm just don't look at this view, all looks good from the shoulders forward….

My Mini pal is not impressed with the wind, he doesn't even have to worry too much about bad hair as his 'do' is a little more practical for days like today.  The look says it all, we'd like the 70 mph gusts to end now if you don't mind, it's hard work being a mini in the wind. 

One of us is loving it though, Dragon stands resplendent in the paddock asking the weather if that's the best it can do?  That is one self confident muletta….. she gladly took Smiley Human out for a ride this morning in a gale with hale storms and floods all around, and of course she delivered them both safely home having had a lovely time :-)  Definitely a day to be riding a sensible mule we reckon, well done Dragon :-)

Only one thing left to do on this windy day…. get the wind up my tail and go for a little run around!

Hope all of our friends are well, with each day of bad weather we must be getting closer to the Spring, we're sure we saw some green shoots of grass in the rested paddock, oooo Spring grass'll be here before we know it!!

Sunshine on a Rainy Day

OK so rainy day is probably an understatement…. last night we had a huge storm with trees down all over, flooded roads and the main rail link in to the county washed away by the sea.  We Muleteers have been busy sheltering indoors and staying out of the squidgy mud, Roller is worried he might even blow away as he's so small!

But there was a glimmer of hope today, Roller and Dragon provided their very own expression of hope, a little ray of sunshine that Spring may arrive eventually.

Yes folks, they have both decided it's time to start shedding their winter coats :-)  Hooray for that!  FH is looking forward to months of shedding out Roller's thick duvet coat, he starts in February and we're still going in June ready for him to regrow in August.

So there you have it folks the Muleteers have declared that Spring must be on the way so let's hope Mother Nature is listening.  The Mini?  Well The Mini is sensibly hanging on to his woolies for a while yet, he takes after the donkey side of the family on this one and will hold on to his coat until it's at least a balmy 20 C!

Hope all of our friends are surviving this awful weather, we have at least three more days on the way.  We're grateful for our warm beds, roof over our heads and food on demand.  FH is grateful to be growing fast but still mobile and happily tending her Muleteer Masters :-)

Sending you soggy snuffles and windswept neighbrays for a safe week ahead.

If Dogs Could Smile

Greetings Friends!  Well of course we can smile!  I heard the humans say if dogs could smile the Cloth Dog would be, duh well look at me.... I'm smiling!

Yippee, hooray, it's a Dartmoor doggy day!  My favourite place in the world for a lovely winter walk.  The sun was shining, the bushes were ripe for sniffing and peeing on and my naughty puppy was occupied with dashing and playing and chasing.

I always know when we're in luck and about to escort the humans on to the moor..... we head up this little track.  The edges are great for sniffing and it's definitely a doggy racetrack, Milo might be fast but I make up for his speed with experience.

He is rather prone to prancing and dancing and forgetting which way he's supposed to be going...

I think he rather enjoys running around in the long moorland grass!

I have to keep my wits about me as he is prone to flybys at great speed.  Oops this photo shows that even the inside of my ears are going grey, honestly folks if you had to bring up this pup and look after the humans your ears would be grey too!

There's always time for a quick look at the view in amongst running around. Sometimes we'll explore far and wide over those hills but today we made do with a bit of a meander, splash and soak up of the sun - it feels great on my back :-)

Just when I was enjoying the view it came from nowhere... beep, beep, zoom! Come back here rascal!

Have you ever seen such funny ears on a pup? Tehehe they rather make me smile just looking at them.....

One final thing before we head home.  I've spied a little bit of a swimming spot, time for some peace and quiet in the chilly water - one place the puppy won't follow! Something about it being cold, he needs to grow a labrador coat, no worries here!

You know what folks?  Us dogs definitely can smile.... I'm doing it right here, loving being a Dartmoor Dog.  

Woofs and Wags everyone, have a lovely weekend.  I'm looking forward to an afternoon snuggled with my mistress bonding with my next pup in the making, babysitter Murph at the ready.... I've heard that my ears will make the best baby comforter..... ah well guess I can cope ;-) I wonder if Human Foal will call me their Cloth Dog too?  I sure hope so!

Battle of The Beards

Hmmm there's been some beardy bragging going on in the Muleteer gang... I turn my back and they're all at it.... my beard's better than your beard..... mine has a better colour, no mine is more bushy!

Well anyone would think that a beard is this season's 'must have look'.... come to think of it they do keep your face warm, even MH sports one some of the time!

So first up on the designer beard front is Roller's fluffed out Polar Bear effort - marks out of 10?

We give 7/10 for substance, 6/10 for cleanliness (needs a brush Roller) and 8/10 for style - dig that graded colour Roller :-)

And next up is the bearded lady..... well it's Dragon and it's ok Dragon because girl mules can sport beards too at this time of year.

Hmmm yours is a little sparse so 5/10 for substance, 6/10 for cleanliness - let down by your general bog monster appearance and 7/10 for style, improved always by your beautiful eyes (will that make you forget the bog monster comments..... quick run! ;-)

And the final contender chipped in from the other side of the fence that he wanted to be included..... hmmm guess we could let him, we think this competition may be fixed?! This puppy does spend a lot of time parading his beard.....

Substance we give you a 9/10 - not bad for a canine creature, it is rather luxurious isn't it? Hmm cleanliness might have to be a 6/10 as we're sure we can see some staining in there, is that due to your messy eating habits, goodness knows what you're saving for later in there?  And finally style.... yeah, yeah ok you win we'll give you a 9/10 for style.... we admit your beard is quite handsome!

So there we have it the beardy competition is decided, Milo the bearded wonder wins.... honestly you'd think that us Muleteers have nothing better to do than stand around comparing beards, chatting with the neigh-bours and enjoying what sun there is, well come to think of it sounds like a perfect day!

Happy week friends xxx

Roller's Philosophical Friday: Weather

Hmmm this weather thing is getting a bit frustrating isn't it? We've had torrential rain and flooding here with only the occasional glimpse of sunshine and our friends in North America have had arctic temperatures, snow and ice.

We're hoping that this weekend will bring some better weather for us all, the signs are good at least for a day or two.  I will cross my pony hooves and plead with Mother Nature….. again!

My mule friends are even more glum about this weather thing than me, they would like to move to the desert.  Underneath all the frustration I am actually quite content.  I get to shelter indoors, test out my lovely waterproof coat and it's a great excuse to indulge in the sweet hay!

But for the sake of everyone else come on Mother Nature let's have a nice weekend, I'd be very grateful.

In the meantime I have a little quote to put an optimistic slant on the weather, the others are a little cynical about this quote but hey sometimes it's all in how you look at things……

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
John Ruskin

And just to prove this, here's the lovely weather we had just the other day…. with the rain follows the sun, it just makes us appreciate it that little bit more :-)

Happy Weekend and here's hoping for the sunny kind of good weather!

Yeehaa! Freedom!

Yeehaa Minis, let's run around!  It's been so desperately wet and windy that we've been hiding indoors.  So far 2014 has mostly brought rain and mud :-(  No matter how much FH has tried to lure me out of the Dragon's Den I've not been for moving.

But this morning I peeked out and there was no rain!  Yippee!  So I decided it was time to venture outdoors, hmmm FH why do I have to have this rug on?  Something to do with a ride tomorrow if the weather improves and not wanting a muddy mule..... hmmmm pigs might fly if you think it's going to be dry, the weather warnings are out for more heavy rain, I think I'll be hiding indoors again.

Anyway enough of that, time to go and roll around....

And kick up my heels!

Yeeha!

Think I'll try my bronco mule moves, what do you think Roller?

Trying out the same moves are you Roller?

I'm gonna try for some dressage moves now... look mules can do collection of paces too.... although FH says I'm a little over bent?!  Pah, who cares!

OK done now, time for some food, would you care to move the fence now please?  If you do that I promise to stop making skid marks in the paddock..... at least for now anyway ;-)

Have a good weekend Muleteers, hope that all of our friends who are experiencing bad weather are staying safe, warm and dry.

Muletide Greetings Friends!

Merry Christmas to all of our dear blogging friends!  In honour of the season and in true Muleteer style…. we got the dressing up box out and decided to have a little fun :-)

Santa Pony - is there anything cuter?

We wish you a muley Christmas, we wish you a muley Christmas, we wish you a muley Christmas…

…… and a Mulificent New Year.

Snuffle tidings we bring to you and your kin….

We wish you a muley Christmas and a Mulificent New Year!

Merry Christmas to all our blogging friends - thanks for sharing this festive time with us :-)

 Merry Christmas from us all at the Three Muleteers xxxx