Roller's Book Club

Greetings Book Worms! Oops meant muleteers, sorry :-)  The sun has been shining and although the temperatures have been in single figures I've been indulging my new hobby with FH.  I have a liking for reading books....  they also taste quite nice (hmmm).  FH likes to read outdoors in the sunshine with us (she looks a bit like a marshmallow in all her puffy coats, hats and layers) and she has had a few days off so we've been catching up on our book collection.

This week we have been reading Claire Balding's 'My Animals and Other Family' which has many fine characters and is beautifully written.  There are racehorses (not like Dragon although she dreams), lurchers (like Milo) and best of all Shetland ponies (like me!)!  Claire Balding, for our non UK friends, is a sports commentator, former champion jockey and proper British eccentric who discusses her life through the animals she has shared it with - it is blissful to read and I was very happy to perch next to FH and sneak a look.  I think Valkyrie the Queen's shetland who featured in the book may actually be a relation of mine ;-)  In the end the book was finished, FH and I both felt a little sad, it was the end of the holiday, the end of the book and the sun had gone behind the clouds.  Oh well I'm looking forward to the next book, if the sun will just hang on it would be very nice.

If you're in need of a little relaxation and a good book to while away the hours this book gets the Roller seal of approval.... I wonder what FH will have for me next?  Hopefully not Black Beauty again for about the one millionth time.....

Wishing you a happy weekend, I'm off to see what else there is to read, any suggestions??

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you've lost a friend. 
Paul Sweeney

A Dog's Life...

One day I want to grow as big as you.....

Greetings Wooferteers!  I am starting to realise that the life of a dog is well, errm, busy....  I have had another puptastic week making loads of new friends and having lots of 'first time' experiences.

Before work was out for Easter I had a work meeting with some of my senior work colleagues.  I was taken to the creche for the meeting, odd.... no not a creche for pups but one for donkey puppies, at least I think that's what they're called?

These work colleagues of mine are really very big even as puppies, I think maybe they're Great Danes in disguise?  I have noticed something about them though, they haven't grown in to their ears yet, come to think about it, to do that they will have to grow to be giant pups? Hmmmm....

Another strange thing about them, try as I might they didn't seem impressed by my puppy barks and bows, they just kinda stood there and looked amused.

One of them did seem a bit impressed though, this nice girl, donkey puppy was very enthralled with me.....  we spent a long time snuffling and wagging and butting noses with each other until my human got bored and cold.... I'll be back sweet friend!

Yay work was done for a few days!  Woohoooo!  Puptastic!  Time to show off my new improved moves to the Cloth Dog.  I have been practicing my lurcher run a whole heap and am hoping to outrun him.  First off though I thought I'd test out the lurcher run on Cousin Archie who is a senior puppy to me but still young enough to get up to all kinds of mischief with when the humans aren't looking.  Cloth Dog stayed at home as he finds having to keep us both in check exhausting!

Cousin Archie took me to one of his favourite places..... a place with sand and lots of funny tasting water and loads of doggy pals.... it's called a beach apparently.

What fun!  Cousin Archie and me ran and ran and ran and ran and ran........

Those ears are way outta control Arch!

Oh yeah and then we ran a bit more..... 

Thank goodness for my Aunty who had treats available for tired pups, my energy was getting low.... hah only for a second though.... right let's run again Arch!

I felt that my training with Cousin Arch had left me in tip top condition ready for showing off to The Cloth Dog.  He couldn't fail to be impressed of this I was sure.  A dog's duty is to look his best at all times so here goes....

Look!  All feet off the ground sporting the upward ear look... I've been learning from those long ears :-)

Next I tried on my racing ears.... AKA bat ears, whoosh... blink and you'll miss me!

Finally I showed off an advanced skill known to motorcyclists everywhere, the 'lean' in to the corner.

Cloth Dog watched for a while and then sped off saying 'sorry can't stop I have a ball to catch'....

Haha, two can play at that game, ok so mine is a beginner ball with a rope attached but I still look good with it hey?

Puppy Beginner Ball!

As my attempts at impressing my Cloth Dog were not working I decided to have a go at impressing the most senior member of the Muleteer clan, apparently he's a tough man to impress.... his name is The Mini, hmmm can't be that big and tough then can he with a name like that?!

Whoa.... I was a bit wrong, this mule puppy is quite large for a Mini?  Hmmm I better have a closer inspection.  Nope he doesn't smell like my Cloth Dog, he has enormous ears and teeny tiny feet for his size, they're almost the same size as mine? Most peculiar. He seems friendly though.  FH is busy telling The Mini puppy to be nice to me and not do what he does with strange dogs..... not sure I want to know what that is?  A puppy eater perhaps?

When Mini met Milo

Nah, not a puppy eater but a puppy playmate, quick Mini come with me!  Let's drag the human exploring, I've heard you're good at this? Don't dilly dally, there's grass to eat (both of us), poo to hoover (me), mountains to be climbed (both of us), strangers to greet (me), strangers to be scared of (you) and adventures to be had (all together!).

Lead training for the mini mule and his puppy.....

Doing this kind of thing is sooo tiring and not in the slightest bit exciting....well maybe just a little bit ;-)

Exploring with Uncle Mini, the mule who is nearly dog sized.....

Shhhh don't give away my secret..... some might say it's a dog's life?? I don't know what they mean? ;-)

Searching for Spring....

The Mini on the hunt for Spring!

Dearest Muleteers, I have been a little worried that Spring has got lost, maybe she has wandered off across the ocean to our friends in the USA?  A mini mule like me loves the green grass and warm temperatures that Spring brings so you will see why I was so worried.....  I persuaded FH to accompany Explorer Mini on a search for the elusive Lady Spring.....

We set off to see what signs there were in the neighbourhood of Spring appearing, surely she must arrive soon?

I can't tell you how relieved I was to find my first clue that Spring has already paid a fleeting visit... look at those lovely daffodils, I had to sniff them to check they were real.  I offered to pick some for FH with my teeth but ughh they don't taste nice so best to leave them to look pretty.

The daffodils are a beautiful sign of Spring

Next we wandered off up the lane to see what delights we could find in our neighbouring fields, it's such a long way when your legs are as tiny as mine, I'm always happy to walk with FH though, special us time is welcome.... I am No. 1 you know but don't tell anyone else will you?!

Mini Mule on the Hunt for Lady Spring!

Spring rewarded us for our walk with her next clues.... I spy with my little eye (and rather large ears ;-) some bleating lambykins!  These ones are lucky as they're with their Mums enjoying the sweet, tasty grass that Lady Spring has delivered.

These little lambykins are not so lucky, they are orphans.... thankfully our nice neighbour is rearing them as tame lambs, us mules keep an eye on them and take it in turns to visit them and talk to them over the fence, they just say....baaaa, baaaa but they're cute anyway :-)

The Mini visits the lamb creche!

The next clue Lady Spring has left us is the carpet of Snowdrops, they are staying a long time with us this year, normally they would have said goodbye by now but the freezing temperatures have let them stay a while longer.  Aren't they pretty?

A carpet of beautiful snowdrops

After a hearty Springtime walk (I'm convinced she's arrived now!) I could tell we were nearly home as I could hear Dragon neighbraying.  Come quick you missed a sign!  

Look there's blue sky here too!  Not just horrible grey clouds but real blue sky.

Mule alert - blue sky ahead!

And look there's buds on the maple tree too!

Finally home time, I am such a clever Mini Explorer, I found Spring, she was there all along just quite well disguised.  Phew!  This Mini is all overcome with emotion at the arrival of the long awaited, best season of all..... only one thing for it...... a secret kiss from FH! Ssshhhh don't tell the others!

A secret mini mule kiss.... sshhhh!

The Story of The Donkey's Cross

Good Friday is here again and with it a reminder of the story of the donkey's cross.  Have you ever wondered why most donkeys and mules have those marks of the cross on their backs, a sign for all to see?  We are not religious folk ourselves but do find much truth in the donkey's story....

Look closer at the long ears in your neighbourhood and you will see that so many of them carry a cross.  Why a cross and why the donkey and mule?  It all goes back many hundreds of years when the donkey stood by a lifelong friend - Jesus. 

The donkey had been with his friend for all his life, he'd been there at his birth and had carried his water as a child. He snuffled him gently when his tears fell, looked on benevolently as the child grew, he offered no words but a depth of undestanding as the wiser, older man grew.  If you've ever looked in to the eyes of a donkey you will understand that he looks in to your soul and offers calmness and hope.

Jesus understood the value of the most humble of all animals; the donkey.  When Jesus found himself on a trip to Jerusalem he called for his friend the donkey to accompany him, his friend carried him through the streets of Jerusalem, for the donkey is the bringer of peace, in older times his cousin the horse was a bringer of war.  On Palm Sunday the donkey carried his friend with ease and all around crowds welcomed Jesus and his donkey.

It was not to last.....

A week later Jesus was ordered crucified.  His donkey friend could not understand the evil that men do to each other.... Jesus was to be hung on a cross that he was to carry through the streets past people who had once been his friends, now they were calling for his death.

The little donkey loved his friend Jesus so much and wanted to help bear the load of the heavy cross.  As a donkey he was used to bearing heavy loads and the humiliation of the jeers of men, he asked Jesus if he could bear the load with him.  Jesus thanked him but said no, this was his cross to bear and he would do so with dignity. 

His little donkey friend followed behind watching the jeering people with horror and a tear in his eye, why are humans such strange animals? No other would do such things.

The donkey waited until the crowd had left, he went to his friend and waited with him until he was gone....

Sad and lonely the donkey turned to leave.... the shadow of the cross fell upon his back and shoulders.  And where it fell it remained and was passed to all of his kind as a mark of thanks for the loyalty and love of the humblest of all animals, the donkey.

Whatever you believe our friends, we're sure you agree that our friend the donkey deserves the mark of the cross, it would be hard to think of a more worthy bearer.  Still today he toils alongside his human friends dreaming of the day when his cross will mean that mankind shows him the respect he so rightfully deserves.

Happy Easter Friends!

This Bed Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us

Greetings Woofeteers!! Sleep, play, eat, sleep, play eat..... golly it's a hard life!  I have been such a busy puppy making friends and influencing people (the puppy dog eyes work a treat ;-) that when I get a quiet hour or two with the Cloth Dog I am just exhausted!  Have I told you before I love my Cloth Dog?  He's my hero!  This means that at every opportunity I have to be as close to him as possible.  He is very fluffy and is so lovely to snuggle up to, his ears make exceptionally good chew toys and I really like to wrestle with him.

There is just one problem with all of this.....I don't like sleeping in my own bed.....

I would much rather sleep in the same bed as my Cloth Dog.  This has started to pose some problems as I have been growing just a tiny little bit and the Cloth Dog has been sending pained looks to the humans....

Try as I did I just couldn't quite get comfy except for when lying on top of the Cloth Dog who got grumpy after a while, he said I was making his paws go to sleep?

Finally the humans got the hint!  Off MH set to the shops to purchase the biggest bed he could find.....

He did good!  He was stopped in the car park of the pet store by someone who wanted to know what kind of dog could possibly be big enough to fill the monster bed, a Great Dane, a Bull Mastiff?  Not quite.... one Pocket Sized Labrador and his Lurcher puppy.....

It would seem that word of our magnificent bed spread like wildfire.  FH came home and thought that the bed would last us boys a while but told MH in no uncertain terms that I am gonna get much bigger and perhaps we might need an even bigger bed..... MH paled a little at this statement!

To check how comfy our bed was an invader appeared.  FH decided to get in to the bed too...

There was only one thing to do, we all decided to snuggle in and check out the full capacity of this monster bed.... yep, it can take two dogs and a human and I can report that FH thinks it's comfy enough for her boys, in fact she's threatened to move in permanently.

I checked if her nose made a good chew toy.....

I can confirm that it didn't, my Cloth Dog's ears are far superior and taste nicer too.  

Alas there was only one thing for it after such a busy day, a nice snooze for everyone.  

Sweet Dreams Friends!

Roller's Philosophical Friday: Destinations

It's raining, it's pouring, The Mini is snoring, Dragon looked outside and wouldn't get up in the morning.....

Yep, here it comes again, raindrops keep falling on my head and the fields are back to a boggy, muddy mess again.  I am hiding inside and trying to keep the mules' spirits up.  We had a glimpse of Spring and a taste of green, green grass in our spring paddock only to have it snatched away again.  There is no way we're venturing out in this weather, I may be able to cope but those mules are fairweather folks.

Ever wondered why just when things are going great, the sun is shining, you're looking forward to new horizons and good times ahead and then BAM!  Someone puts a bump in the road, a curve in the straight, a problem where there wasn't one, rain where there should be sunshine? Yep I think about these things all the time...... I have a lot of philosophising time whilst eating, the perfect combination ;-)

I am ever the optimist though, the sun will arrive again, the mountains will be climbed and Summer is just around the corner.

So here's the thought for today, thanks to a friend who knew just the right thing to say to brighten my day!

Don't confuse your path with your destination.  Just because it's stormy now doesn't mean that you aren't headed for sunshine!

What's In A Name?

Somedays my human calls me by my name 'The Mini', sometimes she calls me 'Number 1', other days she calls me 'Sweetie'.  Some days she calls Dragon 'Dragon' and other days she calls her other things....

Today I was busy pondering our names and remembering how we came to get them.... 

So to begin with there is....me!

The Mini

..... also known as Monty, My Darling, Wobble Monster, The Worrier or quite simply Number 1.

In a galaxy far away I was called Monty.  Someone thought this rhymed well with 'Mini Mule' and that I would be the (in)famous Monty The Mini Mule!  I had a brother called Muffin (original I know...) and we were destined to be exhibits in a children's farm..... Hmmmm I had other ideas about this!  

So when I began my life with the Muleteers Monty was my name but FH thought it didn't suit me, with her very overactive imaination (have you noticed this?) she tried out various terms of endearment for me, they included Montgomery, Mont, Sweetpea (I know embarassing huh?) but in the end she found that 'Mini' suited me well. I am shaped a little like a Mini car and have bags of personality and well.... I am fairly mini in stature!

But it became obvious that Mini did not sound quite right so I whispered that I am the one and only (in the words of Chesney Hawkes for those 80s pop fans out there) and that I should like to be 'The' Mini!  So there we have it, a name that is fit for purpose, one that I prick my ears up at and that suits me well.  Monty was always a little too normal for me....... Occasionally I hear FH call me Number 1, this is obvious although I try not to show off in front of the others, I have to say I've also heard her call the others this too, she says she doesn't have favourites but I know different;-)

Roller

....... also known as Keensacre Roland, Ro-Land, Roller Polar, The Gentleman or My Darling (by his Granny)

Roller being a pedigree mini shetland is the only one of us with a posh studbook name, it's not really fair is it?  When Roller was born the stud people wanted to call him Rowan but that name was taken in the register so they decided on Roland. His posh prefix 'Keensacre' finished the name.  The only problem was no one ever actually called him by his name so he had no idea he had one.  Until he arrived at Muleteer HQ.  On arrival FH found Roland quite a mouthful to shout when it was dinner time.  FH reckons names with two definite syllables are easier to shout so Roller's name soon became Ro-Land.  It seemed rather formal though and somehow reminded FH of a cartoon character called Roland Rat......  with time Roller was christened Roller as it suited his laid back approach to life and was nicer to holler, the little man also decided that was the name he would answer to.  When Roller is in his winter finest he adopts the poshest of names (much posher than Keensacre Roland), he becomes Roller Polar in tribute to his Polar Bear finery.

When people are talking about Roller I often here them refer to him as gentle, cute, sweet, lovely and kind, maybe these are also his names?

Dragon

....... also known as Callie, Nectorbee, Nector, Noo or Juvenile Delinquent

Dragon is well... Dragon.  When Dragon arrived she was christened with the name Nectorbee and was nicknamed Noo.  FH was not very good at hollering this at dinnertime either and had begun to describe Dragon as Calamity Jane in mule form to others around her.  Opinionated, a bit of a bruiser, brash but caring underneath, could swipe a grown man in the eye with her tail hard enough to make their eyes water but also soft enough to blow gently on the back of your neck.  So the name Callie was decided upon, easy to holler and suitable for this unique lady.

On occasion we were all reminded of the fact that this mule is definitely a woman and a mule, she can blow hot and cold, she can be falling asleep gently one minute and breathing fire the next, pottering along the country lane quietly without a care in the world and chasing a naughty dog the next.  She can also be rather protective and lovey dovey over us minis.  If you've ever seen the film Shrek you will know the Dragon character I'm sure.  So there you have it Dragon was christened and we all thought it suited her perfectly!  She's Callie in public, Dragon at home..... we love her whatever her name!


Diesel

.......... also known as Lady Diesel, Catanian, Deesy Weese 

Diesel is our feline companion, she is queen of all she surveys!  Once upon a time she was found wedged under the bonnet of a van as a kitten, she always was a bit adventurous.  Without her Mum she was in a bit of a pickle but was rescued by a lovely lady.  On inspection of the adventurous kitty it was clear that she was rather dirty having spent a while in an engine compartment.  Try as she might kitty's rescuer could not get the diesel spot from her nose..... then it became apparent that it was part of her delightful features!  Diesel was christened and it suits her very well!  She joined the muleteer household and her name suited her very well so it was kept, at mealtimes FH slipped in to her vast imagination again and gave Diesel the Lady prefix (like her head isn't big enough as it is!) and on occasion let slip that her pet name is Deesy Weese.  When we were christened the Three Muleteers it did not seem fair that our feline companion was left out, she sleeps, eats and lives with us! That's when FH remembered her favourite programme as a kid 'Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds'.  Anything a dog can do a cat can certainly do better so the name Catanian was adopted and the rest is history.

The Three Muleteers

............ also known as 'My Sanity', 'My Little Piece of Heaven', 'My Gang'.... 'My Depleted Bank Balance', Makers of Mud or sometimes 'You Lot'

Finally the collective was gathered and it seemed that we needed a name.  It was our Granny Human that obliged.  Her observation that FH had finally found her Three Musketeers did not take long to set FH's overactive imagination in to gear...... the rest as they say is history!