We also have regular visits now from a family of Greater Spotted woodpeckers who have great enthusiasm for peanuts - and a squirrel one day tried to reach the feeder hanging outside the kitchen window

A very attractive young rabbit provided a diversion during the breakfast washing up the other morning, dashing about the yard with great interest in everything - Chief Washer Up had to stop work and get out the camera!

Update on the youngsters:

Cadog is now 4 weeks old, quietly confident and sure of himself - and now able to eat out of his mother's feed dish as well as grazing very competently.

Cadno at 2yrs old is doing nothing much except eat and grow, but isn't he handsome?!

Rachel now 3yrs old and taller than her mother is very beautiful and developing into an interesting character (this can be interpreted in different ways depending on her behaviour!).

Lastly Bella is home for a short break from schooling, she has proved to be quite a challenging pupil, but progress is being made and hopefully she will start some roadwork soon.

Another visit to see Bella this morning, making progress again after a bit of a hitch last week - she apparently thought it was more fun to whiz round the sand school by herself, rather than being ridden! Pictures show Cara on board and Yvonne in charge on the ground.

The journey to Newcastle Emlyn and beyond is a real switchback with some wicked bends built in, but with the bonus of some spectacular views at times. The countryside has been very lush of late, now we see fields turning dramatically from green to yellow as the silage and hay crops are stripped off and cleared away. Predominate wild flowers at the moment are foxgloves, buttercups, campion, stitchwort, and masses of the large white ox-eye daisy. Another attractive feature is small flocks of goldfinches darting out of the hedgerows as we drive past.

Today we went to see how Bella (Nantgwinau Croeso Haf) is getting on with her lessons at the Olympus Stud. She has been there 4 weeks now and after a hesitant start she seems to be enjoying the new experiences and pleasing her teachers.