Cannot believe you have two little ponies of your very own. I’m not at all jealous, I’m not at all jealous, I’M NOT AT ALL JEALOUS! (Repeat to self x 1000).

And thanks for the tip — emmet is much more stealth, sounds like some sort of polecat — ferret, possibly …

I’m really enjoying your blog posts, what a happy finding for me! What a nice life for you! How do you get to Shetland? Do you fly? And where will you be in Spain? And what will happen to the ponies while you’re there? I will also be in Spain as of the beginning of Jan ….

(my email’s trippingoverwhippets@gmail.com, but equally happy to continue this here …)

Oh yes, we’re knee deep in bloody ponies. Stubborn, wilful, mulish ponies. We used to send them down to the mainland to work in the mines, but now they’re just destined to be ridden by bored Thelwellian kids. (Delicious irony. I like to think of the purple-face I-WANNA-PONY tantrums that precede actually getting one of these intractable little bastards. Life lesson for children. Be careful what you wish for).

You’d be forgiven for thinking I’m not a fan. As it goes I have two, and they’re lovely. As long as I don’t expect them to actually do anything.

I prefer emmet to grockle. Some of them know what grockle means, and things can turn ugly. Emmet is more stealth.

Hey! Well I’m very pleased you enjoyed it, glad something positive came from the bastards (no, I’m sure they’re lovely). And thanks for the delicate spelling correction – t’was ever thus I’m afraid, my brain just can’t be bothered/is not capable, but it’s good to at least be aware of the correct example.

Shetland, you MUST I’m sure have lovely little ponies like our Exmoor ones. Or is Shetland where our Exmoor ones came from, on cruise ships maybe?