With their thick winter coats to keep them warm the ponies like to go out for a run round in the snow.   After a short while they start to think about their stable, a feed maybe, some carrots definitely and it's 'come on, let's go back inside again'.

For the past couple of months we've been nursing a couple of orphan kittens.  They came in at different times, the one in the front of the picture, Tinytot, is much smaller, no bigger than a mouse when he arrived.  His friend, at the back, is called Tootsie (we thought he was a girl!) and although he has always been a presentable size, he is also very frail.   The grey cat in the picture is Rackham, a friend who is helping to rear them.

What a handsome fella!   But this fabulous Rhodesian Ridgeback x was brought in as a stray and never claimed.   He's settled well with us and is a firm favourite with our Rambling Rovers (Pet Samaritan heroes who walk the dogs in all weathers).   As well as Bugsy we've had dogs brought in every day.  Christmas is a time for strays, a few of them genuine and quickly reclaimed by anxious owners - the rest are languishing here waiting and watching anxiously for people who never come.

 This bronze turkey is a fine bird who will enjoy his Christmas dinner with us - not be dinner!  Noel was rescued eight years ago and this friendly and placid chap is also very tame.