Maria and I were both delighted to open up the pastures to the sheep and the donkeys yesterday and this morning. It feels good, it feels natural. Unlike horses, donkeys and sheep will only eat for a bit, and when their bellies are full, they stop. We acclimate them to grass slowly, it is much richer than the hay they have been eating for the past six months.

They are clearly excited to be eating fresh grass, we take them out for one or two hours in the morning, then again in the evening. It is a peaceful and inspiring feeling to see the animals out on grass, where they should be. We can now see them grazing from just about every window in the house.

The flies are also gathering around them, another sign of winter. The grass looks strong and green. In recent years, with global warming, it has dried out and browned early. I hope that will not be true this summer.

Each day, we walk among the grazing animals, checking their coats and their hooves, taking note of their weight. We love the crunching sound they make when they are pulling the grass up. Welcome to the warm months, it is time to prepare for winter.