A Perfect Day

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It’s been a glorious day.  Total calm and the sun has shone.

I am trying to be organised because I leave for London tomorrow.  If I see something I should take, I grab it as I go past and quickly put it by my bags before I forget again.  Carpe diem because in the next second I will have forgotten.

Pepper has assured me she will behave and not go visiting or looking for me.  I believe her not.

And because it was so nice, Floss and I fed the ponies a little early giving them all their hay in a big heap to munch through.

Please can everyone pray for no dramas during my absence as Floss is (very capably) holding the fort.

So I shall pack my bags with vaguely clean clothes but not ironed because I can’t find the ironing board and fly off south.  I’m not sure if I will write the blog or not. I’ll see how I go.  This is my holiday, after all.  A break from everything.

Back soon!

My Last Oyster Catcher

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To town again for lunch with an old school friend who was visiting Shetland.

This was the view from our table at Fjarå Café Bar.  Not too shoddy at all. We were looking over Breiwick Bay to Bressay with The Knab on our left.

We nattered for hours about everyone and everything and were eventually told our table was needed for others so had to leave.  How time flew.  We were totally unaware.

Suddenly here was a fierce rain shower and afterwards a beautiful rainbow appeared.

These houses are part of The Knab area of Lerwick.  Obviously today they got the gold

And, after saying good bye to my old school friend, I saw an oystercatcher – probably my last this year.  By now, they should have departed Shetland for warmer shores, but apparently a few stay for the winter (though I have never seen them before).  Maybe this was one of those.  There is something good about seeing an oystercatcher – they are the harbingers of Spring and so that makes me think of warmer days.  It made my heart smile along with talking endlessly about being 16 again in an all-girls’ English boarding school (don’t ask).

And lastly a quick nip down Commercial Street for some easy-to-pack miniature bottles of holiday essentials and I bought a walking stick to make my life easier for the possible 2 hour queue to see the Bayeux Tapestry at The British Museum next Tuesday.

On my way home, I met my sheep shearer who told me that he had just passed a small ginger dog wandering around the road. I drove on, scooped her up and went home  *** sigh ***.

Country Mouse

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It’s been a very blowy day – the sort of day you could lose your car door if you’re not careful.   So I was careful.

Flossie (who is home to look after the animals when I go away) and I fought our way round serving breakfast in the low buckets that rarely blow away.

Afterwards, I drove to Lerwick for a hair appointment. I want to try at least to look a little less Country Mouse when I go to London. And then I’ve got to find some clean clothes!

Lerwick was deserted which is unsurprising as Shetland Wool Week is finally over.

There were a few woolly hatted visitors wandering around but Lerwick felt like it was going back to sleep now the tourist season is well and truly over.  Shelves were empty and shop-staff looked happily exhausted.

The hair was cut, shopping was done (including some sheep, horse and poultry feed for my ever-increasing getting-ready-for-winter piles).  This is not panic buying. I call it being sensible and thinking ahead.  It will always get eaten.

I came home late and this lot were waiting and tapping their watches.

I apologised and put out two of the fullest haynets I could find and all was forgiven.   I didn’t bother looking for the sheep – after yesterday’s debacle, they were nowhere to be seen. I’ve given up caring. I am glad they are finally doing their own thing.

Sheep Decisions

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I can see the sheep field from the bathroom window. I find that it is a very good way to keep an eye on them to see whether they’ve gone out or not.

Today, Lambie hadn’t moved from the spot where I left him – the concrete step outside the wee shed.  Yes, two hours later and he was still standing there.

Sighing, I put on my waterproofs (the weather was vile) and went outside to see what was going on.

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

No one was going out and grazing like they should. It’s their job.  They know that. Yes, they do.

Bert was close by but he was being sensible. He had found a nice sheltered place and was enjoying the view, while chewing his cud.

I went up and told him he was a very good boy. He appreciated that. Such a dear boy.

Meanwhile, these two reprobates were making the most of an open gate and were quickly leaving their field to go back to bed.

Or so I thought.  No, Lambie stood by the gate for a few hours and then went back into the field while Ster drifted around the croft forgetting where everyone was. I later found him sitting outside my front door!

And meanwhile the lovely bedroom remained unused (they still haven’t forgiven me yet for letting the old horses use it for one whole night).

Definitely Autumn

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It is definitely Autumn now. It smells like Autumn. It feels like Autumn and the garden has quickly departed from it’s hanging-onto-the-last-of-summer mode and moved swiftly to Autumn. There will soon be dead leaves everywhere too.

I used to say Autumn was my most favourite month in Shetland but I think I am changing my mind. These days I prefer Spring.

In Shetland dialect, the word Hairst is used = n – the harvest; the work associated with that season. Da hairst’ll shön be comin on, wi aa hit’s wark; autumn. Dey mairried ida hairst.

Anyway, I had finished my afternoon chores (sheep coming home, haynets out for the ponies and giving the ducks and hens their tea-time grain), when I saw someone lurking and looking hopeful – Iacs.

So I turned around and went to the kitchen for some carrots.  Five, to be precise.

I mean, I couldn’t exactly walk away and give that hopeful little face nothing.

Everyone had one carrot and that was the ration.

But the little face refused to give up. Ten out of ten for perseverance.  The others had looked slightly surprised but grateful.

I went back inside the house hoping Iacs won’t starve to death over night.