Just Rainy Day Stuff

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There’s not much going on here but here are a few photos from my day.

Ever feel you’re being watched?

No, seriously, do you?

Don’t ever try and mend anything or work at our kitchen table.

Help comes in many strange forms.  OH was testing lightbulbs or something from his van.  I have no idea – I was too busy taking photos and trying not to laugh.

Others like to help too.  Their help can be even less helpful.

Meanwhile, the sheep came in late this afternoon all wet and bedraggled. It hasn’t stopped raining all day and I am very fed up of everything being damp (and miserable, if you’re Lambie).

Feeling sorry for them, I put out their feed bowls and handed out a mugful of sheep crunch each.  Lambie hates eating in public because everyone swaps bowls all the time and he is the original victim, so he followed me into the little stable and I gave him a big bowl of mix. He picked at it, eating his favourite pieces first and then his second, third… etc.

This took some time and everyone else had finished long since and were beginning to circle past the gate like sharks.

Meanwhile Lambie was still eating his 5th favourite pieces from  his bowl and I would probably still be there now, if I hadn’t asked him if he was full yet.  The sharks finished everything off.

Oh yes, and I also made this little chap having bought Tiddles (high neck 0g) and Vitamin (high neck 0g) a new rug each. This should see them through summer especially if we have a wet one.  I have on order a 100g high neck for Tiddles too and it currently feels like it will never stop raining, ever.

I need to make and sell a lot of sheep now.

My Obsession

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As some of you may already know, I like to obsess.

My current obsession is rugs.  Today we swapped all the Shetland ponies’ (Vitamin, Fivla and Tiddles) rugs for dry rugs and I thought to myself that if I hadn’t got Floss with me, it would’ve been very hard work.  The ponies’ rugs were wet through and I don’t like that. So much for waterproof.

Meanwhile all the Icelandics were totally dry underneath their rugs. They are wearing very expensive Rambo high neck 0g turnout rugs.

My back is not getting better. In fact, I can now add brachyalgia (arm “sciatica”) to my list.  I need my life to be easier. I can’t keep nipping out to change rugs because the old horses/ponies and Tiddles are soaked through.  I need to know that the rugs they have on are keeping them 100% dry so they can keep warm and I won’t worry.

I told this to Tiddles and he agreed.

Tiddles is good with rugs.  He does his very best and  I honestly think it is the way forward for him in winter – he has equine metabolic syndrome. Think Type II diabetes.

(and there’s nothing wrong with Newt, though he would love a “dressing gown”)

Pretty please (sorry, no my little fat boy).

Tiddles’ rug is not ideal – I like high necks too.  Tiddles gets wet shoulders.

A high neck allows for freedom and just that extra bit of protection.  I am not a fan of full necks.

So I costed the rugs I want to buy for Fivla, Vitamin and Tiddles and it came to over £1,000 (two rugs each – 0g and 100g high neck Rambo).

And the thing is, and I know this sounds awful but realistic, but what if Fivla and Vitamin don’t make it to winter – they are very, very ancient……. and every day is extra.

Feeling a little sick and wondering what to do, I went into my shed and made another sheep.

Back in my shed

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I haven’t been inside my little craft shed since before Christmas and in my absence it has managed to fall to pieces.  The roof is leaking and the rain has done damage.  I am very upset, well, more cross with myself and well aware I should’ve checked it more regularly.

So, feeling rather like a neglectful parent, I took all the pictures off the wall and put them to dry, did some tidying up,  proper polished (beeswax and two clothes-type) the nice furniture and then dug out a dehumidifier and my little greenhouse heater, knowing full well they should’ve been in there working all along in my absence.

The dead plants probably don’t help much either.  I even managed to kill the most unkillable plant ever – wood sorrel, now totally dead and growing mould.

Later this afternoon, I decided I would have a stab (see what I did there, geddit?) at making one of my hand-felted sheep out of Shetland wool.

But first I had to finish my Christmas Lego model.  Ta da!

Pepper came too and made the heater her own, as per usual.

Two hours’ later, one finished sheep.  Ready to be sold.  Does my back/arm/leg/neck hurt afterwards?  A bit, but I think I’ve just got to get back on with things otherwise everything else will fall to bits around me.

To Infinity And Beyond…..

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I know that my sheep are living in far-flung places, like Australia, Japan, America, etc but I have one very special sheep who lives on my friend’s desk at NASA, Houston.  How cool is that?  Seriously cool.

Alan McDougal and his wonderful wife, Steph, are excellent friends who visit us in Shetland – they’ve been twice.

Alan works as EHP S&MA Associate Manager for NASA.

“The long version is, get ready for it: extra-vehicular activity and human surface mobility program, safety and mission assurance associate manager. Mostly I run the Safety reviews for our new moon jeep and moon RV.”

But, anyway, Alan and Steph bought many of my felted Shetland sheep to give away as presents from their holidays, keeping one special one for themselves.

© Alan McDougal

And my little sheep goes with Alan to some very exciting locations like….

“The Apollo pad itself’

© Alan McDougal

“This plaque is mounted on the Apollo pad.”

© Alan McDougal

“The picture with the launch tower in the background is also taken at the Apollo 1 site just looking off into the distance where another launch tower is.”

© Alan McDougal

“The one with Orion was at the KSC facility where they assemble Orion. The capsule for Artemis 2 that we’re trying to launch (just rolled the back due to rocket issues) was being assembled just behind the walls there.”

© Alan McDougal

And then there are the important space meetings too because you should have always have a sheep there (it’s probably mandatory) .

© Alan McDougal

So I am very proud of my little NASA sheepie and every time I see another superb photo from Alan of his travels I say quietly to myself “to infinity and beyond”.

(not gonna lie, I’m sure it is all just playing with Lego reallly!)

© Alan McDougal

Out For The Day

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Having got all my ducks in a row (ie fed and watered everyone), I wanted a proper day out.

A day away from everything and everyone of nagging animal type.

So, we made a plan, which meant that Floss and I had to first clear the car out of all the recently bought animal feed, etc. I drove (because i am a control freak) and we went to Brae, on the other side of the island – to Frankie’s Fish & Chips for a proper Sunday lunch.

We had the best fish and chips and they made an excellent hot chocolate too, with all the trimmings.

So, that was a lovely Sunday lunch and one I didn’t have to cook or wash up. Win, win.

And then on to OH’s favourite haunt – the Nesting Scrap Store – which is basically two rooms in an old school filled to the brim with secondhand stuff.  A treasure trove of Lovely Things.

Floss and I bought something each – me, a bluetooth keyboard for £3.50.

We drove home past the wind turbines that rarely turn but are a blight on the Shetland hills.

Why don’t they turn, I hear you ask? – “the wind turbines often stand idle due to grid capacity constraints, maintenance, or extreme weather conditions. The primary cause is insufficient infrastructure to export the massive amount of energy generated, leading to “curtailment”. They may also pause for safety in high winds or for routine repairs.” – Google

All 103 were at a standstill today.

As we drove past Kergord Hatchery Bookshop, we decided to have a look because none of us had actually ever been in.

It was well worth a visit.  Lots to look at and peruse and want.

So another place to dig through looking for hidden gems on a Sunday.

And now I am home, lying in bed thinking I possibly over-did things (the driving finished me off) but it was totally worth it. A lovely day away from home.

And my bluetooth keyboard works – yay!