An Indian Summer

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I’m running late today with writing the blog. Apologies, but I was talking to two friends overseas – (they know who they are but it’s my fault for not being more organised).

Anywho, today was another beautiful day and it was my turn to walk the dogs. I took them out and visited the old horses and ponies. We call days like these “an Indian Summer”.

Fivla didn’t want to talk to me mostly because I had told her to leave her wee shed and go out and enjoy the day.  She grudgingly left, probably muttering but she had been inside for a good 3 hours first.  You have to make the most of days like these now.

Vitamin was already out and about and enjoying the autumn sunshine.

She came up for a chat and I admired her always gorgeous “teddy-bear ears”.

There’s still lots of grass and everyone was making the most of it.

Vitamin is looking nice and round, storing fat ready for the winter onslaught.

I don’t want Fivla to get any fatter and I told her this which added to her grump.

This lot will probably stay in this big field for another month or so, and then the little Shetland ponies will go in for winter because it will already be nicely grazed down.

The old Icelandic horses were further along in the field.  Again, they are all looking good now.

And everyone’s winter coats are starting to come in too.

Not going to lie, I am dreading winter.

A Brief Nip to Town

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I made a brief nip into town (Lerwick) to pay a bill (hay), drop off more sheep, buy horse/chicken/sheep food and then round Tesco’s for some human food too.

It was a lovely day and there were no cruise ships in town, which meant the street was nice and quiet for a change.  It’s been pretty busy all summer.

I find it easier when things are calm but am well aware of the benefits of all the tourists arriving. As I walk past a visitor, I whisper “buy my sheep, buy my sheep”.  Sort of subliminal advertising.

I came home at lunchtime with a massive headache which arrived out of nowhere just as I was driving home.  I tried nuking it with cups of tea, a different brand of teacake that has jam in (not nearly as nice – cheap chocolate, meh!) but my headache hasn’t really gone away.  I may resort to painkillers next.

I made another sheep with the help of my snazzy new felting gun and then went and stuck out some haynets for the boys who had come up and were loitering about.  While I was working, Pepper promised me she would sit outside but she lied and put up another polecat.  I called her back praying to all the Gods that she hadn’t been sprayed again.  Luckily, for us all, she was remained fragrant.  Phew!

 

I think this photo should be captioned “The Three Not-Very-Wise Ponies!”

Still, it’s been a lovely sunny day and everyone else is happy while enjoying the beautiful weather.

Today I Want to Move House

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This morning started as it always does – feeding all the animals.  In the distance, Flossie and I could hear some sharp barking, so assumed that Pepper and Ted had found someone to hassle that lived in the dry-stone walls surrounding the garden.  It could be anything, I ignorantly told myself.

When we had finished our outside chores, I called the dogs inside and it was then the smell came in with them.  Dear God.  The smell of polecat. The someone they had been shouting at had had revenge in the worst possible way and I now had two dogs that could not have stunk any worse. I wanted to move house, start again so I could leave the smell behind me.

Into the bath Ted and then Pepper both went and Floss and I thoroughly washed them.  Hopefully the smell has gone. I keep sniffing around the house, just in case we didn’t get it all off because you just never know.

And now we have two hopefully fragrant, wee dugs, if slightly damp.  Neither are sorry about this.  Not even slight remorse.  I have to stop letting them outside together in case they go back for Round 2.

And Monster slept through it all.

He did not involve himself in such revolting and earthy pursuits.  That’s for lesser mortals.  Meanwhile I was ranting that I hadn’t even had my breakfast!

Too Early

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I mis-read my appointment time for a routine check-up at the Doctor’s so I had 40 minutes to waste.  There was not enough time to go back home, and not enough time to go and do anything useful, so I found a well-situated garden bench in the grounds, just outside their poly-tunnel, saw a good friend, and we sat down for a chat.

The views were spectacular.  I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better.

The last of the flowers were giving it their all.

We duly put the world to rights and caught up with news of our respective families.

Life was good sitting there.

I went home and made sheep after lunch. Later I went out with haynets for the ponies.

After my share of poo-picking, I went to talk to Lambie who I noticed this morning was sporting a greenish tinge to the wool on the top of his head.  The midges had been out in full force so he was probably rubbing on the lichen on the shed.

As I write this, the green (and the midges) have mostly gone now. Lambie is much happier too and life is even better when he’s smiling.

Going Out

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There was a weird eerie light this morning, when I went to fetch the buckets in to wash before putting them away.

The “big” horses had let themselves out and looked very picturesque in front of Stourbrough Hill capped with low cloud.

(173-metre summit located at the center of the Walls Peninsula)

The sheep were also meandering their way out of the paddock and into the big field.

They remain wary of the horses for absolutely no reason.  Shetland ponies, well yes, I can understand, but not the horses.  They’re no bother to anyone.

All the sheep held their collective breath and went past the totally ignoring horses with their eyes closed.

“Don’t notice me, don’t notice me, don’t notice me” I am sure I could hear.

For some reason known only to herself, Dahlia had been left behind.  She soon caught up, though.

Meanwhile, in the wee paddock with the wee shed, Vitamin was busy offering a washing-up service on all buckets.

“No food too small” is her motto.

She did a very thorough job.

And I told her so.  Well done and thank you, Vitamoobag. You’ve saved me a job.

Fivla had just vacated the shed and was doing her own thing – more eating then.

And apparently I have still yet to be forgiven for being disappointed with Pepper.