Damned Midges

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Today was bad, very bad.

Outside was thick with midges because there is no wind, not even a slight breeze anywhere. We all wore full anti-midge gear.  No bare skin anywhere.

Some of the sheep went into their field but the oldest three – Lambie, Bert and Ster refused preferring to find a spot that they could spend their day.

Bert and Ster chose an rickety old shed with a dirt floor.

While Lambie hovered outside his bedroom, where the puddles are, because that’s where the midges congregate most and he could get more sympathy for any passers-by.

The horses were miserable.

The ponies were far away and miserable – trying to find the highest point in their field where they might catch a breeze.

And the dog-walk was short.  We brought back with us Barrel and Madge who joined the midge misery.

Lambie had not left his spot.

Later, when we were going around doing the afternoon feeds, there was a slight wind and everyone had visibly cheered up.

At last Lambie had found a purpose in his life.

And now the midges have all moved to the house!

A Very Busy Morning

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I knew I had a lot to fit in this morning, so I got up an hour early to get the chores over and done with before everything started.

And on the dot of 9 our farrier, Jay arrived.  Punctuality is not a trait we have ever seen in any farrier.  But here he was and he set to work immediately.

As everyone’s hooves grow at different rates, only the horses and ponies that actually need a trim are done.  They are thoroughly checked first  and assessed. If they don’t get trimmed on this visit, then they can wait until the next one.

Today it was Albie….

Tiddles….. (with his very-good-boy face and after the debacle with the dentist, it was good to see).

And Newt.

Then we all walked over to the old horses and ponies’ field.  Kolka was trimmed.

Note wee dug – Pepper.  It is a wonder she was never kicked because she was underneath every horse and pony’s hooves with a death wish.

In the end Daisy distracted Pepper away to keep her out from under everyone’s feet or in Jay’s way.  I’m surprised she hasn’t had her nose shaved off!  It was in everything.

Tempus was fugitting along and I had to leave Daisy in charge for the other two horses (I think Iacs and Haakon were trimmed), while I a) put Pepper in the house where she was safe, and b) drove over to Turriefield for my Saturday morning volunteering job of packing vegetables for 2+ hours.

I’m not going to lie – I am exhausted now. I’m having a lie down before the next thing.

We Made a Picture

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I had a project I’ve been meaning to do but I knew I would need help, ie someone with artistic flare.

I chose Daisy. Lucky Daisy, though possibly not because she did most of the work.

I keep everything including a tin box full of old brooches that I can’t sell (tried and failed) and don’t want to wear.  I know some were my mother’s and the rest, possibly my Great Great Aunt Kate’s and Great Granny’s.

This is a Victorian mourning brooch and full of meaning and history. I am just not sure whose.  The hair belongs to a baby.  So possibly my great-uncle who died at 6 months old from meningitis.

This is a fibula pin – silver filigree Hamsa hand (Hand of Fatima) with red glass cabochons,

So, firstly, I bought an gilt oval frame off Fleabay and then 1m of padding and another of cotton black velvet.  I had a plan.

OH made a wooden back to the frame. Daisy marked and cut out the padding to the right shape.

 

At first we were undecided about whether we needed the padding or not. It was bulky behind the velvet.  We tried it both ways and in the end decided to keep it.  It would make attaching the brooches easier.  Then I stapled the fabrics to the board and Daisy cut off the excess material.

Some of the brooches aren’t in fact brooches but are shoe or dress ornaments so needed sewing on.  I tried, and failed three times.  I hate sewing.  Daisy, however, was brilliant.  She worked like a surgeon.

 

And here is the finished result. I love it – just how I wanted it to turn out. I’ve hung it in my work shed.

Aunt Kate and her cousins are also in my room.

I am so glad the brooches didn’t sell and are out on display (ignore the ceiling – there was a leak last winter).

They are hanging where they should be.

The Last of the Flowers

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Daisy and I went for a lovely walk with the dogs in Clothie – my separate five acre croft land that is a little way into the open hill grazing.

Having climbed the hill, I sat on an old windowsill of the derelict croft house and admired the view, happy that the postman had dropped off an important parcel (for an exciting craft project I am about to start).  I watched him driving off back up our track.

The grass is nice and high in places. This is the old horses and ponies’ winter grazing for a few months.  The dogs found it hard work to walk through and had to bounce over it to see where they were going – I hoped this would use up lots of energy and tire them nicely out, while we didn’t have to walk very far.  It did.

The beautiful abundant summer flowers are now all dying back.  Summer is beginnning to feel over here.  It has been a very good year for them.  So much colour.

I found a good patch of Devil’s-bit scabious which is my favourite. It was competing with the buttercups and hawkweed.  Interestingly, the horses and ponies won’t eat it.  It always looks delicious.

Daisy and I wandered around our field for a bit while the dogs did their own thing. Last time I was here, Pepper came home with a dead polecat that she had hunted down.

Given any chance at all, Pepper is a keen hunter, always on the look out.  I don’t discourage her because a) it is my own land and b) it is one less polecat to try and kill my chickens and ducks.

It’s My Birthday!

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As a child, I always thought “the Glorious Twelfth” was named solely in honour of me and my birthday. Apparently, I was wrong.

Also for today, I get a solar eclipse (it is currently cloudy so I’m not sure if we will see anything) plus the Perseid meteor shower – again, because it’s my birthday and no one else’s.  I would like the clouds to lift now, please.

An added extra this year is that Daisy has come home for a week.  She is here to help me so it is pure coincidence she arrived today (but a lovely coincidence).

Everyone was very pleased to see her, including me.

 

After Gussie had got over his stranger-danger feelings, he made best friends with Daisy.  In fact the sheep were all over Daisy.  She is now Queen of Sheep and I am their mere slave.  Lambie gave me a perfunctory birthday glance.  I was grateful.

OH is currently out of action for a few weeks and it means I won’t have to look after everyone by myself.

So happy birthday to me, and I shall eat more cake because it is allowed and I am a grown up, apparently.