I love my little space.

Every day I leave the house shouting “I am going to my (delete where applicable) studio, shudio, shed, she-shed, shoffice, creation station (a personal favourite ❤️), outside, wherever…..

Two doors down is the sheep shed and when I shout, Lambie come galloping over to scrounge biccies or to come in.

I have even worn a path from the house to my space.

In my shed, I have all the things I want around me.

I keep my wool in these cheap-but-cheerful plastic chest of drawers.  Anything to keep the (bar-steward) moths out.

BeAnne has two beds.  One by my chair and one by the heater.

I have a bijoux tea area.

And my table (grandmother’s) where I work, stabbing away!

This is my view.  The sea in the distance.  Best view ever.

In one corner is a beloved portrait by Jacquie Jones portrait of my first pony, Mr Wonderful.

My mother gave me this portrait having borrowed some of my photos for the artist.  She never met Mr Wonderful – he belonged to my step-mother.

I remember, on Christmas Day my mother being embarrassed to give me her present as she thought that no pony could be so ugly. I insisted saying it would be fine and promptly burst into tears the minute I saw it.  Perfection.  Mr Wonderful was exactly this pony and 40 years on, I still cherish this picture and love it more than words.

Flossie’s (my youngest daughter) beautiful Su embroidery.  The minute she had finished, I whipped it off her and had it framed.  I adore this.

No comment!

These are my precious and much loved things-of-the-shed.

And the sheep I make every evening to go to the shop in Lerwick.  Another three ready to go.

I ❤️ my shed.

 

 

I am using today’s blog as a record of this afternoon’s hard work.

I brushed manes and tails as well as rasping the hooves of four of the Shetland ponies.

First up was Vitamin.  She is 25 years old now and going along fairly well.  She does enjoy being groomed and was very enthusiastic about the horse cookie treat that she got for being a good girl about her feet too.

Next up was Tiddles who was standing close by – I think he regretted his choices today but with the help of mane/tail conditioner, I soon had him looking floofy.

Fivla next.  She is easy and always helpful.  If all ponies could be like Fivla, life would be so much easier.  Fivla could live in my house.  I doubt even my OH would notice.  She is never any trouble.

Fivla actually is the perfect fairy tale pony.

And lastly Waffle who put the headcollar on by himself. I am sorry he has his eyes shut when I took his après-photo.  Waffle loves being brushed but was a bit unhelpful about the hoof rasping. We had words.  I told him he could not be a circus pony if he could not even do the simple task of holding his hoof on an axle stand. After all, it is not rocket science.  He agreed and decided  to behave.

So that now leaves Albie, Newt, Silver and Storm to do next.

Why, oh why did I leave the unhelpful ones last?

What was I thinking?

Oh well, I will try and get them done this week and then cross them off my list for a little while.  Hooves are like the Forth Bridge – they always need attention.

 

So, how is Haakon, I hear you ask?

Well, he is having probably what will amount to a year off and then we will see.  I want the abscesses in his front hooves to grow out completely.  There is the worry that he might lose the hoof capsule and then it will be curtains.  So, I don’t ride him and he is travelling down the long road to recovery.  I think it will take a long time.

In my head, I have accepted that I might never ride Haakon again (he is 25 years old as well, which does not help) but as long as my old friend is happy and pain free then that is just as good.  I tell myself this a lot.  I don’t want to stop riding so now I ride Klængur regularly and we have negotiated terms about behaviour, spooking and generally not buggering off out of control because we have turned for home.  Obviously this remains work-in-progress and we are all working on our speshul skills!  Klængur is a super chap but when his brain gets in the way and he starts thinking (read imagining) then all bets are off.

But I am still enjoying my riding.  Daisy and I go out fairly regularly, weather permitting.

I also ride Iacs to babysit and accompany Hjalti.  Again, we have an understanding and it seems to work.

So my time is spent developing good working relationships with horses that are replacing Haakon for the time being and to be honest, I am enjoying it.

 

 

 

Well yesterday was a total disaster blog-wise so I am trying again. Apologies. It was out of my control.  Anyway, today, the photos have loaded fine.

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I found Lilja and Sóley exploring behind the drystone dyke (wall) that act as shelter in the harsh weather.

Lilja guessed I had brought a carrot.  She was correct, of course.

Sóley waited by herself for a while…..

….. until her mother, Hetja, did that special mother where-are-you-my-child whicker.

And little Sóley duly appeared.

She is a very precious treasure.

Hetja is the best mother I know.

She loves her foals. I am sad Hetja won’t be having another one but she is getting on now and, after this year’s retained placenta, I would hate for her to have more or worse complications.

Hetja’s sweetitch is finally clearing up too and she looks so much better.

Midges are rare in Shetland but I am much better equipped to deal with them so Hetja has some peace.  I also have to hand a variety of unguents, lotions, potions, concoctions as well as knowledge.  It was a vertical learning curve.

Little Sóley is loving her life with her big sister and her mother.

She is very relaxed and happy.  They are one big happy family – complete with Dad (Taktur) shouting at them two fields away when he gets a glimpse.  Of course, they all ignore him and Hetja determinedly takes them away.  Taktur then he gives up and goes back to his little herd of boys and shuts up, thankfully. Shouting at the ladies at 05:00 is tedious.

I love this photo.  Sóley means buttercup in Icelandic!  Perfect.

 

I have been making needle-felted sheeple all afternoon and took a break to write the blog but…… I can’t upload any photos of darling little Sóley with her sister, Lilja.

Here isn’t Little Sóley behind the dry stone walls (you can see just her ears. Oh, but you can’t because WordPress won’t let me upload the photos).

And little Sóley being groomed by her Mum.  Lots of very nice (and they are too) photos of our foal, Sóley from Thordale with her mother, Hetja, and her sister, Lilja.

So, I am sorry and please check back in later because I might be able to upload the photos by then.  They are really jolly good and I wish I could just get on with the blog because the shop has run out of sheep (got a phone call this afternoon) and I need to make a good pile this weekend to send to town for sale.