Winter is when we use our stable (ok, big shed with sections) most.  First in are the sheep who get their breakfast.

Madge, ‘Bert and ‘Ster eat together….

…. while Lambie and Edna eat in the smaller area.  Lambie hates being hassled when he’s eating (‘Bert, ‘Ster and Madge are always swapping around). He can get very agitated.  Edna gets extra because she is old.  This system works very well.

When everyone has finished, they get booted out ready for the second sitting, if the weather is disgusting, like today.

We brought Haakon, Iacs and Klængur in to have their breakfast – Haakon eats separately as he, like Lambie, gets very narky when disturbed from his bucket.  After everyone has finished, we put out the haynets and Iacs and Klængur have to join Haakon.  Yes, it is a bit of a squish but as they all get along very well, it is not a problem.  We did try Klængur in with the others, where there is more room, but they picked on him as he hated that so he quickly went back in with the Old Men.

Then it is time for the third sitting.  The young ones come in.  Three haynets plus a pile of hay – all equal, all measured.

When the old men leave to go back to their field, this lot get their buckets.  It may sound very complicated but actually our system works for the set-up we have.  I think the “proof of the pudding” is that everyone is very settled and relaxed, keeping the weight on and happy.

Farrier day today.

First up were Hetja and Brá for trims, though it was only Hetja who was trimmed in the end.  Brá didn’t need anything.

Then we quickly drove over to Leradale for Sóley …..

And Lilja.  Both had trims and were very good girls considering we don’t do much with them.

Home to Thordale and happily indoors (we were all freezing).  We had brought everyone in to the stables before breakfast so they would be easy to reach.

Haakon had his fronts trimmed and we discussed the possibility of shoes again.  Maybe in Spring.

Then it was the turn of “The Orange Lot”!  First Klængur who was happily chatting to the farrier’s lad. Shoes on for him.

Kappi – shoes on after his 6 week holiday.

And then it was Efstur’s turn. He had been brought in earlier to watch Kappi have his back set put on.  Efstur has never been shod in his life and, as he has been backed, Daisy wanted shoes on.  A full set.  Hot-shod.

Kappi stayed for moral support.

Efstur was wonderful.  So good.  Once he had worked out what was going on, he chatted away to Daisy and behaved beautifully.

He just got on with it.  Some don’t.

What a good boy.

A total star.

Then Dreki had a trim and that was us.  Taktur has now packed his metaphorical spotty hanky, donned his thong and gone on holiday, but under farrier advice and Daisy’s agreement, kept his shoes on.

All was good. We came in frozen but happy.  I was really impressed with Efstur.  There could’ve been fireworks but no, he just settled into being a grown-up.  Phew!

I am feeling very bad.

Edna is on the hunt for a man.  She has been shouting her head off to the hill sheep as they pass by on their regular trek trying to entice them over.

As she refused to give up, I lured her with a bucket of food, along with Madge (who was surprisingly helpful and well-behaved) into their small paddock behind the house where no ram can get them.

‘Bert came along for the ride too – this is their joint let-us-out face.

And Madge’s.

She ate the fence at me to show her disgust at being shut in.  I felt like the meanest jailer.

‘Bert and Lambie were around, outwith the field.

Lambie was his usual supportive self.

The three stayed in their field while OH and I secured the perimeter fence a bit better.

I held out for a good few hours, feeling absolutely rotten.  The heart wants what the heart wants.

Meanwhile, those on the “outside” worked their magic on me and I went out with a packet of biccies for everyone – two each.  The sheepie ration.

With chicken wire now added to the outside fence, and a fresh new 12 volt battery attached to the electric fence (zappity zap), I gave in and, as it got dark, freed them from their prison. They have promised me to behave.  We will see. If we have little lambs, then we will manage.  We always do.

The girls are home.  Daisy and I went to fetch Hetja and Brá during a brief weather window yesterday.  They have come back as the farrier is visiting this week and the field they live in (not one of mine – they are total squatters) is being re-fenced.

I can see them from my house (just, in the far distance) and I must admit I get a warm fuzzy feeling (probably from the amount of money in petrol I am saving from not having to drive over every day!)

The plan is that they will stay for a few weeks.

Here are some photos of BeAnne that I took t’other day. Ever the rock chick!

She likes to sit amongst OH’s guitars, or “kindling” as I like to call them, in the morning (part of her routine),

Lambie is on fine form.  He, along with ‘Bert and ‘Ster, go out on nice mornings onto the hill and then realise that absolutely nobody (sheep) wants to talk to them so they come home pretending this is absolutely fine. They do stick out somewhat.

I shovel biscuits in while telling them just how much their Muzzah loves them, and who needs hill sheep anyway.

They don’t need to visit the poor.

They wait for me.

All of them.

There is no escape.

They are always there.

Sometimes appearing out of nowhere.

Watching…..

Always watching.

With their spikey hair…..

And little faces.

So I fed them all a carrot, Fivla had her TurmerAid and sent them on their way!

Muchos giggling.

And shoving and pushing. Like school kids in the school corridor when the teachers aren’t watching.

And with the wind in their tails, they galloped off and left me.

But I know they are always watching….waiting.