Ted and Pepper had a visitor today.  The totally and utterly gorgeous Harley!

We haven’t had many visitors recently as I have been trying to get Ted into a happy routine where he would feel secure and less anxious about life and anyone popping by.  In his past life, Ted already has an ASBO (anti-social behaviour order) for biting Mum’s postman.  That was then. This is now and he hasn’t to date bitten anyone.

Anywho, Harvey was wonderful. Pepper instantly fell in love and Ted was jealous so there was totally supervised playtime.

To be honest, Ted was not brilliant.  There were words.

But Pepper knew where her heart lay.

And then Monster arrived – we had booted him out earlier as he was one too many.

Harley knows about cats but Monster is not quite in that category.

I ❤️ Pepper for talking to Monster.

A small spat but nothing serious. Some new pups need to be told, is Monster’s view.

And Ted kept making everything weird because that’s what he does.

I hope we can working on this relationship. Pepper suddenly grew up and wasn’t a puppy anymore.  I found that odd.

Our loading skills are coming along swimmingly now.

So for these two (father and son) – I would definitely say HELPFUL!

However, I am not sure if Monster was particularly helpful.  He had to be moved prior to loading.

These two thought they were being helpful, but actually I didn’t want them standing there as the sheep feel intimidated and won’t walk past.

So, Iacs + Haakon = UNHELPFUL

I shoo’ed them away – you can see Maggie waiting.

She was waiting for Lambie. All the rest of the sheep had walked off to their usual spot, way up the hill and Maggie was desperate for Lambie to come too (the Gods alone know what she sees in him!)

Poor Maggie, she was shouting to Lambie telling him to just run through the open gate, while I kept Iacs back who was trying to work out his best route for escape.  Yesterday, when this happened, I grabbed him and shoved him through. Today, he knew!

Maggie = HELPFUL
Lambie = forever UNHELPFUL
Iacs = an annoying idiot who was definitely not HELPING.

And then next to us was Penthesilea on the roof = not particularly HELPFUL but that’s quite an achievement.

Meanwhile, Lambie maintained his obstinate stance and I left him to it. Maggie also gave up and left to join her friends.  To this day, Lambie is probably still standing there or he has spent the whole day by himself. Tomorrow hopefully he will run through the gate with the rest. He only really learns through experience.

My darling little Pepper-Pot is exactly one year old today!

After spending many wee small hours (mostly awake at night) deliberating whether I could ever face getting another dog, this one has burrowed her way into my heart.

She is very persistent, going through her life shouting “You Must Love Me”!

So we do. Because we have no choice and Pepper is such a happy little dog, making me laugh (most of the time even after her latest heinous crime – and believe me, there are many).

Still, Pepper hasn’t killed any chickens or ducks (*** cough *** BeAnne was a enthusiastic little murderer given half a chance) and she can also herd sheep with the best of ’em, instantly knowing what to do.  She spots the hill-sheep in my field, sends them out while being best-friends with my woolly lot.

And her tail never stops wagging!

(Ted has helped hugely)

For her birthday, I have just ordered her a large box of chewy things from Hairy Pop-Ins! She does love a chewy thing.  Ted is less keen. He takes one politely and then hides it in the clean washing!

I suddenly thought that Dreki and Taktur hadn’t loaded into the van for a while and, as it is a useful (neigh, necessary) skill to have, it wasn’t one that should be lost or forgotten.

I brought inspiration.

Dreki first.

He was a very good boy. The pea-sized brain cell whirred and clicked into life and in he walked.

His reward was a nice little visible bucket of mix and carrots.

A quick “worry” about the flappy door thing but Dreki had a good look and decided it wouldn’t kill him.

Oh, those ears!  Click, click, whirr, whirr – you can almost hear the pea rattling around.

I put Dreki back in the field and caught Taktur who said he had never ever been in the horsevan, don’t even ask him, nope…. “oooh, is that a bucket?” and walked in.

I think we will keep practising this speshul skill.  It can do no harm.

Live and learn – that’s my motto.

And I learned that this doll is a Boudoir Doll. I think she belonged to my Great-Great Aunt Kate (the one whose diaries I transcribe in my spare time).

I found her curled up in a box in a cupboard when I was clearing out my mother’s house and I vaguely remember the doll from my childhood, though she looked less moth-eaten in those days.

So I brought her home to Shetland and put her on my chaise longue in my studio and wondered what to do about her.  She was in desperate need of a good clean and some tlc.

I searched about the internet and found a lady who restored cloth dolls but she had retired. She recommended another lady.  So, after a phone call, I packed up the boudoir doll and posted her off.

Not long later, my box arrived back in the post and my doll had come home.  She looks so much better now – hair washed, new shoes, dress washed and she even has a beauty mark that was hidden with the grotty hair. She also had a beautiful pair of drawers made for her!

There is not much history that I know of to this doll. She is wearing Regency fashion (1811-1820) but is not as old as that. I think Aunt Kate must’ve made her as there is no maker’s mark but the restorer lady said she was well-made.

Now for a name?  I quite like Beatrice or maybe even Aunt Kate.