I’ve not got much today.  I am sorry.

I spent my morning cleaning, tidying and sorting out beds and bedrooms for Daisy and Flossie (plus a visitor) who all come home for Christmas on Thursday. I cannot tell you just how excited I am about this.

My phone was running out of batteries as I was listening to the radio while I worked, so I totally forgot to pick it up when the vet arrived to take blood from Tiddles and Waffle.  We talked about Storm and what happened which helped a bit but brought everything back all over again, which didn’t.

However, the vet did say Tiddles could have painkillers for as long as he needs them, which was good because Tiddles is really struggling without them (2 weeks on, 1 week off was recommended by previous locum and we are on the week off and he’s back to hobbling around his stall).

Tomorrow I am going to town with my sledge for my last gasp at shopping and then that’s me for the holidays.  All the presents are wrapped (get me, a whole ten days early) and I am trying hard to look forward to Christmas.  Once the girls are home, things should be much, much better as they will all put the tree and decos up.  I will feel far more Christmassy once I have to hoover up bits of tinsel and remove the cat from the upper branches.

Here are my latest two orphans who followed me home….

Once Pepper and I were in the house, I decided to open the front door just to see if Lambie was still hanging around.

Oh yes!

And then he stuck his tongue out at me!

HIs wicked face.

And his famous “Winning Smile”!  My heart melted.

This morning a storm was revving up and I hate it when all the buckets blow about, especially if they have food in as wasting food is just plain annoying and wrong.  An ambient Force 9 is no weather for chasing buckets caught by the wind around the field.  I have done this many times and it is not fun.

So I stuck Kolka’s bucket in her usual place (sheltered by the electric post).

I decided that, as Bibble never actually lifts his head out until his food is finished, I would just put his in the normal place and grab the bucket quickly when he surfaced for air.

Haakon was dithering about so I wedged his bucket between one of the the wire stays that hold the electric pole securely.  This seemed to work and Haakon was grateful.  His bucket didn’t move so that was good.  Once finished, I wiped it round with my hand for the last bits (we call this “a scrushle”.  Haakon did his thing of biting my hand, but not quite making contact.  I feel his teeth on my palm as he “bites” the food out but he never actually bites me and I trust him that he won’t.  He’s always done it.  Most odd.

Anyway, the weather slowly deteriorated to the point where it is difficult to stand up now, which makes doing everything for the ponies horrible.  Hopefully it will blow itself out by tomorrow.

Thank you for all your kind words yesterday. They, plus some dry clothes, really helped my mood and I also had a word with myself about Tiddles.

Yesterday, I tried to keep him inside but he was agitated and miserable so I caved and let him out with his friends.

However, “tomorrow is another day”, and this morning I brought Waffle in to keep Tiddles company and decided they were both back on the laminitis treatment regime.

They weren’t very impressed but I tell myself that I want them 100% right, not hobbling around getting by.

From now on, all hay is soaked, which is a killer for my back but I am determined to make it work.

I know Tiddles is miserable inside but he now has a friend and I gave them both a good brush and a nice frilly forelock.

So handsome.

Tiddles is not pleased with me. I hope he will start eating the soaked hay. He did tuck enthusiastically into his afternoon teensy tinsy bucket (literally a spoonful of soaked fibre-beet) and I noticed the haynet, which I gave them this morning, was almost finished so someone’s eaten it.

On Monday, the vet is coming to take blood to test both of them for PPID (Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (equine Cushing’s disease)) and EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome).

That is my plan.  I feel better for having a plan.

I’m feeling a bit bleak at the moment.

It could be the winter weather, which is unrelenting.

Or, I still think of Storm, a lot.

Or, I am sitting here in wet clothes because I got everyone in early because of the Shetland weather and was soaked in the process. I can’t be arsed to change because I will have to go out later on in the evening to feed everyone and will get soaked again.

Whatever the reason, I am feeling very empty and sad and damp.

Even Gussie’s lovely smiley face doesn’t cheer me up (ok, maybe a little).

The sheep are a good distraction, however, mostly because I spend many of my daylight hours looking for them.

Yesterday, I found everyone in the furthest part of the huge field.  Luckily I could incorporate a dog-walk in this search too.

Lambie was sitting on a heathery tussock.

I think he understands my mood.

I dunno, I am just not feeling Happy Christmassy, despite watching every Christmas film on tv.  I think it a combination of my three aforementioned reasons.  I am not great around Christmas time anyway.  I know I always struggle then.

And I might have to go and find some dry clothes.

(sorry!)

I met Lambie last night when I was finishing off with the ponies for the night.  As Daisy said, when I sent her the photo, “he had an idea!”

Poor Lambie. His idea was to come and see if there was anything going spare for a poor wee lost lamb.

Anything at all?  Nope, just a kiss, I said. Meh, he replied and swiftly left!

Some nights Lambie waits for me by the front door with his best forlorn face.

But then so does Monster so I am pretty immune to this blatant begging.

And this made me chuckle.

Pepper:  Mum, Monster won’t let me go to bed (up the stairs).
Monster:  Nope!

Pepper:  Please, Monster, can I go to bed?
Monster: Nope!

Pepper:  Pretty Please?
Monster:  Nope!
Me:  Monster, move. Pepper wants to go to bed!