Author Archives: Frances

A Day of Two Halves

It was chucking it down this morning and so the sheep, after their breakfast in the shed, went on strike refusing to go into their field for the day. In return I refused to give them haynets because it was raining.  There’s plenty of grass outside if they want food.  There will be haynets when it snows (and they are all very fat).

My morning was spent researching for the Diaries – going through old family photos, correspondence, making discoveries and looking for anything relevant to include.

Meanwhile, the weather slowly cleared up ….

….. and soon the sun was shining

The Shetland ponies got their haynets for tea.

And I found all the sheep had in fact gone outside, crawled under a fence and were happily eating the long grass in an ungrazed field.

This is a winter field which will be for the old horses and ponies – it offers plenty of natural shelter, and has a forever-running stream.  The sheep also love it here and can let themselves in and out when they want (by crawling under the fence).

That is everyone except for Ster who has to walk through the garden to get out, though he can get back on his own (phew!)

Apparently it is a rather heavenly field, according to Madge.   Funny to think that all the grass will be eaten down in just a few months’ time.  Winter is looming now. I’m dreading it.

Poor Gussie

Poor Gussie.

Asking, Always Asking

I took this photo on Sunday evening after we had finished supper.

Nothing is ever wasted here, and OH was busy stripping the roast chicken joint for any meat before the bones were made into stock, ready for another meal.

Monster had already stolen OH’s chair at the table and was hopeful, always hopeful.  Everyone got a piece(s) except for Pepper who has a bad reaction/intolerance to chicken.  She got a pile of her biccies, which she adores so didn’t really mind.  I think she now understands that chicken makes her miserable and ill.

Breakfast today was a windy affair.

And then very rainy so I spent some of my morning attacking the 1985 Diaries – tidying them up and making the format similar to the one I have at last settled on 75 years later!  It hasn’t helped either that WordPress changed their methods too.

I still can’t read some of the diary pages.  If you fancy a stab at it, let me know your results.  All help is most welcome.

Later in the day, waiting for me on my doorsteap were the ducks who were asking for their tea.  Everyone always asks for something around here.

And then ‘Ster appeared too.  He was asking for biscuits – obviously.

As was Gussie.  He does love a biccie.

Pepper was optimistic she might get something.

And Monster was asking to be let out.  My family are very communicative.

Sands of Sound

Floss and I were an hour early for my hospital appointment yesterday (yes, on a Sunday) so, to fill in time, we went on an expedition.

I have always known there was a small beach in Lerwick but have never been able to find it.

Yesterday, armed with Google maps and Floss to read me the instructions, between us we found the Sands of Sound – a lovely sandy beach quietly tucked away on the south side of Lerwick.  I felt we almost drove through folks’ gardens and backyards to get to it.  But we managed.

There is a small burn that runs onto the beach – the Burn of Sound.

Houses to the north east.

The beach wasn’t very busy – just three people at a table drinking tea and playing the board game, “Carcassonne”, like you do (there was definitely an Alice-in-Wonderland vibe).

There is also “island” in the middle (which worried me greatly) called the Holm of Sound.

On there, I could see a flock of sheep grazing and all I could think about was whether they were marooned or not, should I call the Coastguard, should I go and swim them back across, what were they doing for water?  What would Lambie do?

But I calmed down when the Carcassonne-playing folk told me that the island is actually attached to the mainland at low tide and the sheep can walk across easily. Phew.  Panic over.

I went back to enjoying the utter calm and serenity of the beach.  It was a lovely find.

Rabbit Rescue

We were doing the chores this morning when Pepper arrived with a baby rabbit in her mouth that looked very dead.  I told her the command “dead” and she immediately (if grudgingly) dropped it at my feet. Luckily I had a bag of chopped carrots for the ancient horses and ponies’ buckets so I give her a few as a thank you.

Baby bunny twitched and now looked alive so I picked it up and looked around for a baby bunny safe place while I finished the chores.

The hay-filling container was perfect – deep and full of comfortable hay.  I put baby bunny in there and went back with my work (first warning OH not to use the container as he would crush little bun).

 

Chores done and we put Pepper away in the house.

Baby bunny seemed ok and not damaged.

But where had it come from?  I didn’t know so decided on putting bunny by my shed to hop under. I know another family of bunnies live there and I’ve read Watership Down so am hoping they will adopt bunny and show it how to get home.

Bunny didn’t move for a while so I gently put my hand under and it hopped away under the shed.

Hopefully everyone lethal is contained at home.

Later Pepper went for a walk on a lead so she couldn’t go and find baby bunny again.

Oh yes, Pepper, I know exactly what you are capable of.

And just now, I looked under my shed and could see no baby bunny evidence so I am going to tell myself it is now tucked up in bed happy and well, feeling a little surprised from the encounter with Pepper.