Author Archives: Frances

A Pensive Post

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Apologies if this angers some but I just wanted to put my thoughts down because I am feeling rather pensive after a trip to town.

I fed all the animals, made a quick hand-felted sheep for Jamieson’s Knitwear and then I went into town to get the Eggbox (Jimny) through it’s now-annual MOT.

This was the Jimny’s first MOT. It passed and the mechanic mentioned that it hadn’t done many miles (just over 3,000).  I replied that it was a glorified wheelbarrow really!

Anyway, after the MOT, I went to the Agricultural Merchants that are next to the Marts (market) and Abbatoir.

Whilst collecting my animal feed around the back, I saw flocks of sheep in their stalls waiting to be sold with potentially a miserable fate ahead.  And there’s always one that looks like Edna ***sniff***.  We all know what happens. I won’t spell it out.  I just felt very sorry for the sheep and wanted to take them home with me so they could live out their natural lives in green fields.

But it cannot be.  I know that and I had to promise my physiotherapist and anaesthetist (pain clinic chap) that I wouldn’t have any more animals on my croft.  Eight sheep is the allowed number, plus a handful of horses and ponies.

It also made me think, as I drove home, that my sheep really do not know just how lucky they are.

They have the world.

The worst thing they have to worry about is who gets ownership of their shed.

I guess the difference is that I see my sheep as pets and not food.  It was just that the for-sale sheep’s resigned little faces in the mart stalls broke my heart.  I should really avoid these places and just concentrate on hugging my own ungrateful lot.

(and I don’t want a row about agriculture and farming methods – I am a realist. I know how the world works. I was just sad, that’s all).

 

Cat Rules

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It all started at breakfast.

After feeding everyone and doing my morning chores, I came inside and made myself my usual bowl of porridge and a large mug of tea.  At last, my breakfast.

And today Monster joined me (and, yes, I abhor cats that sit on the kitchen table and no cat has ever been allowed to do this but Monster will not be told so I’ve given up).

However, there are Rules.

Like no sitting on my iPad – so that’s ignored.

And then there is the Rule about keeping off my breakfast.  No stealing.

Words failed me when Monster did this!  A new low.

So, we had words.  I reminded Monster about the Rules and he retaliated by sulking and I felt awful.  I didn’t enjoy my porridge or mug of tea at all.  I wasn’t supposed to.

And, as you can see, I am the Master of my own shed too.

There was absolutely no way on God’s green earth I was parting with a Tunnocks teacake, though Monster did wangle a piece of shortbread out of me which he shared with Pepper.

In the end, bored of the constant scrounging and general getting in the way, I put Monster in his basket for a break.  I have a very large felted sheep order so I had to get on.

Monster liked his basket, though it is always a bit of a snug fit.

He really needs a bigger basket and I don’t have one – this is one I brought back from Mum’s house when we cleared it out (so now I must go off to look at large old baskets on Ebay for the ruddy cat!)  Anything for peace and quiet and my sanity.

Setter Farm Trip

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A friend of mine, who is here in Shetland for Wool Week, won a Facebook Like-And-Share “raffle” for a tour of Setter Farm.  She asked if anyone would like to accompany her (this was a few months’ back) and I thought that it sounded very interesting and said yes, please (pick me, pick me!)

There are only two dairy farms in Shetland and Setter Farm is situated in Tingwall (about 5 minutes out of Lerwick). It is the UK’s most northerly dairy farm – dairying has been done at Setter for over 100 years.  As well as cows and calves, they also keep sheep.

So first up, we saw the sheep – these were the Cheviots who, I think, will be going to the sheep sales later this year.

I was fascinated by their expressions and social interactions.

The “hill” Shetlands were in another pen and very mad, alternating between huddling and scattering if they saw anyone.

There was definitely a look of Edna is some of them.  *** sniff ***  Pretty little sheeps.  I wanted to take them all home.

Then we went to look at “the plant”.  Yes please to everything. The folk at Setter Farm also work as agricultural contractors around the islands.

And then we stood to the side of the track and watched the dairy cows come home, which was lovely.

The calves were kept in calf stalls where they had regular buckets of milk and are then weaned onto water and hay.

The cows were munching silage before going back out again for a little while before the evening milking.

I watched them for a long while.  I am very fond of dairy cows. I remember them from my childhood as my step-mother had a dairy farm and my job was to get the stragglers and strays to keep up when we were moving the herd to a different field. Obviously, I was always on horseback and, possibly stupidly, fearless!

I enjoyed my afternoon. Something completely different for me while being totally recognisable and full of childhood memories.

Moved Them (again)

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After writing my blog, I sent Kolka’s vet the photos of her scar. She told me to stop the painkillers now and I realised that there was no reason to keep this herd in the winter field, eating all my emergency grass for when it snows.

So I went to move them all, but some were having a mid-morning nap.  I hate disturbing them when they are sleeping but they needed to go.

Eventually, with a little encouragement, they shifted because one of them noticed the gate was wide open and an open gate can only mean one thing…… I told them it didn’t and they were to get themselves down to their next fiel.

Fivla took a bit more encouraging.  She had settled in for the day, I think.

I had shut the gates around the track so there would be no unwanted small Shetland pony appearances and the ancients meandered their way in an unhurried fashion down to their old field, which is much nicer and has far more shelter.

They all know this field well, and I am praying Kolka just stays sane and out of trouble.

And she also has Vitamin and Fivla with her, so they will keep her right.

I hope they were listening. So we will see how they go.

A Windy Weekend

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It’s been a very windy weekend and everyone is feeling a bit blown about.

(though, it hasn’t stopped anyone eating).

Today was much nicer than yesterday which was interspersed by occasional violent rain showers, taking everyone by surprise – 3 pairs of trousers hanging up to dry due to far too much optimism.

The older chaps are still in their “safety” field where Kolka can easily see everyone and hopefully calm down a bit.

Their routine is the same and, although I hadn’t planned for anyone to eat this field down just yet, I tell myself it is good for this lot to “take the top off” so the Shetland ponies can go in later, or it will make a good field if it snows – close to the containers but has some grass in it.

I am still giving Kolka a large dose of painkillers to deter her from being annoyed with her healing wound.  I really don’t want her scratching and opening it up and I am pleased with how it is looking.

  

Kolka’s vet is being kept fully up-to-date too.

I am due to go south in a few weeks so I am desperate for Kolka and everyone else to behave and for Kolka to go back to her normal again with no more accidents, please.  Pretty please even.

 

I have told Kolka this.  Hmmmm!  I do hope she was listening.