Category Archives: Cats and dogs

Back to Dog Walks in the Flowers

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As Pepper has now had her two stitches out (and, apparently she was a very brave soldier), I thought she could start going for a walk again, but only short ones and strictly supervised.

So I decided Pepper and Ted should go to Clothie, my 5 acres of long grass and flowers which forms part of the old horses and ponies’ winter grazing.

At times, it was difficult to see the dogs.  They were easily lost in the long grass and flowers.

Nearly impossible at times.

Pepper was loving her new freedom.

The two dogs bounded over the grass together, trying to see over the top and where they were going all at the same time.

Meanwhile, having walked to the top of the hill, I sat on a windowsill of the old crofthouse not watching the world not go by.  There wasn’t a soul to be seen, just the long grass swaying in the wind to the sound of the curlews shouting.

I think the short walk was a success.  The daily bandaging less so, though. She hates that and fidgets horribly.

I still don’t trust her not to go a-visiting – strict supervision, remember!

Now, Ted I mostly trust. He has a good track record and stays around the house.

While Pepper is always looking for the chink in our armour.

A Funny Old Day

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Winter seems to have returned today and we are all grumbling.  It was 12°C with a mean F7 westerly so about 8°C.  Brrrr.

I spent my morning productively taking the internet to bits.  Our whole network had ground to a halt so I repositioned the router upstairs (for better signal), reset all the extenders and re-attached them to the network.  So far, I have tripled the signal strength around the house, and am praying it stays like this.  Our internet signal is my bête noire and in Shetland, without fibre, 22 Mbps is jolly well racing along.

In need of a break from argumentative, yet invisible, technology, I took to my shed after lunch to admire my one sweet pea flower that I have successfully grown from last year’s seeds.

I made another sheep – the white one on the right – to add to my latest bag of stock.

And then it was the turn of the real sheep.  They had spent their day in a field with deep thick grass – everyone’s winter grazing for when it snows.

The grass has really taken off this year.

I could barely find Lambie.

Rattling a packet of ginger biccies, they all agreed to come inside which means all my outside animal chores are done for the day and I need not go outside again.

Even Lambie cooperated.

This is always the tense bit as I can’t double back to close the field gate and the ponies are just around the corner eating their haynets.  They could so easily run into the field.

Once through the main gate, I ran back to shut the field gate so the ponies couldn’t go in.

And then there was my follower. Today it was Barrel doing his best for an extra biscuit but the packet was finished so I had nothing to give him.  Sorry Barrel.

Trigger Happy

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I am a great believer that sleep is when your body does its best healing so when Pepper finally switched off this afternoon, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

But mostly she is awake, trigger happy and desperate to be off. Anywhere.

And then at about 3.30 p.m., the trigger arrived in the form of Monster who was looking for someone to give him his tea (tea-time is 4 o’clock and not a minute sooner – he knows this).  I opened the shed door to his pathetic scratchings and Ted rushed off into the house. Pepper was now awake and rather wishing she had gone off with Ted because she could go hunting, which I am trying to discourage what with her poorly paw.

Anyway, I tried to ignore Monster but the paw was out, the prodding adding to the pathetic mewing.

Shouting in case I hadn’t got the message. The very loud message.

Wanting just a few more moments of peace, I picked up Monster and dumped him on the chaise-longue (read dog bed).

I can so no to Monster very easily but not that enchanting little Pepper face with the pink bandage (pink really suits her).

I went into the house and gave everyone their tea.  Phew. Monster will live to see another day.  I think we are all thrilled there.

Out again, I fed the ducks/hens and gave the ponies their hay but this time in piles so they could enjoy it rather than spend hours fighting it out strand by strand from their very small haynets.

I just thought they might like to have an afternoon treat.

As you can see, they’re not exactly fading away either.  All I do is give out food, I think. That’s my job.

Day Changes

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My usual Saturday has had to shift to Sunday, if that makes sense.

Packing vegetables for Transition Turrifield (that I used to do on a Thursday afternoon) is now weekly and on a Saturday morning. My Saturday afternoons used to be set aside for flute duets but I never knew when I would get home after Turriefield, so we changed it to Sunday instead.

It doesn’t really matter when I play the flute as long as it is convenient for the First Flute (I am Second because my top notes are a bit suss and I am too lazy to ever practice!)

Anyway, as today is Sunday, we got the silver flutes out to murder Mozart. We had our usual audience. Obviously Pepper was grounded because of her poorly paw so I gave her “Lamb Chop” to keep her company.

Monster just slouched about and left when it all got a bit much. He just gets in the way anyway.

And that is why my Saturday has become Sunday (and in my head it all makes perfect sense, even if you are left scratching your’s).

The Look

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Most of the day I have been on the receiving end of “The Look”.

That’s the one – hard-done-by accompanied with resentment which then pairs nicely with holding the paw up and going along on three legs.

I missed Pepper’s little busybodyness while I gave everyone their breakfasts.  It felt a bit lonely on my own, if I’m honest.

Later on the morning, I put on her (borrowed) boot so she could go for a short three-legged walk on a lead. As I had things to do like clean the water troughs and refill them, I ended up tying her to the fence post so she could at least watch the world go by.

Pepper is learning that she can put her paw down but she is very hesitant to fully weight-bear. The boot is more for keeping her bandage clean.

Ted is being very smug about all of this…..

….. while Pepper is just fed up.

After tea and antibiotics, I decided Pepper would be much happier off the lead (she is not a fan) and I told her that I trusted her to stay around while I put out haynets and fed the ducks/hens.

This was a good decision.

Watching Pepper, I can see that when she is walking (which is rare), she goes on four legs. But if she runs, then it is three legs with hopping. She is not any slower for this and manages to get around.

And now I spend my day saying “no licking”.  Pepper is pretty good, once reminded.