Category Archives: Flowers

The Last of the Flowers

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Daisy and I went for a lovely walk with the dogs in Clothie – my separate five acre croft land that is a little way into the open hill grazing.

Having climbed the hill, I sat on an old windowsill of the derelict croft house and admired the view, happy that the postman had dropped off an important parcel (for an exciting craft project I am about to start).  I watched him driving off back up our track.

The grass is nice and high in places. This is the old horses and ponies’ winter grazing for a few months.  The dogs found it hard work to walk through and had to bounce over it to see where they were going – I hoped this would use up lots of energy and tire them nicely out, while we didn’t have to walk very far.  It did.

The beautiful abundant summer flowers are now all dying back.  Summer is beginnning to feel over here.  It has been a very good year for them.  So much colour.

I found a good patch of Devil’s-bit scabious which is my favourite. It was competing with the buttercups and hawkweed.  Interestingly, the horses and ponies won’t eat it.  It always looks delicious.

Daisy and I wandered around our field for a bit while the dogs did their own thing. Last time I was here, Pepper came home with a dead polecat that she had hunted down.

Given any chance at all, Pepper is a keen hunter, always on the look out.  I don’t discourage her because a) it is my own land and b) it is one less polecat to try and kill my chickens and ducks.

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.

Da Gairdins Visit

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I spent a lovely, if blowy, morning at Da Gairdins in Sand, 4 miles north of Skeld. A 60 acre site of woodland and gardens open all year round for everyone to visit.

And I had never been before (I have no idea why but I haven’t).

So, apologies for the photo drop but I had the best morning walking around with our visitors enjoying everything.  I only managed the first garden – there are three different areas to discover.

From Lonely Planet – “Four miles north of Skeld, a side road leads to Sand, where you’ll find Da Gairdins i Sand, a brave attempt to create a colourful woodland garden amid the bleak moors of western Shetland. Various environments, including grassland, wildflower meadows, rhododendron walks and wildlife ponds, have been created in the lee of conifer shelter belts. Pick up a leaflet at the entrance for a description of the various walks.”

Well, all I can say is that it was a lot more than “a brave attempt”.  This patronizing review was written by someone who obviously has never actually tried to cultivate, let alone grow, a brussel sprout in Shetland.  This is a true labour of love.

The Shetland weather is unhelpful in the extreme and the love and hard work put into achieving this truly awesome environment is evident at every turn of the peaceful trails.

So here are my photos of the first “gairdin”.

I must go back and explore the other two.  And I know I say this and never go back, but I will. I am determined to explore.  I had the best morning.

From Da Gairdins’ website – “Come and enjoy a variety of garden walks, discover thousands of trees and plants and appreciate open views across the sea. Watch the wildlife in three large ponds teaming with frogs. Take pleasure eating outdoors at one of the many picnic areas. Stroll through woodland, Pampas plantations and Rhododendron beds. And much, much more! Dogs are welcome on a lead.”

                            

Not Pepper’s Day

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The dogs and I went for a walk to Clothie – our 5 acre field complete with a derelict croft house that used to be a school.

The grass is so long it make the dogs invisible but they love it, bouncing over everything so they can see where they’re going or aiming for.

And the flowers are glorious and so many of them. They seem extra-good this year.

I walked round and then sat on a windowsill while the dogs galloped about looking for bunnies, etc and eventually gave up to sit close to me.

I had a lovely view with the sea in the distance.

And then, on the way home – which is across the open hill a little bit – I noticed Pepper was lagging behind and licking her front paws.

Upon closer examination, and after following the trail of blood around the kitchen, I discovered she had cut both front paw pads open.

Poor little thing.  She was in a state so I grabbed her and put her on the table, examined both paws, got some gauze and rubber gloves and made two makeshift dressings, covering them with a rubber glove and tape to keep the dirt out.  I also gave her a painkiller.

So now I am carrying Pepper everywhere and she’s no lightweight.  She slept all afternoon, which was good.

And I’ve made an appointment for Pepper to see the vet tomorrow (no appointments today, unfortunately).

Once OH gets home, I might soak and re-bandage Pepper’s paws better. This was a real bodge job as I only had one hand (the other was holding her from jumping off the table).  And then there was all the blood to clean up and I’ve just trodden in cat (?) sick and I am feeling sorry for myself too.

But poor, poor Pepperpot.

Busy Day

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We have visitors coming up from south for their holidays tomorrow so I wanted to be prepared, food-wise, and have spent my day chained to the stove, cooking with varying degrees of success.

I made 3 curries, 2 chutneys, a really bad cake (I am quite ashamed of it and will try and pass it off as pudding rather than anything you would eat with a cup of tea), a batch of ice cream, got another one mixed ready to go, and lastly boiled and peeled lots of duck eggs for picnic sandwiches. Obviously I was supervised.

 

Later on, Monster and Pepper had a good battle – it was revenge for when Pepper had ambushed Monster.  He won, of course and she ran downstairs using me as her shield in case he had another go.

I needed a break from the kitchen, all the cooking and so I took everyone outside.  After putting out the haynets for the Shetland ponies, I went into the sheep field and sat down on my coat for some much-needed sheep-watching or maybe it was the other way around?

 

Pepper sat on me and then beside me getting annoyed with the flies.

She was trying to catch them by snapping randomly at the air.

Lambie was far away.

And then suddenly he wasn’t.

My dear little boy. We had a lovely chat.

And he also passed the time of day with Pepper too.

(which I always think is very sweet).

Sitting in the field surrounded by flowers and sheep, listening to the birds, while Pepper snapped randomly at flies made a peaceful break after slaving away in the kitchen all day.