Category Archives: MyShetland

Autumnal Light

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The sun tried to show its face this morning, albeit very briefly.  The mornings are much darker now. I am usually up and around by the time it appears.

This was my view from the feed container while I was getting everyone’s breakfasts.  Not too shoddy, I think.

The sheep are always first to eat, for obvious reasons.  The main one being they follow me zombie-like, trying to trip me up and the steal the buckets if I try to feed anyone else instead. So it is better to get them shut in their shed, eating out of their bowls, with Lambie in his Private Dining Room (because he can’t share and gets upset if asked) and out of my way.  That way peace can reign.

The light was especially lovely this morning.  I appreciated it very much.

After the sheep are fed, then it is the Shetland ponies and then the old horses and ponies in their field  That is the order, with the odd duck in between.  They never stop saying they have no food.

As you can see, everyone’s coats are getting thicker and ready for the real weather that will come soon.

Also, you may notice, everyone is very fat. I am not too concerned about this as I am going to follow a no-rug, stay outside policy for all, if I possibly can.  I expect I will last a minute with this lot and will be lugging rugs and putting them on everyone the minute the weather turns.  I always say I won’t and I always end up doing it.

But I must also remember that everyone is fat and built for this environment.

The autumn light on the dog-walk was special.  This is the time of year for impressive skies.  I do secretly love autumn the most.  It is when I think the most, which is probably not wise and mostly about rugs!

Icelandic horse

Faces

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It’s been a day of faces (oh, Haakon!)

Or a sneaky side-eye (thank you, Vitamoobag).

Apparently, no one wanted to look pretty today.  Just silly so I gave up trying.

With the exception, of course, being ‘Bert who was my Sunshine Boy (always lovely).  I do love a good Winning Smile and that was a corker.

My breakfast was pretty much a non-event too.  Apparently Monster purchased something and I have no idea what it is but it will arrive some time next week!  I wonder what colour he chose.

And then I was back outside with the dogs for their walk and I found that Fivla and Vitamoobag hadn’t moved from their shed.  Apparently they were resting.  I felt slightly jealous.

After the walk, I drove over to Turriefield (community vegetable growing project where I volunteer) only to find they were having a power-cut so we all had to pack the veg as best as we could without being able to seal or label the bags.  Frustrating but at least the weighing scales worked (battery) until they didn’t so we could do some of the work.

I keep thinking to myself “this time yesterday, I was eating cake”. Yesterday was a lovely adventure and I also keep thinking that the bench looking over to Noss was a special place – a place to make life decisions (the sun shining helped hugely too).

A Lovely Day

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FIrst thing and I was out with my usual buckets to my usual ungrateful lot of animals.

I title this photo “Good luck with that!”

Breakfast for me and then off I went for a day out.

First, I had to drop off my car for its annual MOT and was picked up by Kerry in her car. She was taking me to Bressay for the day.

Bressay is the island next to Lerwick – 11 square miles (28 km2) and it is the fifth-largest island in Shetland. Population – 350 people.

We turned right off the ferry and went to see the lighthouse first, which is currently for sale.  Details here.

But the gates were locked so we couldn’t have a look around like we always used to (sadly).

But the views were nice and interesting.

Definitely worth the effort.

We decided to drive around a bit before lunch and went to see the memorial cairn to honor Bressay fishermen lost at sea between 1880 and 1912.

Local history is always interesting.

And there were the excellent views looking over the southern approach of Bressay Sound to Lerwick.  It’s strange to see my usual world from a completely different angle.

A delicious lunch at the Speldiburn Cafe (which had been the island’s Primary School) – great cake and a sublime hot chocolate – and off we drove to the far side of the island to see the island of Noss.

Separated by the narrow Noss Sound, Noss lies off the east coast of Bressay and is famed for its spectacular seabird colonies.  I have been round it once in a boat and can attest there were birds clinging to the cliffs.

And then we drove around for a bit.  I found some seals basking in the afternoon sun in the shelter of the Bressay Marina.

  

And then it was time to catch the ferry to go home again.

My car failed its MOT and subsequently had to remain in Lerwick so I cadged a lift home off Kerry.

A great day though, apart from the MOT failure.  Thank you Kerry for the change of scenery.  I needed that.

And thank you for all your kind words of support, encouragement and advice – I have taken it all onboard.

Invisible AI Master

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Ever since I had the meeting with the internet social media chap, I seem to have lost my art of writing the blog.  I feel like invisible expectations have been placed upon me and that my every word is being monitored by AI, word searches, bots, things I don’t understand on the big inter-super-highway (as my aged neighbour used to call it).

I hate this.  My ability to write basic English, to describe my life and to enjoy writing this blog has vanished overnight. And, worst of all, I was told my Blog has to be 350 words long if I want to be found on internet searches, which then instantly gave me mental block for my writing (I had always stuck to being 300 or under as I didn’t want to bore).

What I did before seemed to work fine – albeit, I wanted more readers, hence the meeting – but I have been left with the feeling there is a giant AI bot looking over my shoulder who I have to please at all costs and I don’t like that.

I need to think about a way forward with this because I don’t feel that my blog will be very genuine or be part of the real me if I have to please an invisible Master.

Gah and *** sigh ***. I have always hated homework.

(in my head this all makes perfect sense and I can still take photos of autumn in Shetland, so please enjoy them).

I was happy being a Luddite, I realise this now.

 

Wet plant in rain

Winter or Summer Track?

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A wet dreich day and I have galloping TMJ pain so I am feeling very sorry for myself.

Wet field

After trying to play flute duets badly, I gave up (my jaw and neck hurt too much) and dragged Mandy out to help me poo-pick the track instead.  Luckily, Mandy was up for helping me with this grotty job, which was very kind of her.  I kitted her up in my wet-weather-grot-jobs kit.

Mandy helping me poo pick

Recently, I have been wondering whether to move the Shetland ponies onto their winter track or is it too early? I don’t know.

The winter track is all fenced off and ready to go.  All I have to do is open the gate and strategically attach the zappy energiser.

winter track grass

But the winter track is full of grass, some of which is quite lush still.  What to do?  I need to avoid autumn-flush laminitis at all costs.

Long grass

So I showed Mandy my dilemma and she agreed that the winter track is looking a bit too good at the moment.  We talked it all through and the conclusion was while the weather is still in double figures (ie grass growing weather), the Shetland ponies should stay where they are on – their big spring/summer track along with their two haynets a day (split into four small ones).

Shetland ponies eating

I told the ponies of my latest decision.  It makes sense and it was good to talk things through with someone who could see my situation in its entirety (that would be Mandy, not the ponies who refuse to see any situation helpfully).

Newt eating

Now I am off to look for painkillers for my jaw.  I am not enjoying this one bit.  I would like to curl up on the sofa with a hot water bottle and have lovely things brought to me.  Instead, I’ve got to go back outside in the near-dark, put the hens and ducks in their respective bedrooms, let the sheep back in from their field and kiss them goodnight.