Yesterday was so nice. Today is utterly vile with Storm Kathleen doing her worst.  The spring flowers were beginning to come out – I bet they regret that decision.

These photos are from yesterday on my dog walk.

The primrose bank by the burn.

And Celandine – my most favourite flower. I remember a school project when I was probably about 7 years old having to find out, write down and draw pictures.

My new album cover!

Or this. I can’t decide.

This morning, I was volunteering at Turriefield. We were potting up the seedlings planted a few weeks ago.

I felt rather proud of “my little plants”.  I did this, I told myself, apart from the one that didn’t come up. I didn’t do that one, obviously!

A duvet day.

My friend came round later and we played our usual flute duets.  The sheep came to listen (boys only). The girls were elsewhere.  The lads didn’t move for the whole 2 hours we played.  It was very nice to have an audience, even a woolly one. We’re not fussy and at least we have our latest album cover ready to go.

My neighbour sent me this beautiful photo yesterday so I popped by this morning to have a progress update and to see Baby Bunny for myself.

The fact that BB is still alive is totally because of my neighbour and her family.  They are all doing their absolute best for this little one.  No one could do more.

(apologies for my photos – they are rubbish).

Although Baby Bunny has lost a little of its original weight, it is alert, moving around much more, the fur is growing and its eyes are almost open – so all signs of progress.  But feeding can be a bit of a performance.  Intake is being upped now to get some weight on but if you feed too much, they can die. If you feed too little, they can die….. and the list goes on.

Hand-reared baby rabbits have a 10% chance of survival and that is not great odds really.

So more thoughts and prayers for Baby Bun please.

So incredibly tiny and such a little sweetie too.  Oh my heart.

A few years’ back – it was 2017 (October) to be precise, OH and a friend built a smokehouse from our unused, I promise, privy (outside loo) because we wanted to smoke some fish, etc.

The whole thing was a lot of effort to create smoke and, yes, it worked but we all said NEVER EVER AGAIN! Trying to keep a fire alight proved nearly impossible – it had to be checked every 30 minutes for 3 days!  The giant fish kept dropping from the ceiling and had to be rehung and we smelled of smoke all the time.  When the process had finished, I didn’t want to eat any of it because it was all a bit too involved – like when you make lasagne from scratch and just want a bowl of cereal for supper!

So, obviously, like the pain of child-birth, those bad memories have faded (until I dragged up the old blog to remind myself about our pain) and this morning I got my food ready to smoke.  The chicken had been brined over-night.

And it was all so easy.

You put special smokery wood-chips in a tray, light a nightlight candle and when the chips start to smolder, you blow it out, shut the door and come back later.

Obviously, the help turned up.

And offered to dispose of the empty packages.

This time the smoker was in a very convenient little shed attached to the house, so I popped in and out all morning to see if everything was still working.  It was.  Fine.

A couple of hours later, everything had been smoked beautifully with minimum effort from me, which is the best part.  I tried a bit of the cheese – incredible.  The sossages are for tonight and I am also roasting the chicken so we can have it cold tomorrow.

I am looking around for food to smoke……

After breakfast (and yes, the ponies all went back into their field by themselves – woohoo), I made myself a long list of things I really must get done and drove into town for two hospital appointments and various bits and pieces.

I collected my beautifully printed out (thank you Camera Centre) point of sale banner for my sheep field and then, armed with glue, I went and put it all together. I think it looks nice and I am pleased with the results.  Who wouldn’t want to buy a sheep from Bert?  He has such an honest face.  Apparently the business cards are popular too.

This will stand out in the “lovely things” of the shop part.

It was quiet in town, but folk were enjoying the breather before the cruise ships arrive. Two were in last weekend and it will now only become increasingly busy.  I think in May there is almost one massive ship visiting every day.

Still, that’s good for the local economy and keeps Shetland on the map – or at least somewhere in a box in the Moray Firth.

And then I went and did something very wicked. I went and bought myself a cold-smoker (no, not a motorbike) as I love cold-smoked fish, chicken and cheese.  And apparently I can smoke sossages so I am going to have a shot at that too.

My lunch view was good (fish and chips watching the Bressay Sound) and then off to Tesco’s to buy things to smoke and all the necessaries.  I had a nice day out and about by myself just doing lots of stuff.  RIght, off to look up brine recipes and set it all up ready to start…… exciting times.

This morning everyone worked out how to get out of the field, which was very encouraging.  Storm was almost first out too.  Yay, go Storm!  Yes, please go.

The old ladies stayed behind to eat their bucket of food.

Once they had finished, and I’d swilled out Vitamin’s mouth for debris and put her back, then cleaned Fivla’s eyes and told her she was special, I clambered up the hill to tell everyone to go back down to the field again.

So they cantered downhill, all enthusiastically, and missed the gate totally.

I followed them down (not cantering) and told them they were a bunch of idiots. Silver lead the charge and off they went again.

I was hopeful…..

And bingo!  They did it.

Albie and Waffle brought up the rear and still my hope remained…..

Nearly there…..

Almost in (and I am holding my breath now)…..

But no. Waffle went in and Albie did a massive swerve and ran back.

Oh, Albie.  *** sigh ***.  Why, just why?

So I caught him and led him back through the gate.

And he cantered off to join Fivla.  Let’s see what tomorrow brings.  Let’s hope it’s Albie’s turn to have the one brain cell they are all currently sharing.