And so to Scalloway for Ted’s four-times-a-year hair-cut because he is part Yorkie and part Schnauzer and so he tends towards the greasy Muppet look, which I hate.

See what I mean?   I left him at the dog groomers for 2 hours and went shopping in Lerwick to pass the time.

First I did a quick swoop round Tesco’s buying all the things OH never buys because I always forget to put them on the list.

Then I popped into Jamieson’s Knitwear on the street.

I wanted to measure my original sign as I am trying to replace it with a more up-to-date sheep-themed version.  It’s currently work-in-progress.

Then onward to buy serious electric fencing stuff to use on the Minion track system and I drove back to Scalloway for Ted.

I waited patiently in the dog groomer’s reception area while Ted’s beautiful haircut was finished by Sharon, who said he wasn’t too badly behaved, which was kind.  He can be awful.  We both know this.

And then Ted and I drove home with Ted sitting quietly next to all my electric fence stuff in the back.

Ted had missed his supper, which he was very much aware and told me all about so it had been set aside for him.

I also bought Ted a squeaky toy in Tesco’s to make up for his ordeal and the squeaker lasted exactly 10 seconds long and there is stuffing everywhere.

And Ted’s not sorry!

Funnily enough, Pepper is all over the place when Ted’s away being made beautiful.  She doesn’t like her friend not being there.

I am trying to avoid (read hide from) the horses and ponies. They have all become a bit too used to an afternoon snack when I gave Vitamin her injections and put the rugs on.  There are no more injections (the antibiotic course has finished and we are seeing how she gets on without analgesia) and it isn’t raining, so this morning I took off the rainsheets.  Everyone has moved off into their fields and my theory is that if they can’t see me, they can’t come rushing up for food!

So, I snuck into my shed to make my daily felted sheep.  I chose a small bag of wool that I hadn’t seen for a while but appeared after a massive tidying up from the other day.

As I worked with the wool, I realised it was incredibly soft and very definitely ‘Ster’s so obviously I made a ‘Ster.

It took longer than usual just because I was not used to the wool and the needle would bounce off.

And I used my new stamp/label combo so now my sheep is shop-ready.

And all this reminded me of when ‘Ster first came to us back in the winter of 2015 and so I had to go and find his baby pictures.

Oh, he was sweet as a little lamb.

This was Day 1 when he first met BeAnne and then a few days later, he talked to Flossie (his first human contact).

He was very wary of everything but it didn’t take long – just a couple of packets of ginger biscuits and he soon got the point.

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Well you would, wouldn’t you?

On a diet of other things apart from biscuits, ‘Ster grew and grew and is pretty huge now.  A dear boy.  He has separation anxiety and likes to be hugged all the time.

Looking at this lot today, I can honestly say they are never going to be show ponies.

This is mostly because I can’t be arsed to go through all the palaver of getting them show-ready – I mean, where would you begin with Waffle?  Bung him in the shower?

And partly because I know they would hate the whole show-ring thing.  This is not their world.

There is a certain type of pony that loves it and my lot are not that.  They are naturally muddy, wet bog-monsters

And Silver is actually white in colour rather than this rather unfetching mud-infused hue he is trying (and succeeding) with.

So that’s our show career over and done with in just one small discussion plus a few photos that have managed to totally talk me out of it.

And you have to get up really, really early!

I spent some of my morning digging through the pile of pony rugs, that had been neatly gone through, put away and a list made by Daisy a while back.

I found Vitamin’s spare rain-sheet and put it on her, discovering it was the nicest of all the rain-sheets – not too restricting at the front and it had lovely leg pleats too.

I might buy a few more (to add to my already huge collection of rugs) as I like the way it fits her.

And then I wondered if Fivla would like one or two too?  She always looks like her rug is far too long for her, especially at the front. It is very restrictive when she walks.

I went round telling everyone else they would not be getting rugs as they are all very “well covered” (read fat) and I am still waiting for them to shiver it off or to the track next it will be.

(Storm was sporting a rather fetching stick!)

I removed it.

Then I went back to my shed and went through all the rugs I had previously dragged out, consulted Daisy’s rug list, packed each into an irritating unhelpful rug bag, labelled it and filed it away in my fool-proof rug filing system (which equates, “now where did I put it, I know I have it somewhere”).

Obviously I had my happy little helper, always helping.

And this is how we dry rugs…..  Vitamin’s is in front of the Rayburn for the day, swapping sides at lunchtime.

And Fivla’s is hanging off the “Sheila Maid”.  There is a not-so-faint smell of Shetland pony in our house.

I’ve not got much to say except I didn’t get the sponsorship deal.  Everyone else did. Just not us.  Yes, I am very disappointed but I guess scruffy ponies are not the way forward for some.

My back hurts at the moment (whinge, whine…. ooh, wine!)  I am going to have an MRI to see what is going on as it’s been a few years since the last one.  I was also offered a consultation with a spinal surgeon but I said a very hurried no! I would rather find out what is going on first before I even think about that and I’m not thinking about that.

The weather is vile and we could all do with some nice days.

Ted is due his haircut next week.  He looks like a greasy muppet.

I hope he behaves (he has his moments).

And I am just feeling very meh about everything.  I think it is the time of year.

Sorry for the whinge. I will try and do better next time.