Fivla was eating her brekkie bucket in the field, while the others were in the water-logged paddock eating their’s.  Albie was in the field too.

He finished his food first and thought it would be a very good idea to wander over to see how Fivla was getting on with her breakfast and maybe he could help out.

I knew exactly what he was going to do and so did Fivla.

Fivla is Albie’s adopted mother.  From the start, he has always loved her and she in return has always looked after him, but eating her breakfast is one step too far and so she told him.

Knowing this, Albie casually ate grass around Fivla’s bucket, getting quietly closer and closer, as if we didn’t notice.

And then Fivla came up for air (a rookie mistake) and Albie and his extra long proboscis swooped in to steal the bucket and its contents.

I had to explain to Albie that we don’t do this.  Not now, not never.

And I think he believed me and went back to happening to be in the area!

It was a very close area, though, but he did behave himself and I let him lick out the bucket, when Fivla had finished, as a reward.

And I hope you noticed how, with nothing better to do up here, we like to colour coordinate our buckets with the pony rug!

It was a really grotty morning today as it had pretty much rained all night and everyone was soaked through and thoroughly fed up.

The breakfast paddock was utterly revolting and we were feeling very fed up.

After breakfast, I wondered whether they would all go back into their field, where the grass is, but no, Vitamin determinedly waded through the mud to the wee shed and made it her’s.

The others followed her over and asked if they could come in too.

Some were more successful than others.

I ended up asking them all to shove up a bit and make some space for Fivla who wanted to go inside too.  I put a headcollar on her and led her inside.  She was wary about this as she is not one for crowds and when Waffle started being creepy (licking her rug and I hope that was all he was doing), she was not happy one bit.

*** oh Storm ***

Meanwhile outside, Newt wanted to go in too.

It was nice to see that Tiddles, despite being soaking wet, still had his sense of humour.

Later on, I saw that the wee shed actually fits five and a quarter Shetland ponies.   Who knew?  They must’ve been stacked like sardines in there and it was surely a tad close, smell-wise!  I will shovel it out tomorrow.

This is a bit in haste as I’m going out this evening to see a film in Lerwick, with a curry afterwards – a huge treat.

So, I fed the duckies early and gave the sheep something as well to shut them up.

Wherever I go with a bucket of food, I have followers.

I’m not going to point the finger but Maggie (plus Edna and Harrel) are my worst stalkers.

It is cold, so they are using their shed a lot at the moment.

Along with the chickens, who lay in various secret corners.

On my way back to the house, of course, I had my usual disciples who marched straight inside demanding money (food) with menaces.

Treats were given and they were told to go away and get jobs!

And this is the final design for the sticky label to go underneath the felted sheep.  I like it and hopefully it will be readable for those that buy a sheep.  Thank you to everyone for their input.

I swithered at breakfast and I made the rookie mistake of taking off Fivla’s rug because the weather-forecast was good.

And everyone walked out of the muddy field to their better pasture while Fivla took herself to stand by the gate to tell me she wanted her rug right back on. By the time I came back outside, she’d moved into the shed and I knew she meant business.  It was also now raining.

So the rug went back on and I gave her a new sample of minerals for her joint function made from the ground horns of gilded unicorns to see if that would help her too.  Feeling warmer, Fivla then left to join the herd and I sucked my teeth and swithered about my decision that morning,

After lunch, I went out to see Fivla and her rug.

I swithered a bit more about whether she should or should not be wearing it. The forecast is pretty nice for a while – but it is cold (RealFeel -2C).

However, I did notice that Fivla was more alert and much chattier – so is it the rug or the supplement?  She is not warm either, just the right temperature.

She showed me that she was walking well in it, which was another worry I was having.

Meanwhile, Pepper was happily chatting to Newt.

So sweet.

I left them all swithering about whether to buy another rug with slight fill (50g) just because we are not truly out of winter and it’s always good to have a second in the wings……

Once home, I bought 60 sachets of the supplement too!

And swithering, for those that don’t know, means “to be uncertain as to which course of action to choose” which really sums up my whole day!

Rain is forecast for the next 24 hours.  Quite a lot, really.

When I went out with the dogs for a walk, I found that Waffle and Albie had taken up residence with Fivla standing patiently outside and not being allowed inside.  Rotters.

The boys refused to budge and I felt sorry for Fivla while I was walking the dogs in the ponies’ field.  It was also beginning to rain too.

(I love these three photos of Silver – he is a quiet little character but makes me smile when I think how he has come out of his shell over the years).

I cut the dog walk short (I had a hospital appointment later so time was limited anyway) and I told Fivla to follow me out of the field.

Her new rainsheet had arrived a few days ago, so I popped it on her praying it would fit.  Back out into the field, the muddy bit, and Fivla was investigated (Newt now in the shed) thoroughly.

The rug seems a nice neat fit and I like the pink trim for Fivla – she is a girlie pink girl.

She walked through the mud, which isn’t as deep as you would think as we live on boulder rock so it is not eye-watering wellie-losing deep.

I followed her to see that everything was staying in place and I think going a size up was a wise decision.

So while it rains tonight, I will know this old lady will stay dry and comfortable.

I think Fivla quite likes her new rug too.