Where the ponies eat has descended into revolting welly-boot sucking mud.

I clamber about with my buckets hanging onto the ponies’ manes to keep me upright as I go. They are very used to me doing this and sweetly stand firm knowing it is the difference between me losing my boots while falling over or not!  I wonder what curse words they know?

I saw something in the sky very briefly this morning while I was doing my last Christmas present and card distribution.

When I went passed the MInions’ field, I did my usual head and leg count.

As you can see, the muddy area is where the Minions come up for their breakfast.  I’ve just had a great idea – I will put their bowls on the other side of the field where it is just grass and change them about every morning to avoid the mud.  Why didn’t I think of this sooner?  Duh!

But I am barely talking to Little Herself.  She went off to find polecats while I was feeding the ponies. I shouted and whistled for her as I was leaving but ended up having to clamber up the hill to get her to come home with me.  She knows this was not A Good Thing but I do love the way she sits!  She’s always done this.

And then there was the practice Christmas photo. Oh no.

Not our best.

So I gave up.

As this is the time of year that the weather can be vile, the old folk have the choice of two fields so there is maximum shelter available and they can choose were best to be.

Their fields are situate in a small valley, which the burn (stream) runs through.  I can see them from the window too.

Along with the relatively high sides of the hills, there are also old dry stone dykes (walls) that give extra shelter, if needed from every angle.  The Minions have a similar set-up just further down the valley.

I know from previous years, that the horses do better outside than in and also without rugs in this kind of weather.  Indoors, they would panic at the huge noise and rugs on outside would be blown away in this. So I tell myself they are all built for this.  They really are.

As the weather is about to descend into the very depths of Hell, I am trying to be confident that everyone will be ok, even if I can’t get out to give them their buckets.

Obviously we will do our utmost in the lulls to get out to check everyone and distribute what is necessary but as the buckets only contain no actual calories, just vitamins and minerals, they are not urgent. Everyone has plenty grass too.

(I won’t lie, I am dreading the next few days.  I mean Force 12 ffs! That’s 11 on a guitar amp! Meanwhile, in every waking thought I am busy doing deals with the Gods to get Daisy and Floss home safely for Christmas and thoughts and prayers for the electricity to stay on too!)

Some, possibly not all, folk think I am mad for worrying about my sheep.

But I do. They are family and, if they are not home, then I worry, especially for Edna who is, I think, quite old now.  I have to know that all seven have come home in the evening.  Whether they go to bed in their shed is up to them, though.

A few days back, when I was talking to someone about my sheep, I could see him give me a look of total disbelief when I said my sheep followed me around like dogs.  To him sheep live in a field, and you round them up occasionally with a dog, but they are not pets.

Today, my lot spent their daylight hours around the house (outside). This was the view from the kitchen window.  The weather was beyond vile (a thrashing Force 10 with rain) and even though the field gate was open, the sheep chose not to leave.

I spent my day away from the croft and when I came home, OH was busy feeding the ducks their supper before bed.

I rode shotgun on the food bowl and to be fair, no one tried to steal it – they wanted to, mind.

And then I was followed back to the house.  Note old Edna in the background.

Not for long!

She barged straight into the porch demanding a treat.  It seemed only fair as they had been good about the duck food situation.

And that was the other thing…… folk don’t understand why they are allowed into the house.  Because they are family!  I can’t say that enough.

The alarm went off this morning and it was still dark outside, getting darker each day.  I found Monster asleep on my feet and I didn’t want to get out of bed.

The morning started off optimistically, weather-wise.  As I write this, it has since disintegrated into a gale accompanied by heavy rain which I think will stop next year some time (I jest you not).

But everyone was helpful, which makes a nice change and the sheep were encouraged to go outside into the field. I was thinking it might be the last time in a while.  The horses and ponies are all living in sheltered well-stocked fields so I don’t worry about them.

There was a lovely sunrise.

But now it is blowing a hoolie outside, the front door is locked in case it blows in, and the sheep haven’t come home. I left the field gate open for them and will now spent my night worrying (I will go and check on them after supper and that’s the best I can do).

Pepper and Ted practiced their Christmas card poses.

But none of us are feeling very Christmassy until Daisy and Flossie get home ((19th and 21st).

(Apologies for boring blog – it was one of those days)

Edited: 7p.m.

Everyone is home – phew.

Today was the last day I was prepared to drag my Christmas-shopping sledge into town.

I left straight after doing the ponies, sheep, ducks/hens, horses, Ted’s eye ointment…… determined to get in early to avoid the crowds.

I popped into Jamieson’s Knitwear on the Street to find my field was a bit sparse, so I added two more “curlies” and arranged the display a bit more evenly in colour.

A quick look of admiration for the full range of wool colours on the wall.

And then on down Commercial Street to look at Christmas windows and pick up my last minute presents.

Jamieson’s window

The Opticians – (I love this eye chart).

The Shetland Soap Company Christmas tree made from sheets of The Shetland Times – inspirational.

But I needn’t have worried about avoiding the crowds……  Although the car parks were all pretty full, there was barely a soul around.  I can only think they are revving up for Late Night Shopping.

Meanwhile, me and my trusty sledge went to Tescos where I discovered somewhere along my travels I had a) lost my shopping list and b) forgotten my shopping bags.  So I resorted to buying everything I could think of including all the ingredients for Mojitos and Nachos and just loading it all into the back of the car in a hopeful fashion.

I even bought the fresh mint!  I am having a slight panic as the boats are being cancelled due to daily bad weather forecasts.

And so, after my last stop of paying the feed bill and buying dog chews to entertain Pepper and Ted through Christmas so they will leave the tree alone, I drove home.

When I got back, I had to feed the ducks before they took themselves to bed and OH kindly unloaded the car but he missed someone and the bag of dog chews.  She hadn’t even touched them!