The Autumn storms are on the horizon for Shetland and everyone (equine) is happily living outside, which is the best place to be and definitely their choice.

But the last time it rained a few days ago, I found Tiddles shaking and dithering even when it was double digits of temperature.  What to do?  Yes, I want him, and the others to lose weight, but shivering it off, is that the kindest way?  And I do want everyone to grow their winter coat.  What to do?

I have a shed-load (quite literally) of rugs of all different sizes, all neatly stacked and put away so, like a thing possessed, I went through them all to find everything that will fit a variety of Shetland ponies, even Newt.

Tiddles came into the stable with me and I tried various rugs on to see what size he was so, if he starts shivering, I can quickly grab the right-sized rug for him.

This was ok, if a little snug when pulled forward.

This was good but he doesn’t need a neck cover, I don’t think.

And this was perfect. I have two of these.  I think Tiddles’ pile will also fit Albie, Storm, Waffle and possibly Fivla too.  Silver and Vitamin are in bigger sizes and Newt the smallest one I have.

So now I alternate between thinking I am being too soft and shivering is natural but the Minions go all dithery and can’t think straight. I hate seeing that.  There is relatively little shelter in their field/paddock too.  So I think I have talked myself into rugs for those that shiver and dither when it rains.

I’ll just leave this here……

Enjoy.

and then there’s this.

This time, two years ago, Daisy and I brought Pepper and her sister home on the boat.  Pepper’s sister was quickly dispatched to her new owner and the two puppies went their separate ways.

This photo is Pepper’s first – when we met her in Aberdeen.  Notice the iron-hand grip.  Already Pepper had ideas.

And she still has her teddy, though it might be slightly altered with love and Ted’s obsession to destroy all squeakers.

Pepper was ever the lady.

And possibly still is.

And then there is the obsession for the ducks which, now I see, started at a very young age.

Until Ted appeared, Monster was in charge of Pepper. He taught her all he knows.

So happy gotcha day to my little shadow.  Always there, always by my feet, especially if I turn the fire on.  Pepper has changed my life, for the better.

A beautiful day today (2 loads of washing and making the most of it).  On the dog walk I saw a Northern White-Tailed Bumblebee lazily working on the last of a Devil’s Bit Scabious flower.

With my camera, I was hanging right over it and totally ignored, which is unusual.

Our garden surrounding the front of the house, is slowly giving up too.

And I am getting the potatoes in as they die back.   It is work-in-progress but definitely on my to-do list.

Still, we have sunshine today and we are all making the most of it.

In other news, all the duckies – all 13 of them – have finally got together.

Pepper has declared herself Queen of Ducks.

She is determined to talk to them all.

Whether they are happy to respond is a different matter.

I haven’t ever known a dog quite so interested in making friends with everyone around the croft.  It is not a Patterdale thing. I know that, but then Pepper is not your usual dog.  She is a little treasure of determination.

On my daily dog walk, we were just coming to the end when ….

….. I looked up to see Monster had joined us, unbeknownst to me. Had I known he was on his way, I would’ve waited.

Pepper was pleased to see her mentor. Remember, Monster “looked after” her when she was a tiny puppy and I use that term in its loosest sense.  Think more like, beat her up and model her to his own image, if he could. That would be more accurate.

We finished the rest of the walk, with a up tempo vocal accompaniment.

And this time I waited for Monster to catch up.

All that walking is hard work.

I’ve been working as much as I can in my sh-shed making as many sheeple as possible for the next Wool Week which starts soon.

This photo was taken this afternoon when I found a bag of celery which I had lost (put somewhere weird). I was walking towards the ponies with it and I started laughing when I saw them all like this.

I climbed over the gate and handed out the celery in sticks – they bite off a chunk and then I offer it to the next pony.

It was fair shares for all, including Vitamin who waited patiently by her gate.  Fivla had a bucket of hay replacer to get through.

Apparently an engineer from BT will come tomorrow morning and hopefully put things right, which would be good as I am rapidly running out of mobile data.