Ready for the Next One

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The rugs are not coming off for the time being and I hear no complaints from anyone.

We have another storm coming tonight – Storm Boelo, I think.

And then another storm on Sunday and possibly for what feels like the foreseeable future.  I think it is going to be coarse for the next few weeks now.  Tuesday looks like an eternal nightmare.

Luckily, there is a bit of a lull each morning so hopefully I will get out to check everyone and feed them their breakfast.   After that, it is every man, horse, and sheep for themselves.

This lot (the aged) have lots of shelter available so they can find the safest place to stand.  I have deliberately not brought them home to stand in the shed as it can get scarily noisy and very loud inside.  They hate that and become agitated, which can lead swiftly to colic and worse.

Everyone knows what to do in a storm – they have heaps of long grass, high walls to stand by and a very good built-in survival instinct.

I just hope the rugs don’t blow off – the green ones have leg straps and the blue ones have tail straps.  They seem pretty fixed on.

At lunchtime, I popped a rug onto Tiddles too because it is going to suddenly get very cold and what with his EMS, he is not very good at temperature regulation.  The sheep are home and they will also do their own thing.

So that’s us. Wish us luck (again).  If you don’t hear from me, it probably means the electricity went.

I hope not, though because that would be a bit much.

Lambie Wants Biscuits

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Lambie: I wonder what the biscuit situation is?
Pepper: I don’t know.

Lambie:  Muzzah, do you have any biscuits  (asking for a friend)?

Monster:  She might. I don’t know.

Me:  Guys, I think I’ve run out of biccies.  You finished them last night pratting about going into the wrong fields.

Lambie: What do you mean “run out of biccies?” This cannot be possible and it is not an acceptable situation for any sheep to be in.

Lambie:  Let me look. I need proof.

Lambie: I demand biccies, Muzzah!

Lambie: Pretty please.

And, yes, of course Lambie got a secret biccie (I had to go and raid another biscuit tin and no one is to tell OH). I had no choice, apparently.

Flooding

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Dahlia had the right idea today when she asked if she could come inside.  Sadly I had to say no, because apparently sheep can’t live in our house.

Pepper also had the right idea. The fire was on, again apparently, and I felt nothing.  Not a joule.

So I made myself a nice cup of tea and ate my statutory two Tunnock’s, as is my right and felt much better.

I am glad I put the rugs on the old horses and ponies because we have had a huge quantity of rain all day.  All the bottom fields are flooded but luckily no one is living there so apart from the electric fence, nothing should be too damaged.  I will do a fence check once all the water has subsided.

I fear for the old bridge, though. It will have taken quite a battering.  I don’t think I have seen water this high before but never gets over the top of the bridge. Even so, it is pretty impressive.

The sheep are all mooching about looking for any food opportunity, especially the duck food.  We have had words.

The old horses and ponies, in their rugs, are happy enough eating on the hill of their field.  I have sewn extra tape into the tail flaps of their rugs to keep them on better in a high wind.  It is good to see everyone totally ignore the weather.  It means they are all fine. So I shall stop worrying about them.

Ditto for the little boys who are grazing next to their shed, which remains empty so obviousy no one needs it. I haven’t put a rug on Tiddles as he is fat now and there is plenty of grass.

So that’s us braving the filthy weather.  Coats and waterproof trousers are festooned around the kitchen, dripping water onto the floor.  The shape of things to come this winter.  Lerwick is flooded, apparently.

Rug Season

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I was hoping I could put off rugging for a while now and everyone would grow their thick winter coats. But the weather forecast is basically rain, rain and more rain in copious quantities for the foreseeable.

However, no one is thin and I am glad for that.

It’s been quite the struggle since the old horses and ponies came out of last winter looking very bleak, thin and angular. But I like to think I have triumphed.

Some have triumphed possibly a little too much.

After a day in the shed, nervously looking and re-looking at the weather forecast, whilst consulting another 4 in the hope the original one might be wrong, I decided that the old horses and ponies would need their 0g rugs on.

So, OH and I loaded up the Eggbox and I drove over the hill carrying everything we needed.

OH held onto the front ends, while I fitted each rug and I am pleased to say that without exception, they all had to be let out quite a lot.

I hope everyone now stays dry wearing their state-of-the-art rugs that some might say are snugly fitted.

But it’s better to be fat than thin this time of year.  We all know that.   Fat is fine when you’re over 30 years old and are determined to live outside in all weathers.  Wish us luck, it’s going to be wet. Very wet.

(And of course I had brought carrots!)

Lunch in Town

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To town today because it was Floss’ birthday. We went out for lunch and then did a spot of shopping (mostly food for supper, even though we felt very full).

Lerwick was deserted.  The cruise ship season has finished now.

(though, there were a few boats in probably sheltering from the current strong winds).

Floss and I mooched around and checked the field at Jamieson’s Knitwear for stock levels.

When we eventually wended our way home, I went back outside to feed the ducks/hens their tea and get the sheep home for the night.

The ponies came careering up because I had shouted for the sheep.  I could that they were in a very silly mood.

The sheep also came careering out of that field because they hate the ponies, which is not a bad thing because they do tend to dawdle if they possibly can.

Naw, Lambie – the King of dawdlers.  He owns it.

And even Dahlia came home – because I had shouted that there was a fresh packet of ginger biccies waiting.  She does love a biccie.

⬇️And then there are the “idiot children”, as they are currently known. ⬇️  (Tiddles was late to the party).