Yesterday, we swapped Albie for Storm, who was also very sore on his feet.  Flossie had noticed he was lurking in the background looking miserable.

Tiddles was pleased to see him and Albie was glad to escape.

Talking of escaping, this morning, OH came in from feeding the hens/ducks to say that Storm and Tiddles were the other side of my optimistic single strand electric fence.  Of course they jolly well were!  I guess it was inevitable and it definitely was Storm who was to blame.  I put them back and lowered the fence.  They had gone under. No one jumps. I don’t encourage flight.

And today is a day of shite, weather-wise, so I felt sorry for the reprobates and brought them into the stable for their painkillers. I also made up a hay net too.  Maybe that will keep them out of mischief.

I left them playing with all the bowls.  The best toys – they are virtually indestructable.

I wonder where these two will be tomorrow.  Probably in the house!

Last week, I put an advert out asking if anyone had a hot water boiler and I bought this 30L boiler.  OH collected it for me yesterday.  So I filled it up from our hot water supply and then some buckets too.  This is our cheapest way to do it. The water is already good and hot and the boiler just keeps it like that.

I have an electric thermometer which I was given many years back and sat in a drawer doing nothing.

I washed some of Harrel-the-Barrel’s wool.  This is lamb’s wool so it should be the very best of the best.

There was help, obviously!

And a small row about the bed.

Job done, relatively easily now I have my hot water boiler and I put everything outside to dry in old pillowcases.

There was obviously clearing up to do afterwards.  That cat ain’t moving for no one.

This is my wool supply from shearing this summer.  I aim to wash the nice bits and use them to make my felted sheep.

And I also bought myself The Beast – or a drum carder!

It means business with those teeth.

This is last year’s wool from ‘Ster, which I had washed but was difficult to work with in its original state.

So I swiftly ran it through my carder to make very useable batts. So soft and a lovely colour.  There is something very nice about using my sheep’s own wool. It makes every sheep that I make very special.

My aim is to be self-sufficient in wool. I have all the colours (white, black, shaela, moorit, katmoget, flecket….). I will wash small batches, dry them and run them through my drum carder to create wool I can make my sheeple out of.  I am feeling very pleased and ever so slightly smug now.

We spent the day dodging the weather.

A swift dog walk at Leradale and we only got slightly soaked.

Lovely autumn colours about.

Pepper and Ted ran around at 100 mph!

Home and there were sheep everywhere. They hadn’t gone out into any field – they have a choice of 4 over 50 acres.  But no.

Harrel-the-Barrel

Lambie looking very Hallowe’en.

‘Ster.  Chewing away.

Always handsome.

‘Bert ( you have to say that like “Norm” in Cheers as he goes into the bar, so you know!)

Pepper has a very soft spot for ‘Bert. Perhaps it is because they are of similar hue.

Madge – and that’s about as near as I get to her these days.

Edna – my dear sweet girl.

And around the corner, and I nearly forgot about her until Floss said “what about Maggie”, – so, here’s Maggie!

She is wonderful.

Enchanting, even. Unless she is chasing and trying to butt Pepper and then she is less enchanting.

And then the heavens opened and so we all rushed indoors.

It’s been a very windy day today with sporadic violent showers, thankfully very quick, but the type that can soak you to the skin in seconds.  We have all experienced this.

Can you tell that I am totally obsessed by the weather?  (sorry, but I am. It’s the time of year).

Anywho, I am being tough.  Floss reminded me that everyone is very well-covered (*** cough – fat – /cough ***) so I don’t need to bring them inside.  Nope, they must grow a thick winter coat and get on with it.

Even so, I am glad the old ladies are using their shed.  They know it’s there if they want or need it.  I don’t need to lie awake at night listening to the bad weather and worry.  I can think of them choosing to get out of it instead.

My one strand fence is holding up in the wind and possibly even being respected.

I realise it is only Day 1 but I remain the optimist.  There is a tiny part that is not electrified as it was impossible.  Tiddles and Albie do not know this.  Say nothing!

Instead, I have a feeling that the full force of the zap on the nosey touching the wire to see if it is actually on may have been felt.  Respect the fence then!

To town this morning for pony supplies, drop off some sheep, eat haggis and chips, and then swiftly home.

The sheep field always needs filling but things should calm down now Wool Week and the cruise ship visits are over for the year.  I can go back to transcribing my Great Great Aunt Kate’s diaries again.  I am up to 1930 and in Italy.

Once home, we unpacked the van and quickly constructed a single strand electric fence around as much hard-standing as safely possible.  It was not easy because fence posts need something to stick into and hard ground is impossible.

I also invented a rather nifty gate effort that divides the two doors to the stable and the indoor school so the old men could have use of the indoor school if required while Tiddles and friend can use the stable if the weather gets really rough.

However, I am not confident that one strand of electric wire will be enough to contain Tiddles and friend and am fully prepared to put up another over the next few days.

But, for the time being, I remain an optimist or possibly a rather stupid naive owner of Shetland ponies who should know better by now!