As you know, my main hobby is to complain about the weather.

But today the sun came out and it has been hot by my standards, though probably not anyone else’s – I think it said 22℃ in the car on my way to Turriefield to pack veg this afternoon.  We boiled in the shed.

So, because the weather has warmed up today, everyone has been draped around the place.

I spent my morning washing out water troughs and buckets filling them with clean water.

Obviously this was a family affair and I tried to line everyone up for a lovely family portrait and failed dismally.

But I did manage to capture these three.  They were relaxing and making the most of the calm, the mysterious lack of flies/midges that usually accompany this kind of day and nodding off. Why they chose Iacs as their guard-horse is totally beyond my comprehension.  A rookie mistake, I told them.

The ducklings are now living, with their Mum full-time in the big shed with two other ducks (one is possibly their father).  All is calm there too, which is good.  I gave this group a new bath to play in.  They were very suspicious of it but I reckon it won’t take long before they are clambering in.  Muscovy ducks are not obsessed swimmers – they just like to clean themself in fresh water.

And on a bad note, a certain small “person” was caught leaving home (possibly looking for me while I was away) and was found half way down our track.  We had words about this and Pepper says she is sorry she anyone found out!

Here are a few pics from yesterday, and a wee film.

This is what I get on my birthday – Lambie’s grudging acknowledgement of my existence.  I feel truly blessed.

And yesterday, also, under strict supervision, Pepper decided to get to know the ducklings.

I was surprised at how she made this decision.  She likes to be friends with everyone on the croft. It is important to her and I am also surprised at how Mrs Duck is not angry with Pepper, trying to get her ducklings away.  She seemed quite happy to let them just get on with it.

They are still impossibly cute and I think a girl and boy but I will probably be proved wrong and they will be boys. They are always boys.

Duck Family portrait.

And, lastly, my latest album cover, which reminds me, I must muck out!  I knew I had something I had to do today.

And thank you for all your kind birthday wishes.  Much appreciated, as ever.

Happy birthday to me today. I am 62 apparently.

I had a very good harvest, as my uncle would say – Lego (my ultimate relaxation), Lambie wool seat-pad, shepherd’s crook, bamboo sheets, sleep earplugs, magic-smelling shampoo, Dualit kettle, etc.

Card courtesy of Daisy (brilliant, isn’t it?)

There is a special place waiting for me in Hell today.

Last night I forgot to open the gate and the Shetland ponies spent all night in their wee paddock with no food.  Just water and shelter.

I had shut the gate to let the sheep through for the night (sheep and ponies don’t mix well) telling myself not to forget to open it again.  So I forgot.

I feel awful.  The ponies were so pleased to see me with their breakfast and now I know why.  They were starving and it was all my fault.

To assuage my guilt, I gave everyone two easy-to-eat haynets so that their tummies would start working as quickly as possible.  Starvation can easily lead to “digestive issues” and I don’t want that for any of them.

The hay was wolfed down and afterwards the ponies quickly left their paddock, possibly never to return again to eat grass on the track.

I have been checking them all day.  So far no problems.

Pepper is now booked in again for her x-ray at the end of next week.  I could kick myself for cancelling but at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. Remind me never to listen to myself.

The Duck family went a-visiting this afternoon. I found them in a nearby shed where a sick duck lives.  She is off her feet again.

If the duck family want to make their night-time home in this shed, I really wouldn’t mind. It will give the other duck company and also much more space for them too.

I’ll go back now to beating myself up now about the ponies.  Awful, I am truly awful.

Thank you for your kind words yesterday. I think I am back on track now.

Today OH pointed out that there was a Red Admiral butterfly outside the kitchen window.  I can probably count on one hand just how often I have seen any butterfly in Shetland.

The butterfly flitted about from pansy to pansy while we quietly watched fascinated. Apparently, and I did not know this, pansies have coloured guidelines to help the pollinators land.

Luckily no one else was outside so the butterfly was left in peace to go about its day.

I haven’t seen the Shetland ponies. They didn’t turn up for their breakfast so I left them to it, thinking they might appear some time during the day.

Can you see them? Clue – far distance, miles away.

There you go.

Anyway, I am not talking to Waffle – though, obviously I am talking to Tiddles. We always luffs him. He can do no wrong.

Waffle, however, is equus non grata.  He has been destroying the fences again, by standing on the bottom wire to pull it down and then forcing his head through between the top wire and the mesh.  He wants the long grass on the other side.  This blatant vandalism results in the fence and fence posts becoming weaker and less effective.

So, OH and I ran a strand of electric fence wire along two parts where this heinous crime is committed on a daily basis.  I am optimistic that this will solve the problem and extend the already knackered fence’s life.

And I hope I am around to watch Waffle find out what we have done.  I am that cross with him.  I think he knows his name is Bloody Waffle!

This is war.