Mother and Son – Harrel and Maggie

One large Madge (it’s all wool, you know).

No, it is, honestly.

Edna looking like Queen Elizabeth I in her later years.

A friend of mine always says sheep look like woolly maggots. She will know who she is when she reads this and I do agree with her. 

Here we have the little known Harrel-theBarrel maggot!

I was sitting down and Lambie just grinned at me the whole time, smouldering with charm and good looks (or we was he a bit hot in the spring heat and full fleece?) and there was a waft of wee.

Edna and ‘Bert.

‘Ster on a mission.

The beautiful, and now very tame, Maggie who was my best friend while I sat down wondering if I was getting a wet bum or was it just the cold ground.  I had a wet bum when I stood up. In my defense it rained first thing this morning.

Harrel all growed up.

He is a year old now (May the 4th be with you – https://myshetland.co.uk/24-hours/)

Harrel is well named and yes, I missed his birthday but we all know he would’ve eaten the grapefruit hedgehog including the sticks and the grapefruit and wanted to win all the prizes in the games after tea rather than letting his guests win.  He has no manners.

I am feeling a little bit proud of the Minions. Oh, yes, they may hate where they live because the old ladies have all the spring grass but it has done them the world of good.

No more fat little Shetland ponies going into spring.

Instead lovely svelte little Shetland ponies who will NOT get laminitis this year.

From now on, I am going to do my utter best to keep them much trimmer.

It was such an awful shock last year (and very hard work for Daisy and Floss who were left with the fallout while I went south) when both Tiddles and Waffle got laminitis. Seeing them so lame and miserable was a real wake-up call for us all, especially me.

After the farrier has been on Saturday and trimmed everyone’s hooves, I will go and look at the hill field over in Sandness and consider moving everyone there.  Leradale is too useful as a winter field for the Minions to spend summer here.

If, and only if, I think it will be an ok field for them to spend the summer in, then I will move them all over next week.

However, if the field is too green and laminitis-inducing, then I will have to think again.

I don’t actually think I have ever seen Storm looking so good.

However, it has not been easy and everyone hates me.

How do you explain to a greedy Shetland pony, or 6, that you are being cruel to be kind?

The old ladies will also go with the Minions and I will go on feeding Vitamin extra.

Meanwhile, back in Fat Camp, someone might think of slimming down but Life’s Buffet Trolley is pretty good at the moment.

Still we can’t all be svelte. Believe me, I know!

My beautiful handsome dragon….. Dreki.

It is nearly his birthday (24th May) and obviously there will be cake, sandwiches, a grapefruit “hedgehog”, jelly, hula hoops ….. the works.

Five years old.

I was the first person he ever met.

And I remember thinking he was a very serious little foal.  I might go and dig out some more foal piccies next.

Today was a perfect day.

I rode Dreki off the lead rein with Daisy instructing and ready to grab…..

No grabbing was required and Dreki was perfect.

Then I had a riding lesson on Klængur from Daisy and he was perfect too.

Then we brushed the old men….

And they looked perfect afterwards.

After lunch, before Daisy flew back, we sat out in the field with the sheep and Klængur came to stand over us and promptly went to sleep.

And ‘Bert sat in Daisy’s lap and went to sleep too.

And everything was perfect.

And, yes, I am listening to Lou Reed!

It is Eurovision – a tradition in our family – so someone is home for the weekend!  Iacs knows.  He has been planning his welcome.

Daisy arrived last night and so today we had a wonderful horsey morning.

First up was Dreki.

I have been regularly working with my dragon (Dreki means dragon in Icelandic) and so it was good to see what Daisy thought.

Lines of communication were quickly established.

And then onboard.  First, with me leading, then unclipping and walking beside, and then flying solo.

The same on the other rein.

All the work I have put in, on the ground, has paid dividends.  Daisy could tell.

Then we trimmed the old men’s feet.

And after that, I asked Daisy just to put Klængur through his paces in the school.

Tonight, we will enjoy Eurovision Song Contest. and this is our family tradition – gin and sushi (made by Floss).  Happy, happy days.

And tomorrow, with hang-over, we have plans…….!