The sheep have been very hot so today our shearer, Morgan, came over and sorted everything out.

First up was Madge. She was surprisingly a very good girl.  Teeth checked, feet done, Heptavac given.

Next up was Edna – teeth checked (only two left now), feet done, Heptavac given.

Then Lambie – teeth checked (beautiful gnashers), feet done, Heptavac given.

Then ‘Ster – he was awful and wriggled endlessly – teeth checked (beautiful gnashers too), feet done, Heptavac given.

And lastly ‘Bert – teeth checked (beautiful gnashers also), feet done, Heptavac given.

This was ‘Ster’s fleece.  I rolled them all up separately and will go through them another day.  They were very, very big!

After the shearing, we went and caught Maggie and Harrell and gave them their Heptavac.  Maggie won’t be sheared until August otherwise Harry might not recognise her or the distress can make them lose their milk. That’s what they do with nursing ewes up here.

A bit later, I went down to see how everyone was.  I barely recognised them.

Madge!

So different (and *** cough *** so fat!)

Dearest Edna.  She has put the weight on at last. With two teeth, she is managing well.

‘Bert, so handsome.

‘Ster – ditto on the handsome!

They are all very itchy and getting used to having no hot heavy fleeces.

And then there is Lambie who always looks strange and spotty afterwards.

There was a bit of arguing but not like last year when they had full scale war.

This is the one day of the year when Lambie loves his Muzzah. He wants me to scratch him and he stood beside me after being sheared.

Everyone is on a diet. There will be no more breakfasts (apart from Edna and Maggie) and I am glad that ordeal is over for another year.

And from today……

While Fivla was being especially unhelpful, Vitamin was doing her very best (I may love her most today).

And I came to the conclusion that you can have one or the other, but you can never have both!

Nowadays Vitamin is showing her age, but at 27, I am not surprised.  We can only do what we can do. The dentist is visiting on Sunday.

Vitamin is now fully retired from everything but, I think you will agree, she is still beautiful.

Floss and I drove over to Sandness to feed Vitamin and Fivla their daily bucket of grub, while checking everyone else (or they checked us – it’s always difficult to tell and depends on your perspective.)

We spent some time with the ponies, which was entertaining.

Although the younger ones get no real food, they were given carrots and Newt decided to show me just how hungry he was feeling by eating strands of fence wire at me!  He looks very stocky!

Fivla gets less to eat than Vitamin (yes, I caved) and she finished up early so then it was time for the opportunistic vultures who had been circling.

A friend, who was walking his dog, stopped for a chat.  Albie was intrigued.  The dog was very good with them.

Newt was interested too.  We kept a strict eye on the ponies just in case there was random nibbling.

I had stupidly left a large pot of Sudocrem (for sunburnt noseys) on the ground and, while we were chatting and not looking, small ponies managed to open it and dip in!

Fairy-tale Fivla.

So, if nothing else they made us smile.

And then Floss clarted the sunburnt noseys with Sudocrem and we ran away very quickly before they could spread it back onto us, which is what usually happens.

Thank you for your kind words of love, support and sympathy.  They are appreciated.

There’s not much to say really, but our usual day. The weather is unhelpful (cold, with occasional vicious rain showers) and certainly not ideal for riding in.  I didn’t feel like it much, either so I turned the central heating back on instead.

The Minions were bickering so afterwards, I went to talk to my oldest and dearest friend – Haakon.  We know each other very well.

While I sat on the ground with him, taking photos, Klængur loomed over me too.

Monster is missing his friend more than words and has taken to sleeping on her blanket(s). He is very subdued.

I just feel empty, lonely and tired.

You were the best, BeAnne Duvet Soufflé Princess Chantelle Shaznay du Mezzanine, aka Her Maj.

Sleep forever and stay in my heart.

2006 – 2021

She collapsed this morning, vet came.  It was time. We were with her to the end.