The weather changed.  I can attest to that as I stood in the pouring rain with Pepper watching the horses and ponies eat feeling wet and miserable.  I do wonder why I do this.  Could someone remind me, please.

It hasn’t rained in Shetland for a month and I was beginning to get used to a dry existence.  It was a lovely change. The mud had dried up everywhere and I had put much of my winter wardrobe into storage.

Stupid, stupid me.  As I write, I am looking at three coats, three pairs of over-trousers and varied shirts and jeans drying in the kitchen.  I have officially run out of dry or clean clothes.

The old ladies took the little shed but actually didn’t stay there very long.   They had gone by the time I went round to muck out.

This lot had taken up residence in their container (with haynets) but came out when they spied me doing the Sunday extension of their track.

It was a case of weather vs. new grass.  The new grass won, of course and they came cantering round to eat.

I spent my afternoon in my shed adding to the collection, ready to go to Jamieson’s Knitwear, in Lerwick.

And, as ever, I had a friend.  Wherever I’ve gone, Pepper has come too. She is not deterred by bad weather because it is her job to be with me.

“Good luck with that”, I said to Vitamin as she approached Fivla to help her finish her morning bucket.  I thought she would’ve known better.

But she ignored me and had a good try.

But Fivla was having none of it and stuck to her guns (breakfast) eating it as fast as she could.    Fivla is a slow eater so a bit of competition is a good thing.  Vitamin got nothing despite her best efforts.  And as I said to Vitamin, “it’s always good to have a hobby!”

Later on, it started to rain and all the sheep wanted to come in as apparently sheep melt in rain.  Who knew?  So I let them out of their field, and left them to it while I went to play flute duets with Mandy, like we do every Saturday afternoon.

While we were playing, Madge appeared, listened and then plonked herself down as our solo sheep audience.

She didn’t move until we finished, and apparently just wanted to listen to us massacre Mozart, which of course we duly did.  And not too shoddily, I would add.

Dear Madge. I never had her down as a Mozart fluet duet kind of sheep.

But now I know differently.

A funny old world really.  Well, especially mine.

The sheep are fed in the morning in their shed with the door shut so they are in a routine where I can catch whoever and do stuff if I need to. Shearing will be soon so I try and keep this going all year round. There is nothing worse than unhelpful sheep.

The sheep stay in their shed while I feed all the horses and then I go back in to let them out but Edna has her second breakfast by herself because she is old and she loves soaked sugarbeet that she doesn’t have to fight anyone for.

‘Ster has also taken to a bowl for himself too, then ‘Bert wanted some and then Maggie. My theory is that if they ask for this, then why not.  Bert and Ster are old and Maggie was looking a bit scrawny this winter.  It also uses up any unfinished sugarbeat that I had for the horses.  My portion control is fairly random.

Today, somehow, the sheep managed to let themselves out of their shed after their breakfast and I found them wandering around looking a bit confused because their routine had changed – their fault.  Harrel was having an argument with Gussie who was happily winding him up.

I gave ‘Ster his bowl.

Maggie asked nicely and got some too.

And I also put out beet for Edna and Bert who were expecting to be catered for.  Only the best waitress service here.

And while I putting the sheep back into the field, I found these two together.  I took a photo as they looked so pretty.

Anyone want an album cover or two?

Oh yes, and the orchids are beginning to appear.  Beautiful colours everywhere soon.

I decided to mix things up today.

Given any opportunity, the Icelandic horses bully the Shetland ponies off their food. It’s not nice. So today I parked Vitamin in a small crö (sheep-pen) that is off the side of the paddock so no one could see her eating.

Cunning, eh?

Fivla said she didn’t want to move from her very visible spot, but I picked up her bucket and grabbed a piece of her mane and towed her in too.

She stayed there for a bit happily eating.  Both of them hidden, I thought to myself.

But Fivla must’ve had a fit of pique and moved out of the crö leaving some of her food behind.  I gave Vitamin her bucket  and she quickly polished it off.  Fivla didn’t like being in a confined space.

Meanwhile the big ones were oblivious of all this and finished their breakfast, forgetting to look for the Shetland ponies.  Out of sight, out of mind.

You can tell by the tail swishing that Fivla was not in a good mood.

And of course Iacs spied the buckets…..

He pretended he didn’t really want them. I wasn’t fooled.

I know Iacs too well.  Of course he did.

After I had rinsed out Vitamin’s mouth with water to stop food accumulating (I do this daily), I was just putting everything back, when I noticed Fivla had returned and was now mooching around the empty buckets looking for her full ration.

I felt bad for her. I had given it to Vitamin to finish off thinking she didn’t want it anymore.

Apparently I was wrong and now I feel awful for Fivla.  Not awful enough to go and get her some more food because WW3 would break out, but enough to not let it happen again.

Horses, ponies, ducks, hens, dogs and cat fed and off I went to town again.

This time it was for the car – a pre-service check so the garage could sensibly get in any big parts needed for the actual service.  The car has a squeak on one of the wheels and a clunk when I turn left.  However, it is 15 years old so stuff happens.

I also had my shopping list, all of which I managed as well as a few of extras!

However, I felt bad leaving Pepper but she had to stay home to a) give her poorly paw a rest (she is still slightly lame), and keep Ted company too.  He has anxiety without company.

Anyway, they were all very happy to see me by the time I got home mid-morning.

And it was nice that they joined me in my shed too.

Monster and I were avidly watching another US medical drama while I felted a sheep.

Obviously I had bought chewy treats for the dogs on my travels.  Ted left his.  He never knows what to do with a treat.

But Pepper knows and she stole it from him before I could stop her.  I give up.  She’s incorrigble.  So that’s me. No more trips to town for a while, I think. It’s been far too much excitement for one week.