It was not a day for going out and Her Maj as been very lack-lustre today so we stayed in and I made sheeple while she slept.
When we got back into the house, however, she nipped up the stairs and had Monster’s tea!
Anyway, this is the view from my shed and you can see the ground is revolting, just turning to watery mud and mush while I watch.
The Boyzens came home this morning – the lure of their breakfast plus ginger biccies – and have been loafing around all day in their shed with a haynet. The Girlzens have a separate bedroom – (with wifi obviously), haynet and lick bucket. ‘Bert visits often!
Tomorrow is looking better. I will try and get Her Maj out on another walk. I think it does her (and me) good. I haven’t felt like riding but I don’t think Klaengur is that enthused either.
We have our good days and our bad. Yesterday was awful so that this morning I woke up with a migraine. Anywho we, as a family, are trying to keep BeAnne going forward.
She won’t eat and so has her hepatic diet syringed down twice a day. It has become a huge battle and one that stresses me out probably more than her. She is actually quite good about it. We are getting into a routine now.
Daily we go out for a long walk in the hopes it will help BeAnne’s digstion/appletite and our mental state. Today Her Maj woke up bouncy and tail-waggingly happy so I took her onto the hill. She loved it, running like a normal dog everywhere. The Boyzens came too. The Girlzens stayed in their field.
I am a great believer that it is not the actual distance you cover on a dog walk but the fun the dog has so we all stopped and let BeAnne look for bunny rabbits and enjoy herself.
She sniffed a rabbit out – ever the hunter (just a rather hopeless one).
I sat on a peat hag and watched my wee dug doing what she loves most. I wanted her to get the most out of her fun.
She was so happy – an enthusiasm I haven’t seen for a while.
My peat hag.
I sat for a while watching her to and fro from each rabbit hole totally oblivious to the fact that the bunny was long gone!
But she was enjoying herself and that’s all that matters.
And the view was very good too.
After a good 20 minutes, BeAnne admitted defeat and went home. She even went for a bit of a dip – you only have to ask her if she wants to go “swimbig” (said in an adenoidal fashion) and she dives into any puddle.
We got home and Her Maj is tired now but I think a good sort of tired (and she also nipped upstairs and stole the cat food). Not ideal, I know, but according to the vet any food is better than no food and if she gets her head back into thinking she can eat, then I will go with that.
My heart is breaking watching BeAnne. I clutch at any straw. I feel awful syringing food down her but food is calories, antibiotics are going down and she is still with us. I look at her and wonder. We regularly have family conferences about her and at the moment we still keep going because if she is hunting and looking for bunny rabbits, she is still happy.
Lambie appeared at the door because he refused to go in the field, like a common sheep, and said he would rather be an Only Child than do what I want.
And then he was bored because there was no one to talk to.
So someone let him in (and yes, OH was away at work and that someone was Flossie who thought it would cheer me up by having a little woollie chap trit-trotting around the house with a Winning Smile.
And she was right! I felt much happier.
So I reached for the tv remote and put on Classic FM – Lambie’s favourite music radio station.
And the woolly lumpster soon relaxed and nodded off.
He snored his way through Bizet’s L’Arlesienne and some other lovely music. I particularly remember the Bizet.
And then we all went for our usual walk in the Shetland winter sunshine – I am refusing to call it spring yet. This was yesterday and guess what, today Lambie trotted into the field with the common sheep because he realised I was not going to budge on this!
BeAnne update: Nothing good. Everything bad. This is very difficult for me and my family so if I write utter drivel it is to divert from the utter crap in our lives at the moment.
I hate weaning. I feel like the meanest person in the world.
It went fairly smoothly, though. First Floss and I went to fetch Brá, bring her home and put her in a stable with Kappi next door to keep her company.
Then we went over to Leradale to feed and distract Sóley and Lilja while we extricated Hetja without anyone realising. Floss opened the adjoining gate, the Minions flooded in, occupied the girls and I loaded Hetja into the van and we drove away.
Back home and we put Kappi back in his field (thanking him for his help), loaded Brá into the van with Hetja and drove them over to their new field – just across from Thordale. There is not much grass but it will do for the time being.
We thought there would be a huge a reunion between Hetja and Brá – they barely lifted their heads.
So that was that and a few hours I went back to check on the Minions and the Icelandic sisters at Leradale. It was all a bit “us and them”.
This fence these three had managed to cower behind is not actually a real functional fence.
Lilja was looking out for her sister realising she was already missing her Mum.
Albie came over to introduce himself.
Albie got bitten for his efforts but took it well.
I gave him a big hug for trying.
I feel awful for Sóley but she has Lilja to get her through this.
The Minions are keeping well away until the girls settle with them.
So today I am the meanest person in the world.
Waffle was looking particularly gorgeous, though. Interestingly, he was staying well out of the politics and that is unusual because he and Lilja were the greatest of friends last year. Perhaps she’s realised he is not actually going to grow taller!
I remembered I have some horses and tomorrow we bite the bullet.
We are going to wean Sóley-the-Foalie.
She is a good size and it is very clear that Hetja has had enough of her.
Despite Sóley’s constant protestations, Hetja is not really wanting her daughter to nurse anymore. Usually when she tries, she just walks away.
(that has to be the longest tongue I have ever seen – is that even normal?)
When I mentioned this plan to Hetja, she brightened up at the thought.
And I can’t say I really blame her. Most mares have their foals removed and weaned at just a few months old but I like the mare to say when she has had enough and Hetja is certainly telling me.
She has had enough.
Anyway, the plan is to collect Brá and put her in the stable with a friend (Kappi), then one person will catch Hetja and the other will open the gates to release the Minions. During the hubbub, we will drive Hetja away before anyone notices.
Sóley will have her sister, Lilja, and a whole new pile of friends while Hetja will have her freedom!
