A mercy dash to Lerwick this morning – there was a single sad little sheep on his own in the field.  So I came to his aid and brought him five more to keep him company.  So that is nine sheep sold in 3 days.  Brilliant but I can’t keep up!

I was told that there are four cruise ships in tomorrow.  Everyone will be very busy then.

Meanwhile, back at home, it is all systems go.  Hetja may foal tonight.  These were this afternoon’s bewbs.

So foal watch starts tonight.

We will stay up all night, watching and waiting.  The van has been put in position. It makes an excellent place to live with full view of the almost the whole field.

Please cross everything for a smooth and healthy foaling.

We know Hetja can do it (we have evidence – Hjalti and Lilja) but we also know it can all go horribly wrong.

So prayers, thoughts, incantations and invocations please.  Whatever it takes.

A beautiful sunny Shetland afternoon so Floss and I made the most of it by visiting the Minions but today we were on a mission – we took wormer.

We successfully wormed everyone this time with nuclear wormer.  I am also learning the art of rasping hooves so wanted to start.  I reckon it is a useful skill to have and if I can do it without knackering my back, then all the better. With Floss on the helm (holding the headcollar), I successfully negotiated terms with Vitamin (a darling), Albie (getting better at it) and Silver (got his bottom smacked and then behaved nicely).  I tell myself and the ponies that it is not rocket science and if I can keep on top of their feet, so to speak, then I won’t have to rely on anyone else to do it.

Rasping hooves does, however, kill my back and that is just doing the ones who behave! I haven’t tackled Newt yet.  I will allocate a separate day for just him and his little ways!

The Minions’ reward for cooperating was time spent with us sitting on my coat hugging anyone who wanted.

No one held a grudge, so that was good!  I intend to succeed in this.

Anyway, to stretch out my back when I got home, I went for a dog walk with the chaps and got some odd looks from passers by.  I always love seeing folk do a double take as they drive past seeing me stand by the side of the road with three sheep with BeAnne on the lead (for the road bit).  It makes me laugh!

This is the face of a sheep who asked not once, but twice today on two separate occasions, if he could go outside to pee.  I ❤️ this sheep. What a clever Lambie.

(studiously peeing like the professional he is)

The basics of housetraining have always been there, but sometimes Lambie does make mistakes and there have been quite a few recently.

But, hey, that’s what carpet cleaner is for, I tell myself.

Today, after introducing a coachload of visitors (seriously, a whole mahousive coachload) to the Minions, it started to rain so I decided to spend the afternoon in my shed doing my animation homework.

(Replacement Animation)

When Lambie hears me go into my shed, he pops his head out of his (two doors down) asking if he can join me and then gallops over, past the other two who always look a bit bewildered.

I have ordered Lambie a warm waterproof rug to wear as the summer is not making any appearance and he is still struggling.  I hope it arrives soon. Meanwhile, he has TurmerAid twice a day.  I am also looking at buying him a copper bracelet with magnets in which he could wear on his hoof.  A dog’s collar would have no effect when his wool starts growing back so I think a bracelet would be best.  I just need to find a child sized one as he has narrow legs.

As I type, Lambie is standing beside me, chewing his cud listening to Beethoven.

Others are indoors…… resting busily.

I have been making sheep madly ever since I received a phone call on Friday saying Jamieson’s Shop in Lerwick had run out.  I make one sheep per evening but went into overdrive and managed two thus making a total flock of ten to herd in today.  These days demand is exceeding supply.  I expect once the tourist season dwindles then I can stockpile.

In my flock were two Lambies who I adore.  Working with his wool was an odd experience especially as he was mostly standing beside me sulking.

I also included three curly-wurlies made with the Wensleydale locks.

Anyway, my sheep are proving very popular and that is amazing. Each one is individual and I don’t like to think of them being churned out.  More made with love.

On my travels I spotted a beautiful boat moored along The Esplanade so I had to go over and have a look.  She is the “Storeggen av Ålesund” – a replica boat from Stiftinga Sunnmøre Museum, Ålesund, Norway.  I hope she sailed over in all her full glory.  She certainly stood out from the other boats.

I would’ve loved to go aboard but no one was around.  She took my breath away.

A few more messages like buying more combed tops from the Shetland Wool Brokers and then home.

A quick check and chat with Hetja who is now beginning to look ginormous.

And just because I can – many photos of the orchids that grow wild in the fields this time of year.

I have spent my day driving up and down the road to see the Minions.  It is 15 minutes each way. I’ve counted!

First was to introduce some visitors.  The ponies were on their best behaviour and enjoying the selfies so all was good.

And then second was for a visit from the farrier, which went suprisingly smoothly.  Even Newt was nice and almost co-operative and he can be a four man job when the notion takes him.  Today, luckily the notion did not and the farrier even commented that Newt was slightly better behaved.  So that’s a huge relief – all Shetland pony feet are now trimmed.

On my travels, now running out of petrol, I stopped to see a lovely lapwing chick.  They are very well camouflaged.  I have never seen one before.  In Shetland dialect, a lapwing is known as “Tieve’s Nacket” – I didn’t know this and have actually never heard anyone using it but I found a couple of sources online so I am being educated today as well.

One guard-parent was close by too.

No news on the foal front.  Hetja is showing far more now and changing shape. She rests a lot.  I am getting a little bored of the wait and I think she is too.