Last year, I kept Lambie’s fleece for a number of reasons – I didn’t want to part with it, no one had asked for it, and my friend, Karen, had offered to show me how to wash it so I could perhaps use it for my felting.  Imagine a whole little flock of real Lambie’s!  How divine would that be.

We decamped to the stable and pooled our equipment.  Karen had a very nifty little boiler (very jealous) and I had my single electric ring and my “head-boiling” pot.

Karen spread the fleece out on the hay bales, looked at it and showed me which bits were worth washing and, more importantly, why.

Because Lambie is a flekkit sheep (black and white), his coat is of varying quality according to the colour. He is also double-coated, which is not a Good Thing.

This is the lovely wool from around his neck.

He has a nice little curl too.

And the terrible “carpet quality” hair which is very tough and might be good for something.  Pony’s manes…..?

Karen pointed out the lanolin bits and sorted what to keep and what to chuck.

We divided the fleece into workable pieces.

Three buckets at the ready with cold water in the bottom.

Very hot water added to the cold and 5 elephants of Fairy Liquid (count up to 5 elephants as you squeeze the bottle).  Then swirl but don’t make bubbles to mix it all in.

Next gently dunk the piece of fleece.

And wait for 15-20 minutes watching the water turn a lovely shade of brown/grey.

(Her Maj in attendance – always there)

Then, gently squeezing, lift out the fleece and put it into the next bucket of slightly cooler clean water.  You don’t wait long.

And then quickly into the third bucket of again slightly less hot clean water, not agitating the wool, but letting it rinse and soak by itself.

Then gently squeeze out some of the drips, picking out any visible detritus still remaining like hay wisps.

We hung ours on a drying rack.

We did this process again and again with each piece of fleece until we had washed most of it. There is a bit left for me to do later.

Covered with towels to prevent Mr and Mrs Wren from participating.

I brought in the first two pieces that had finished dripping to lie them on a towel on the warm Rayburn.

Lambie, for once, was clean, smelled nice and would be useful!

And yes, he came in to supervise.

So that’s what I did this morning.  When the wool is dry, I will learn how to “open up the fibres”.  I am enjoying this very much.  So interesting.

Another trip to The Big L (or Lerwick as it is known).  Lots to do but at one stage I found myself having to wait in the van for a while.  I had parked on the top of the hill (Hillhead).  Not somewhere I normally am and I thought “why not get out, go for a walk and photograph some of the sights I don’t usually see”.

Lerwick means “bay of clay” but, as well as houses and shops on the shoreline, there is also a big hill behind where most of the residential houses were built.

So here is our local library situated in St. Ringan’s Church which was sold to the Council for a £1 in the 1980’s and rennovated for use in 2002. It is a superb library and we don’t have library fines – they were abolished!

The town hall was built in 1884 and is home to the town council meetings and various do’s.

They have particularly good lanterns that stand either side of the front door.

Across the road is the War Memorial erected to commemorate the residents of Shetland who were killed or missing in World War I and World War II.

A little further down are the County Buildings where the Procurator Fiscal presides over the Sheriff Court.

And this is my most favourite building in Lerwick – The Garrison Theatre – a tiny community theatre that is like something out of the Muppets complete with red plush fold-up chairs in rows.  Sadly no box for Statler and Waldorf but even so it is always a treat to go and see any show here.

There are various lanes that lead down between the houses to the main street.

It was a good wander. I even met a friend, sadly not Tommy, but a chattie cattie, nonetheless.

So, in my opinion and many other folk, we think Hetja is pregnant.

These opinions sometimes have percentages of chance attached to them.  For instance, one person thinks Hetja is 80% pregnant.  Last week, I would’ve agreed.  A few days ago, I was beginning to get my head around the fact that we would probably only see one foal this year.  But this week Hetja’s entire body shape changed.  My photos really don’t capture her pregnancy belly but really it has all dropped a bit and she is much much wider.

And now I look at these pictures I took today and think Hetja looks very unpregnant again.  Maybe it is just the camera angle.

Floss thinks Hetja is one of those women who wore their size 8 jeans all through pregnancy, possibly never knowing only to have a slight stomach ache in Tesco’s and then giving birth in the loos to a perfectly normal sized baby.

It is also difficult because Brá is most definitely pregnant at us.

There is no trying to hide her foal.  Hopefully it won’t be too long now.  Brá is beginning to change shape too. Her bottom has gone sort of saggy-pointy.

And we all know who is to blame for all of this.  Mostly because Taktur never stops shouting to the mares who do their best to ignore him.

Time will tell.

I try to keep up with modern trends.  Taking “selfies” and such. I am bang on-trend (*** shudders ***)

So I sat in the Minion field and reversed the camera on my phone for my Selfies.

Newt did his very best to help.  I love that little chap.  27″ of darling boy.

At one stage he just shoved his nose in my collar and stayed there.  There is something very special and wonderful about a warm Shetland pony nose.

We were content.

Tiddles also took his job very seriously.

Dear darling Tiddles. A very special boy. I told him.

He is the best kisser on the Westside – a well-known Shetland fact. I have always said this.

‘Scuse all my chins. I only share these photos because I know (or hope) you understand we are not all Kardashians.

I ❤️ my boys.

They bring my world immense joy.

Meanwhile, Flossie had her own problems or fan club, depending on your perspective.

Note that to fully partake of the Minion Experience you have to be covered in loose fur!

Life is good.  Very good.  Everyone else is missing out.

Yesterday was Norwegian Constitution Day.

We were invited over to Bergli Stud to celebrate this important day in Norway’s year by sitting outside in the evening sunshine with a few bottles of champagne.

It was a beautiful evening and one I will never forget.  Utter heaven.

You can see just how lovely it was.  Mares and foals everywhere.

I will let the photos do the talking.  Words don’t seem quite enough.

(the old water mill)

We could get very used to this.

This is my heaven.

I hope you enjoyed the pics as much as I enjoyed taking them.
So happy Norwegian Constitution Day – I think this should become an annual event in my calendar too. ❤️