The weather has been a bit all or nothing today.  Sometimes it looks like Armageddon and of course we got caught in that vile shower of hail when we drove over to visit the Minions and pregnant ladies.

I am currently going through the traditional phase of wondering whether Hetja is actually pregnant.  I did this when she was about to give birth to Hjalti aand I guess the only way we will find out is if there is an extra horse in the field in a couple of months’ time!

When I asked Daisy for her expert opinion, she replied “well, if she isn’t, she is going on the mother of all diets!”  She pretty well summed up the situation.

And Brá, without a shadow of doubt, is giving birth to a heffalump.  She is professionally pregnant at me.

There is not doubt we will hear the patter of tiny hooves with her.

Meanwhile, I have spent the rest of the day redesigning this website/blog/thingy.

You may notice there are two extra pages on the top line.

Firstly, there is the Minion Story – A page devoted to how I came upon my Minions – a brief résumé, if you will, of how they ended up with me.

Secondly, a page for my new felted creations which I have called Heart❤️Felt (I love the name and thank you to the person who thought of it – truly inspired).

So, there you go.  Please read everything and inwardly digest – there will be a test later.

The wind has been blowing non-stop since last night.  It is a tad feisty out and, before I went out with my big camera to take photos of the waves at our nearby beach, I found Lambie resting in the lee of the big shed.

He has a lovely bottom.

And a pretty good front end too!

This is his “filmstar” face.  He could be the new James Bond (caveat:  I may have had gin).

I took this photo of my archnemesis, our cockeral, who regularly attacks me. He is horrid, devious, ferocious and on Death Row.  However, these days I am usually armed with an old badminton racket and not afraid to use it.  Anyway, he was looking particularly derpy from the wind floofing up his feathers.  He knew I had taken this photo.  You can tell by the look in his eye.

Out and about now and Lilja was looking lovely, if windswept.

She had read in Cosmo Girl that mud is good for your complexion.

She is a professional teenager at the moment which can be very hard work.

Onwards to Dale Beach which has the best waves in a west south-west gale.

It was fairly impressive.  I took photos while the wind was blowing the waves up the cliffs and the car rocked.

Haakon and Iacs were outside for the afternoon just around the house, grazing.

This is the best sight from my desk window ever.  Haakon eating grass, walking well and looking good, complete with his fabulous hock boots – I am convinced they make a huge difference to his stiffness and general well-being.

(my windows are filthy after the gale – don’t judge me!)

My Shetland sheeples – always smiling at Muzzah.

Somebody(s) wanted to come into my shed.

Yes, you guessed it. I let Lambie in.

He didn’t stay long but, after a quick nosey, he went back outside to join his friends, eat the wood around the door and spend a few hours butting it!

Meanwhile BeAnne and I (I was needle-felting a puffin) sat inside feeling like we were under attack and about to be invaded.  Lambie likes to make his point.

Today again, I was in my shed and this was my view (tentatively a happy *** sigh ***). 

Lambie was waiting by the door.  I can see this becoming a habit.

I said “do you want to come in?” and he didn’t need asking twice.

Straight in for another look around.

He found BeAnne in her bed and that reminds me to get the bigger dog bed out for Lambie in case he wants to stay.

A quick look out of the window.

I know others don’t want a certain Lambie to come into my shed but he is my sheep and this is my shed and I don’t mind (until he pees and then I mind very much).  After his mosey around, Lambie didn’t want to settle, so I told him to rejoin his friends outside.

Come summer, I reckon this will be Lambie’s second bedroom.

I am working hard on my felted creations (I need a better name for them).  The first batch was posted today and I am really enjoying making them.  I find this craft very rewarding. I love working away in my little studio and I think I am actually getting better at it too – this rotund little robin flew my nest to go to his new home south and I like him very much.

This afternoon, Daisy and I went to work at Transition Turriefield – an independent social enterprise growing fruit and vegetables for the Shetland community.

We work as volunteers and we weigh, pack and label vegetables for their very successful veg box scheme and distribution to local shops.

When we returned home, I made the executive decision to let Haakon out for a little while to enjoy the last of the evening Spring sunshine.  This is the first time he has been out since his abscesses burst.  The vet popped by yesterday and examined Haakon.  He agreed that perhaps it was not laminitis, which is a huge relief.  I think if Haakon reacts to eating this grass, it will confirm that he has laminitis. He has been on a low/no sugar diet for the last few weeks.

I could see Haakon was happy (and ready) to go outside for a little while.  He is wearing Back on Track hock boots for his stiff hocks that were sent post-haste by a friend from America.   These therapeutic boots are designed to stimulate blood flow and thus improve circulation which promotes healing and relieves joint tension.  Well that’s what their website says.  If it helps Haakon, then I am forever grateful.

This is Iacs, who is happy wherever you put him.

So normality is returning, I think. No, I pray.

For the first time this morning, Haakon barged out of his stable to eat his breakfast.  Usually he either stands or lies there while we work around him.

I think, having spent the night with these two, albeit in separate stables, he had had enough.

These two, aka Silver and Waffle, had successfully trashed their stable – two water buckets flung around and trampled on.  They then looked around to see what else they could get and chewed on some boxes kept in storage.  No one in the whole history of the stable has ever done this.  Little fiends.

I had a quick feel of Haakon’s hooves and they were all cool for the first time since we started on this journey. Even so, Haakon had his usual daily hoof soak, because we are by no means out of the woods, and he ate the last of his breakfast.

So we evicted Silver and Waffle as Waffle had showne absolutely no signs of illness the minute he came home.  I know, I know I said I would keep him for a few days but I honestly don’t think Haakon, or my stable, could take much more.

Storm was thrilled to see his old sparring partners back and was the first to come cantering up.

Even Lilja was pleased to see her “stallion” home.  Waffle lies through his teeth on that score but Lilja is too young and believes his every word and chat-up line.

Meanwhile, back at home, Haakon let out an audible huge sigh of relief as Iacs was brought in to keep him company.

He then went back to his bossy ways by demanding first dibs of everything.