‘Bert has been home for just over a year now.  Happy days. I hated it when he left to live in the scattald with the hill sheep – he left because he fought with little ‘Ster when he arrived.

‘Bert was my second sheep and he found us when I advertised locally looking for another caddie (bottle-fed) lamb to keep Lambie company.

They were instantly best friends.

‘Bert has a little monkey smile – his nickname is ‘Monkey’.

Perhaps not the most forthcoming of the sheeples, but ‘Bert and I have special times together.

He likes to sit on things.  Height is important.

‘Bert’s fleece is moorit (brown) in colour and this year’s was a Grade II in quality.  I gave it to friends who live in Shetland to say thank you for taking me to see the otters in the summer and today, they popped over with this……

A bit of ‘Bert for me to wear!  It has been beautifully spun into yarn, some was dyed and then woven into this lovely scarf.  I am thrilled and most impressed.  I really am.  Look how wonderfully ‘Bert has has been transformed into something so useful and essential.  The wool is soft and warm.  The colours are amazing and varied.  I never noticed that when ‘Bert was wearing his wool.  Apparently there is lots of grey in there.   ‘Bert is beautiful and my friends are very talented.  Thank you very much.  As I type, I am wearing my scarf.

The photos do not do the scarf and the stunning colours justice.

I have really enjoyed writing the blog today – seeing the little boys together when they were little lambs playing makes me smile!  My scarf makes me warm and I have a happy comfy feeling knowing my little monkey is close.

It has Rained – with a capital R.  The fields are totally waterlogged.

The sheeple have taken refuge in the “old goat shed” – an old knackered shed that has refused to blow down despite looking like it is about to go for many years.

Anywho, the sheep and hens love this shed – and there is straw down on a peat floor, a feed bucket plus silage in there, (but no wifi – sorry Lambie!)

The boys came out to say hello and then quickly went back in again.  I don’t blame them.  I don’t want to be out in this rain but we have to.  Chores to be done.

Daisy and I went over to Leradale, distributed carrots and fed Delia.

Their field is not much better though it is dry on the hilly side bits.

You can see just how miserable it all is and we are!

After feeding Delia, I put a headcollar on her and we moved everyone safely to the other side of the flooding and fast-running burn (stream).  They all managed to jump over and we showed them (again) the better grass.

As we were already soaking, it made sense to keep going, so we got Taktur and Efstur in for their buckets of food.

Efstur has moved on to Delia’s bigger and thicker rug.  It fits him perfectly.  Delia never liked it much.  She couldn’t move in it and today she happily jumped that flooded burn like a youthful stag.

Efstur is evidently a bucket-player.

I am sorry for the quality of the photos but there is no way I am taking any halfway decent camera out in this.

Anyone remember summer?

Nothing is ever written in stone.

I spend many hours thinking about what is best for my animals’ welfare and worry about them being too thin or too fat but rarely just right!

I tend to think aloud and discuss my plans with Daisy.  Her horse knowledge is good and science-based so she is the perfect person to bounce ideas off.

Yesterday, I looked carefully at the Shetlands at Leradale to see if they were surviving this winter without extra food.  They tend to stay in one spot of their huge field – fer cryin’ out loud.

I will admit that, as well as being worried about Delia (I am always worrying about Delia), Tiddles was on my list too – if I poked I could feel his spine.

Daisy had a prod and agreed but she could also feel a good fat layer.

So I stopped worrying about Tiddles.

He is fine.

I love these two photos!

So we decided that, as the ponies are not moving much around this field, we will take a headcollar and herd them all up to the grass so they get used to looking for food rather than staying in the same place.

I think it is partially the lure of their neighbours.

So I led Delia and Daisy moved the stragglers on to keep up.

You can see there is plenty of grass – they just have to cross a small stream to find it.

It is not difficult.

So we will do this for a week and see if this helps Delia maintain her weight (as well as hard feed).  Failing that, we will put Plan B into action – ie move Delia and if the others want to stand and starve, well, they will have to do that by themselves.

That will be their choice.

The weather – it comes, it goes and it looms.

After coming back from Leradale, having fed Delia, I was followed out to the fields around the house.  I am followed a lot these days!

Daisy and I have been thinking these past few days about putting a rug on Efstur, who is going through his leggy fugly yearling stage.  We are now feeding the stallions – Taktur and Efstur – who burn up more energy than geldings.

In our rug library, we only have Icelandic or Shetland sized.  Nothing in between.

So we squished Efstur into Delia’s rainsheet.

Taktur already has a lovely set of rugs.

I am not a huge fan of rugging but I think it might help Efstur keep the weight on.

I am well aware that the rug is perhaps not a perfect fit.

But there is method in my madness.  Oh yes.  I have clocked all the previous owner’s rips and and tears.  If I find this rug in ribbons tomorrow, I will know that it will be a false economy to buy Efstur a proper Big-Boy rug.  They are not cheap.  I also need to measure him properly too.

Some are known to be rug-rippers.

Not wanting to mention any names here but there are some that point and laugh.

Meanwhile, when I got back indoors, I was greeted with this lovely scene from my window.  Lambie in the silage trough.  Apparently he turned round in it and fell out when it rocked!

Delia was patiently waiting for us.

While I fed her, Flossie went and gave the Icelandics their carrot share.   Dreki has learned about carrots now and happily eats them like he is doing you a favour.

The others know not to bother Delia so they bother me instead!

I don’t mind being hassled.

I did a quick count and couldn’t see Storm so I shouted.

Of course he turned up!

And demanded.  Someone is obviously enjoying the lick bucket!

Once Delia had finished, Floss and I moved the herd over to the other side where the long green grass is.

I don’t know why they don’t go over there.  Most of them were very happy to follow me and Delia.

Once we were the other side, I loosed Delia who rushed off to the top without a rest.

She is doing very well.

I looked back and realised two Minions were missing. That would be Storm and Silver who had stayed behind to lick out Delia’s bucket.  Flossie was behind them trying to chivvy them onwards.

Storm got the plot but Silver wouldn’t jump the stream.

So I went back, put Silver on a headcollar and led him the safe way.  He galloped off to join the others.

I don’t understand why they want to mooch around where there is little grass when they have a field full if they just go and look.