After my spinal steroid injections, I have been on bedrest for 24 hours so they can work on the localised spot so obviously not out and about with a camera.

When a friend offered me her photos of the Viking Show last week, I didn’t say no plus they are very good.

So, here they are……

Dimma trying to get Floss’ burger – not a chance, though full marks for trying.

The judges’ conflab.

All that hard work. Exhausting.

(Me.  Diet. Now)

The winner.

(And again, oh God, that is me – tomorrow The Diet to end all Diets!)

Congratulations!

Thank you, Jean Sinclair, – you have done good, filled a gap and seen my life from a different angle.

And here are some spare ones from me.

(practising)

(waiting)

(winning)

Enthusiastic little person determined to feed everyone.

Right, tomorrow I am properly off my bed rest and I will go back to my duties.

I have decided that I am not going to ride for a while.  I want the steroid epidural to do its bit – the side effects are hot flushes which are vile. I may have to live outside for a while, in Lambie’s shed (wifi and radio).

Funnily enough, Daisy and I were driving home from doing the veg packing at Transition Turriefield, when we thought we recognised two sheeps on the road – Rammie and ‘Ster.  So we called them home and they happily trotted behind the van.

Then when we discovered that Lambie and ”Bert were not home either so we set off again in the car and found them further up the road.  I got out and Daisy drove the car home, while I walked back with two errant sheeps in tow.

(at the moment, my life consists of ridiculous sheeples)

Yesterday, while the weather was vile, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t seen the Boyzenberries recently.

So donning my full wet weather gear, I went out, opened the big gate and shouted.  Two bedraggled and shivering sheep arrived (Lambie and ‘Ster) closely followed by a huge Shetland hill ram.

So, I put down food, opened up Lambie’s best bedroom which has been resting and distributed  a bale of straw down in the shed (wifi and radio).

I left them to it, slightly worrying that ‘Bert hadn’t appeared but he is a free spirit.

When the rain stopped, I found ‘Bert hanging about waiting to come home. I let him in.

No one seemed to mind “Rammie”, even though he is seriously stinking.  He first appeared a few months back when Fivla and Vitamin lived in their hill park.  He moved in with them and followed them everywhere.

I did approach him with a carrot but he duly rammed me in the leg.  Ouch.  There were words.

But the other don’t mind Rammie and he is horribly lame.

I hate turning my back on ill sheep because they usually die at me outside the gate and I have to live with the guilt that I did nothing.

So this time I have done something.

Floss went out with the statutory Rich Tea biccies for the lads.

Best sheep food ever!

Rammie was interested.  He is quite greedy.

So Floss threw one over and he instantly was hooked.

I tell you Rich Tea biscuits are the way into anyone’s heart.

This morning, after breakfast, I opened the big gate and everyone went out into the hill.  I then went to hospital for my spinal epidural injections under severe sedation.

According to my anaesthetist and the theatre staff, while I under sedation, I am the woman who talks about “my sheep, my ponies and my daughters”!

What is said in Theatres. Stays in theatres! (please)

When I got home from hospital, all four were back home!

Rammie can always leave us. He has not been sheep-napped and if anyone wants to lay claim to him, feel free.

There was so much rain last night and this morning that the fields flooded.  A rare sight for summer.

(the view from the front door)

It even went up as far as the rickety bridge (which has been doomed for some years now).

Everyone was fine.  Happily eating.  So we were not especially worried.

(the view from the back door)

After the Shetland “monsoon”, the sun made the effort and shone.

We went out to check on everyone – to see they had not melted or washed away.

And to give them carrots and hugs.

(Daisy, en passant, has just remarked they look like a mare and foal – not Klængur and Newt , ie one Icelandic gelding and one miniature Shetland pony gelding!)

It was amazing just how quickly everyone had dried out.  You wouldn’t have known it had been raining since yesterday afternoon.

Flossie had, in her pocket, a carrot for everyone.

So that would be thirteen carrots she was carrying.

Poor little Newt struggled with his full-sized carrot.

It is almost too big for him and he was not sure how to attack it.

Obviously, help was on hoof, in the form of Tiddles.

But Newt was having none of it.

That carrot was his and his alone.  It was not his fault that Tiddles’ carrot was long gone.

Floss dutifully went round dishing out her supplies.

Even far into the hill to Iacs, and beyond, where Haakon was.

No one had washed away and the grass will now keep on growing as it has been watered.

Ok, I have had twelve hours sleep and I can do coherent sentences, on a good day.

I also processed the photos of the agricultural side of the Walls Show.

So here goes…..

There were various tents and sheds with lots to do and see.

You could learn to milk a cow.

Floss bought us two slices of delicious homemade coffee cake for a birthday treat – happy days.

An excellent coconut shy.  It was, well, exactly what it was!

Inspired fruit and veg.

Boxes of fleece – because, after all, Shetland is all about the sheep as well as its Shetland ponies.

Cows.

Goats.

And pets.

There was fruit and veg that put mine to shame (not difficult).

Yes, you can win a shield for the best five potatos on a plate.

Anyone who can grow grapes in Shetland deserves serious bling.

The usual boys-toys.

In the kirk, were the flower displays.

(A brilliant garden complete with trampoline, washing line, sun lounger and paddling pool).

A wonderful chicken arrangement

You can see the hard work and huge effort put into every display.

This proves it is not about size – just about getting it right.

The Walls Show has a Show Princess and her Attendants (and yes, they are wearing silver wellies and I am very jealous).

They were driven around the Show Ground accompanied by an Up Helly-Aa squad (not sure which one this was).

Back inside for the Home Baking Section.

This is the most amazing cake ever!

Also, in this shed, there was the knitting.

Plus crafts.

I hope you are get a feeling of the Show Day.  It was, as usual, wonderful and good fun.

There were also some beautiful old cars on display.

It was raining so while we got wetter and wetter, some remained happy and dry!

A great day.

I am dead in a heap.

07:30 start.  Floss and I worked hard – she did the preparing. I did the numbers.  Others did the leading and handling.  We all worked as a team having got it down to a fine art now (our third show).

Home now.  Gin in one hand, supper in the other.  These are the best of the photos.  More later. Everyone did well.  Bergli Stud won Reserve Overall Champion of the whole show. So not a bad result everything considered.

Everyone was very friendly. I had some lovely chats with folk I haven’t seen for an age. All good.

So now shower, then bed.  Tomorrow I will get out of bed to hug Minions only with occasional Lambie chats.   Apparently he fell in a hole in the hill and is sporting an earthy look with a huge sulk.  Go Lambie!  His therapy is the Rich Tea biscuit tin – and yes, he is milking it for every biscuit.

Also tomorrow, I might actually manage coherent sentences apart from “hold” (to complete strangers to look after whatever I needed held, while I tie on a number in brisk wind) and “is that pony clean?” to the next handler (I may have been a tad bossy but it is Show Day so all is forgiven).

God, I am tired.  That is me for another year.  Wake me when you need me.  I am now Closed for Business.