This morning I moved Vitamin to Fat Camp.

Six acres of this!

Vitamin will have a fat friend (not this mare but a fat gelding) who is of similar proportions.

I have the made the right decision and although she is leaving her dear friend Delia, we will have hopefully averted any potential laminitis attacks.

Vitamin may not be very impressed with my decision but she will thank me for it later when she doesn’t get laminitis and has a svelte new figure instead.  Just one attack of laminitis can affect the rest of their lives.

Anyway, Vitamin has a nice view to look at!

Raw Deal, on the other hoof, was very upset when Vitamin left.  She shouted continuously for her old friend and BeAnne howled to keep her company.   Together they sounded pathetic and I felt cruel, mean and awful.  I talked to Bjørn at Bergli Stud, and he offered to take Delia and her with his standard Shetland pony mares.

I took Delia over and she instantly perked up.  She told everyone what she thought of them and became head of the herd so now has 5 other mares to rule.  When they have finished the bale of silage in their field, then she and a friend will come back to mine.

Today, I took OH into hospital (GBH – best name ever! – Gilbert Bain Hospital) for his cholecystectomy – or gall bladder removal.

On my way home, I saw the most recent lambies that have been born.  Because the weather is very changeable (snow, rain, sleet, sun, whatever …..) I saw that a crofter had dressed his precious little lambies in wonderful mackintoshes.  I am sure it makes all the difference between life and death.

Today, this year’s colour is yellow.

Last year it was orange.  It is good to see that these little lambies have protection from the elements.  Hypothermia is a major killer of newborns.

So, I am on my way home from GBH (still sniggering to myself) and I saw a heron or hegri (Shetland dialect).  Wonderful birds that always look so special and dignified.

Once I got home, guess who I saw hanging around the gate?  Lambert.  My dear little ‘Bert.

I called to him but he has 100% disowned us.  Funny that he is spends time hanging around the gate to Thordale.  His choice and I would have him back in a heartbeat but he has to want to come home.

At the moment, in ‘Bert’s world, we do not exist but I am glad he is happy and has made it through the crap winter.  I think he has discovered girls (he is castrated).

From my kitchen window, Brá is eating the new grass in the sheep field.

Everyday, Brá asks to come out of the big field.  She wants to be by herself and that is fine.  She gets some “Mare and Youngstock” mix, a section of haylage and I throw the odd carrot at her as well.

I make sure we have a chat and that is good as we are building on her trust relationship with me.

Such a nice mare – any day now. (still not panicking – ok, still panicking)

OH is home – all well.  Thank the Gods.

This is  Julian and I am sorry to say there is no Sandy! (for those of us of a certain age – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_and_Sandy)

Julian is a darling standard black colt born last week to Bergli Stud.  He loves his mother, Moana of Urgarth, but he loves everyone else as well.  His Sire is Jubilant av Bergli, perhaps one of the nicest stallions I have ever met.

From the minute Julian’s hooves felt the ground,  he was determined to talk to everyone.

He trots up and wants to make friends.

I think his mother has given up trying to keep him close to her.

Julian has the making of a great children’s family pony.  He is happy, calm, loving and very, very special.

Everybody ❤ Julian.

I wonder if anyone would notice if Julian came home with me!  I could just pop him in a pocket and say nothing.

💝  💘 ❤️ 💕 💗 💖 ❣ ️💝  💘 ❤️ 💕 💗 💖 ❣ 💝  💘 ❤️ 💕 💗 💖

I gave myself an easy day today.  My back is annoyingly refusing to play ball so I just pottered about doing stuff.

It is lambing this time of year so I don’t let the dogs onto the scattald.

Instead, I decided we would walk the boundary of Thordale – all 40 acres.

We had a few stop-offs for refreshment.

I don’t mind, as I can admire the view, appreciate the new primroses and generally try to decide whether the grass is growing or if it is my imagination.

In the old tattie rig, I found daffodils that had survived the most recent gales.  I was just about to take a better photo…..

…. when there was an invasion.  They know. I am sure they know.

We crossed into the horses’ park where everyone had arrived to come and say hello.

Brá is looking and feeling very pregnant.  Her foal may be due on between May 2, 2016 and May 17, 2016.

Not panicking, not panicking, not panicking – ok, panicking.

She trusts me enough now to let me feel for an udder – there is none so far.

After the walk, I found a sunny windless spot and sat down with ‘Ster and Lambie.  Lambie was unusually unsettled – fretting, wandering around and obviously looking for someone.

After ten minutes of this, I got up and went to find BeAnne who had managed to shut herself in the house.   She immediately followed me outside and Lambie instantly settled.

Most odd.

Yesterday was Lambie’s official birthday.

He came into the world on a Sunday night covered in green scour from his mother, along with his twin sister, who died the next day.

After that, Lambie came to live with me.  Firstly in the oven to warm up and then to mostly sit by the Rayburn or on my shoulder, being massaged.  He had constant trips to the vet for a nasty case of joint-ill and eye problems.  Many shook their heads and told me he was just a sheep but to me he was, and always will be, my precious Lambie – one of the family.

BeAnne did her best too, though I think she mostly loved the Rayburn more than the little squirt who seemed to have priority over her.

They did share (grudgingly on BeAnne’s part).

In the evenings Lambie would sit on my shoulder while I lay on the sofa (I can’t sit) and I would pick out the scour from his head using coconut oil.

When folk comment on Lambie’s beautiful fleece, I always attribute it to the coconut oil massages!

Even as Lambie got older, he still loved to lie on me and go to sleep.

Eventually there came the time when Lambie was too big for the house.  My OH was having a major sense of humour failure about Lambie’s “little ways” – he likes to chew on cables, especially Apple computer ones!

So Lambie had to move out.

Lambie now lives with his bestest friend (hopefully forever), ‘Ster.  They get on well and play endlessly.

Lambie will always be my precious woolly lamb.  He follows me everywhere and his dream day is if I am working outside so he and ‘Ster can “help”.

We still go to sleep together on occasions but nowadays it is the other way around – Lambie is my pillow.

So, happy birthday to my darling little boy.  There were times I honestly didn’t think we would see this day.

(and yes, he did get a present – his favourite food ever – a bag of Spillers Meadow Herb Horse Treats.)