Everyone is happy and well in their respective fields.  Hetja, Hjalti, Waffle and Silver are one happy family.  Hetja will even suffer Minions eating out of her bowl.  She bosses them all around and they all stand where they are put.  She definitely has The Look that all mothers have.  It needs no words – we all know what it means.

The Big Boys are happy together.

Silver and Storm left them this morning and have moved in with the Ladies, Vitamin and Delia.  They didn’t need asking twice and trotted enthusiastically into their field after breakfast.

Vitamin was poking her head out of the shed door.

Vitamin:  I don’t think there’s room in here, Storm dear.
Storm:  Au contraire (giving a hefty shove)
Tiddles:  Room for a little one – make way (clambering in through everyone’s legs!)
Delia:  Hello, dearies.

So now the shed fits four and there is no arguing or anything really.

It is snug but they all want to be together.  Delia and Vitamin seem far less fed up now, even venturing out with the boys to have some grass and fresh air.  Storm and Tids are enjoying being the men of the house!

Lambie has discovered a new love – carrots!

I have to hold them for him like a lollipop so he can crunch his way through.  Put it on the floor and he immediately loses interest so I stand outside, for what feels like hours in the freezing cold, feeding carrots to Lambie (and Lambert).  Lambster is not sure about this new development but has learned to run almost properly and to give nose kisseys (luffley).  He is nearly a normal sheep.

I went out for a little drive just to see what the wave situation was – good with lovely colours.  Enjoy my drive. I sat in the car with the heater on full blast, taking photos out of the window!

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It is a tad feisty out.

I wanted to muck out Les Grandes Dames’ boudoir so I put them in the stable and where Storm and Tiddles were hiding.  Sadly, Storm does not live up to his name and detests bad weather and Tiddles was feeling rather hard done by on the food front so had come in too.

The boys were intrigued by the lovely ladies and asked to be introduced so I opened the gate between them.  They have never met ladies properly – only gazed from a distance, which is not the same thing at all.

The Ladies were totally underwhelmed by these two little squirts but also very slightly intrigued.  They had probably never met anything so small with an opinion.

They didn’t know whether to mother them or to f….. feel sorry for them!

Vitamin was in a bit of a Mrs Robinson mood, which was very funny to watch and, yes, Storm suddenly had a look of Dustin Hoffman about him.

It was all a bit like The Graduate.  “Mrs Robinson” gave him her best come-hither look.

You could see Storm trying to work out what was expected.

Luckily nothing!  Basic logistics were against Storm.  I wish the Boudoir was a bit bigger as they could all live there together but two Grandes Dames plus Storm and Tiddles equals a bit of a squish and I don’t want anyone standing outside feeling miserable.

When the weather improves, or on good days, I will put the little Minions out with the Ladies for the day and they can show them their big field, or their etchings or whatever it is miniature Shetland pony Lotharios do.

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MyShetland has been nominated for Haynet’s 2015 Equestrian Blogger of the Year.  There are 12 nominations and I am one of them!  Yay. Get me!

If you follow this link, you can vote for MyShetland Blog –

http://www.hay-net.co.uk/haynet-news/8898/haynet-equestrian-blogger-of-the-year-2015—vote-now

If you want that is.  Please there really is no pressure. I  will just sob into my coffee if I lose again.   No, really, no pressure, or guilt and don’t worry if The Minions are sobbing too and is that Lambie I hear crying his eyes out?  No pressure, like I said.  Remember The MyShetland Advent Calendar?  Well, that will be all binned.  Yes, you heard, the whole lot in the bin or fed to the dog.

Anywho, that is the offishul bit over.

The weather is not brilliant – today was no exception.  I have been working into the wee small hours to create The Mugs to End All Mugs

The Perfect Lambie Mug by Boysenberries

Lambie Mug by Boysenberries

Lambie Mug by Boysenberries

Lambie Basic White Mug by Boysenberries

And please don’t forget

http://www.hay-net.co.uk/haynet-news/8898/haynet-equestrian-blogger-of-the-year-2015—vote-now

(not nagging, just sayin’)

Ok, I have almost stopped calling them The Old Bats, but only because Delia and Vitamin are very sweet and they make me smile.

This was until I was picking up some hay in their shed to put in the haynet when Delia stormed in taking me with her. I was reminded of the old lady pushing to the front of the bus queue.

Mud is everywhere.  My life is mud, my house is mud and I am probably made of mud by now or at least have the beginnings of trench foot.  OH has kindly spent a good part of his morning scraping away as much mud as as possible so that Les Grandes Dames are standing on boulder rock rather than slurry.

From this angle, I don’t think either of them are looking too bad.  Delia is on the left, while Vitamin is blacker and is mostly wearing hay.

Their Boudoir (or Minion Shed) is much loved and I am seriously considering asking OH to paint it pink to suit the mood and the lifestyle.

Les Grandes Dames have finally discovered the shed’s charm and use to it to shelter from the bad weather.  When it gets properly cold again, I will put Delia’s rug back on but she has much more of a sparkle in her eye when she is not wearing it and tends to venture forth into the big field round the back.  I took the rug into my house to dry and it weighed a ton, with all the water on or in it.

Delia’s glint …..

Vitamin is so like her son, Indy.  Same silly grin!

So onwards and upwards.  Rugs on, rugs off, food in, muck out, me splat!

Do you remember this little Lambie?

And all his trials and tribulations?

The terrible joint-ill that took numerous visits to the vet, daily injections of antibiotics and endless physio, comfrey poultice and joint massages?

Do you remember that he was so small, he could fit in a foot warmer.

And BeAnne was his furry Mother…..

And I was his human Mother (or Muzzah, as he calls me – with his slight German accent).  Every evening, he would sit on my shoulder or my lap and go to sleep while I massaged away the old rock-solid sheep scour using melted coconut oil.

I was desperate to get Lambie to eat and would leave little things to tempt him as well as feed him endlessly small amounts of “bottle”.

Well, Lambie is not so little anymore!

He has beautiful thick ringlet wool.

He has two best friends and they are a happy little flock.

And in return for all the love I gave him, Lambie has taken little Lambster under his woolly wing.  They are the best of friends and Lambie is teaching him all he knows.  They play gentle butting games together and it is a joy to watch little Lambster coming out of his shell.  He had a very poor start in life.

I have said it before and I will probably say it again, but sheep are very under-estimated.  Lambie has brought such joy into my life.  He is one of the best members of the family.  His loyalty and devotion know no bounds and his happy optimistic cheeriness would put a smile on the most hardened soul.