Recent miserable events have resulted in some rather large bills, mainly vet bills for Storm and Newt.  It will not be cheap, I know that much.

So I have decided to make some very special Lambies adhering vaguely to his original markings.

Lambie is my special fleckit (white with large black spots) Shetland sheep.

(old photos so you can see his markings. No one is this clean now)

I don’t normally make Lambie as they are much more work trying to get those spots in the “right” place.  But I made these guys and I would like to sell them to help towards Storm and Newt’s vet’s bills.  If anyone would like to buy one, please contact me at frances@fstaylor.co.uk

Prices:

Adults – £25 each (or a donation) plus postage at cost
Lambs (little one with no legs) is £15 (or a donation) plus postage at cost.

Each sheep is handmade from pure Shetland wool and, like Lambie, is an individual work of art!

Oh, and I made a Newt type lamb too!

Anyway, update on Newt – he spent the day looking at me and not eating so I spent my day popping outside to see if he had his head down and was munching.  Later, when I took Tiddles into the shed for the night, Newt designated himself Tiddles’ BFF/stable buddy and took off lickety-split into the shed without a head collar to find his bucket!

Last night’s check found Newt lying down on the hard-standing outside the container.  I managed to get him to stand up, while I quickly tied down some haynets for the others and  found him lying down again, soaked to the skin (it was sleeting).  I got him into the shed and he lay down in the sand, phoned the on-call vet (locum) who said he be there as soon as he could – he was just finishing up on another animal first.

So, I decided Newt would learn to lunge.   Not a skill he knows. I got him walking and trotting (his choice) round and round on the end of an old driving rein (I couldn’t find the lunge line – one of two – anywhere) urging him on and on.  He couldn’t stop, he could walk if he wanted and he couldn’t sit down again.

After about 30 minutes, he decided to canter his way around, so I prayed he was feeling a bit better.  Well aware heart attacks go with exercise after colic, I put him into a stall with Tiddles (who is very stiff again) and watched Newt begin to eat and eat and eat.

The vet phoned to say he was nearby and I told him the update.  Good, but I still wanted him to come. He thoroughly examined Newt and gave him two injections, said he had strong bowel sounds but felt tender in one place.

Later, I left for the night leaving Newt eating hay with Tiddles thinking to myself “please God, let him have dodged this bullet”

Opening the shed door this morning saw me nearly sick with fear but happy faces all round.  Newt’s little bouncy bottom was working over-time – buck, buck, buck.

Newt’s been out all day. I saw him roll (OMG, worry again), but he was eating immediately after.  He’s now in for the night with Tiddles just in case.

I don’t really know what else to say except my nerves are shot to pieces.

All day, I have been someone’s servant.

It started this morning being poked and prodded (with claws) by Monster who was in a love-me mood while I was trying to get dressed.  It was painful.

Then at lunch-time, Pepper wanted whatever I was having.

And I was meant to take her seriously. My lunch was her lunch, apparently (she didn’t get it).

And so into my shed to make a sheep and I think Ted was the only one who wasn’t asking for things.

Monster came running up the path and demanded to come in – probably because this was the only place that was warm. I had turned on every heater as my one luxury.  Oh, that, and a very nice pot of tea.

There was much mooching about and not settling down, which drives me mad.

Again, Ted was perfect.

And Pepper was hogging the fire and there was very funny of burning hair/fur so I moved her away a little, much to her disappointment.  She likes to wedge into the fire so I don’t actually know it is on.

More getting in the way (Season 20 btw of Gray’s).

And at last, Monster and I reached an agreement.  I could have my work space if he could look out of the window.

But not my iPad, I couldn’t have that.  Nope.

And then there was the going in and out about 5 times.  This afternoon was very much like hard work.

This morning was busy because we were burying Storm so I had to move all the horses and ponies to give the digger-man clear access to where we bury everyone – down the bottom field.  Klaengur and every cat and dog are there.

After breakfast buckets, I led Haakon and Iacs, with Kolka following into the hill park but once Storm was in his final resting place, I decided to move them back again as the weather is going to be bad and they will need all the shelter they can find.

To do this, I of course was totaly ill-prepared and so resorted to leading Iacs by his chin-hairs, with Kolka following and Haakon wondering what all the fuss was about.

Once back in their old field, I gave them all a carrot to say thank you for being easy and straight-foward.  It does make life so much easier when everyone cooperates.

Then, in my gloom, I went on with my walk. Ted had long since gone home for some reason only known to himself so it was just myself and Pepper.  I was quickly seen by Dahlia and Gussie who came running over, which was lovely.

I found a cold bum-shaped rock and sat on it so that Gus-Gus could come and tell me just how much he loved and appreciated his new life.

Perfect teefs.

Dahlia had other things on her mind.  She said her hello’s but left me with her son.

Tomorrow does not bode well for the weather so I wanted to get everything done today.

You’ve gotta love this little face.  Gussie is a delight. I cannot love him more and he did his best job of cheering me up.

(And I love how these two still get on very well.)

A few photos from  yesterday.

Lambie chanelling his inner Elvis sneer.  He has been doing his very best to try and cheer me up. This is a face only a mother could love.

On Thursday, I was given a box of weird carrots for the sheep.  So, after handing them out one at a time to Lambie who was busy asking himself whether he could remember if he ate carrots or not, I thought the easiest thing would be to just put the whole box on the ground.

They all piled in and Lambie remembered he did like carrots. Phew!

Barrel came up for air.

It’s lucky that everyone was in a sharing mood.  Unusual for some *** cough Lambie, who always has to be different ***.

Even Pepper managed to steal a few too.  She does love raw carrots – Ted taught her this as Mum used to feed him raw veg when she was preparing her food.

And a little thank you smile from Lambie.

This morning and the scenery had drastically changed.

I think we are all glad the snow has gone.  It’s been tough.