Today, I woke up to this.

And then an urgent message to go over to my neighbour to help him with twin Shetland lambs that had arrived and the mother had no milk.  He had to go to work so, with the help of another more experienced neighbour, I was shown how to bottle feed day-old lambs.

When I told my OH, his first reaction was “oh no” and then “Do Not Name Them”.

So, this is Pongo.  He is the smaller of the two and prone to be covered in his mother’s liquid diarrhoea.

(then cleaned up by me)

And this is Perdy.  She is much stronger.

Mother is pouring out green smelly slurry everywhere and I am wearing most of it.  I don’t like being near myself at the moment.

I am syringing porridge with honey down her and she is eating her own food better now – fresh hay and soaked sugar beet.  She will probably die in a few days because that is what sheep do best.

I bottle feed the bebbies (yes, bebbies!) every few hours and they are also trying to get milk from their mother when she stands up.

So that is what I have been doing today.  Doing my best to keep this little family alive.

Also, please can I have all your prayers and thoughts for my friends and “daughter” in Nepal.  I have heard, so far, they are alive but that is all I know.

I am trying to free up some space on my ‘puter.  It is, as ever, full of photos and 99% are rubbish and not worth keeping.

So, with the best of intentions, I look through roughly 1000 photos a day, deleting the majority of them, setting aside some and then going through that pile and deleting some more.  Being ruthless leaves me with about 30 photos worth keeping.

The criteria for the majority of the kept photos is that they must make me smile….

(aww, remember Ping-Pong and his bezzie, Hammy – I miss those twerps so much!)

Or look incredible (either human or equine)….

Or just be beautiful in their own unique way.

And then, while looking, I realised my life is full of weird looking animals.

Doing strange things (BeAnne is training Storm to tickle her tummy).

I don’t suppose I am ever going to be a normal waiting-to-be-discovered-by-National Geographic-Getty-Images type of photographer.

(look how tiny Storm is in comparison to the other fat bottoms!)

But I can live with this as I don’t think those photographers see what I see.

And they don’t have, in their grasp, the most beautiful subjects.

If slightly grubby and soggy at times.

Lucky me.

Here are some photos on my way to see the ladies in Sandness….

(even the daily lambie pic for those that want a gratuitous Ah!)

You may be aware that a few days ago, I introduced three 4 year old Shetland mares to Hetja and Esja’s field.  Hetja was becoming increasingly bored of Esja’s constant nagging to play.

It seems the plan worked.  Esja had happily bonded with the Shetland mares and Hetja was allowed to be by herself.

I check Hetja every day (if I can) and ask her how she and her baby are coming along.  She is doing well and I think appreciates the attention and the carrot.  I must remember to take my coconut oil with me and give her a good brush.

Hetja will be a wonderful mother.  Pregnancy suits her – she has very kind eyes.  Understanding.

I am sure she is happier now the pressure is off as Esja’s one and only friend.

Esja has more girls of her own age to talk to.

They can all dance around their handbags together…..

Or hang around the Mall, scream at Justin Bieber, text each other even though they are standing side by side or whatever it is that “The Young” do!

Esja is such a teenager.  Attention seeking and stroppy!

I have a new gadget thingy that came highly recommended by a friend – a Yantra Mat and cushion – it is an acupressure mat or bed o’ nails with matching cushion.  I lie on it every evening and have slept better than ever before.  My back has mostly stopped hurting.

Feeling very energised this morning, I took Haakon out for a ride.  BeAnne came too, walking along the road.  My perfect start to the day.  Four little Minions were desperate to come too but, although I like the idea of an equine cortège, I knew in my heart of hearts it would all end in tears and frustration.

After lunch, OH and I decided to take the dogs on a different walk. As lambing is well underway for everyone, the beach is about the only place where there aren’t any (and my fields).  This time of year, Loki can only be walked on our property.

We brought our own entertainment.

OH found a strange thing on the beach.  Apparently it is the hub of a ship’s wheel.  He lugged it home.

The beach was a huge success for everyone.

The Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) were nesting in the cliffs.  You should never approach these birds because they will accurately squirt you with a stinking oil made in the stomach.  It is eye-wateringly awful.

On the way home, in the car, after checking all the horses and ponies, by the roadside was a newly born lamb.  You can just see the blood around the ewe’s mouth.  She has licked her lamb clean.

As I said, it is “that” time of year but it always nice to have a good excuse to go to the beach.

A friend today said I took wonderful photos of birds.

Umm…. yes…. sometimes….. not always.

This dot in the distance is a Red grouse (Lagopus lagopus) who, the minute I made a grab for my camera in the footwell of the car, put the viewfinder to my eye, discovered the lens cap was still in situ, removed said lens cap and put the viewfinder back to my eye, had run away as fast as its little legs could go.

This bird apparently, according to my trusty Reader’s Digest Field Guide to the Birds of Britain, is, and I am prepared to be told I am wrong, a Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula).  I managed to successfully chop its legs in the photo off while its friend ran off behind the hill.

Dammit, they were so pretty together but I missed the shot.

So I am sticking to what I know.  Horses and ponies – they are bigger and can’t run/fly away as fast.

These hopeless bird photos were en route to Sandness when I drove over to check everyone equine was alright.

This is Raw Deal (Delia).  We are giving her the summer and then we will make a decision probably.  I am not looking forward to that.

This beautiful lady is Vitamin (Minnie) – Indy and Lyra’s mother.  She is always whiffles when she sees me because she knows I have a carrot with her name on it.  She barges past everyone to get her’s first.

Her 3yo daughter, Lyra, has far better manners and inspects it first before daintily taking it, just in time before her mother barges in to steal it.

I always ensure no one else gets Delia’s carrot.  She still loves them.

So, to conclude, ponies are easier to take photographs of than birds. QED.