‘Bert is not really eating so I trimmed a whole load of willow trees and threaded them into the gate in the hope that he would like them.

And, phew, he likes willow.  It is all he will eat and luckily we have a lot of willow trees that won’t mind the pruning.

I tell myself that the willow is good for Bert as it is nature’s aspirin.  He eats the bark as well as the leaves and I almost think I can see an improvement in his eyes.  Less gunk and nasty bits.

While it has been a beautiful day, there is a Yellow Weather Warning (rain) declared for tonight and tomorrow for Shetland.  Seeing everyone fast asleep in the sunshine, it is hard to believe that tomorrow we will all be soaked.

My plan is to put rugs on the oldies, including the Icelandics, and Tiddles tonight.  Feed them tons of fibre this evening and then in the morning get everyone indoors when they are fed up and grateful and possibly cooperative.

The shed is ready.  Fresh water in buckets…..

My birthday presents put to use…..

And I’ve even made a small pen for Fivla and Vitamin who struggle a bit with the hay (lack of teeth) and may require extra hard feed.

I am prepared for this.  I have a plan and it will, hopefully, work.

Knowing the big shed will be back in use makes me wonder why I didn’t do this sooner.

Anyway, let us commence with Operation Make Winter Easier (ok, Autumn)!

Please can I have all your healing vibes for ‘Bert.

This morning I found he has pink-eye and he’s almost blind.

I feel so sorry for him and he is feeling very sorry for himself too.

Pink eye means solitary confinement as it is highly contagious (caught from the wee urchin, Gussie) and so now he is feeling very lonely.

The resident blackbird (the one with the white feather) is keeping ‘Bert company in the small stable where he will now live for the forseeable.

‘Bert is desperate to come out so I go and sit with him as often as I can.  He has had eye ointment (to soothe), an antibiotic injection, an oral dose of anti-inflammatory painkiller, and I washed around his eyes as well to get rid of the gritty stuff.  He was pretty good about all my ministrations.

Bert has every available food on offer that I can think of including two lick buckets, a forage block …..

…. haynet and salt-lick.

I have had to tie the gate just in case someone tries to break him out of his prison.

But I am pleased to report that the “happy tail” remains fully functional.

But when I went for my afternoon visit, I found not much food had been eaten, so I gave ‘Bert some of the ponies soaked sugarbeet, which he happily tucked into.

I am not convinced no one else won’t have Pink Eye – my money is on ‘Ster next and, to be honest, if he does that would not be a bad thing as he could keep ‘Bert company.  While I blame the street urchin, I do know it is just one of those things.

These two didn’t turn up for their breakfast this morning and of course I was worried.  Everyone always turns up for breakfast.  Them’s The Rules.

I swithered about letting Dahlia and Gussie stay out or going to look for them and decided that the others would eventually find them and that was better than me interfering.

Later, after flute duets, I went out to the field with three carrots for the old Icelandic horses and found all the sheep together, which made me happy.  They are, at last, getting along better, I thought to myself.

Spotting me, Dahlia and Gussie immediately came running over.

I fed the horses their carrots and watched their interaction with the new sheep.  Usually the whole flock steer well clear of the horses and run if they see them. This is possibly due to heinous behaviour by small Shetland ponies when Lambie was small and vulnerable.

You can almost hear what Gussie and Haakon are thinking.

The one who is most interested is Gussie. He is fascinated by the horses.

“What is this small woolly creature, Mum?”

“Haakon, allow me to introduce Gussie Fink-Nottle!”

(when we next get the sheep in to drench, I will cut out the vile piece of baler twine from Dahlia’s ears – I don’t want to do it without help as it could end badly).

So I sat on a rock and enjoyed the rare autumn sunshine.

They followed me back home and I gave them their breakfast 8 hours late, which they happily scoffed down.

I am so pleased they’ve come to live with me – dear Dahlia and darling Gussie.  Such sweethearts.

Tis the carrot season and I was sent home from Transition Turriefield (my veg box volunteering work on a Wednesday and Thursday for a couple of hours) with a paper bag full of carrots that were deemed unsellable.  The bag was marked “Lambie” as they have been donated to livestock and I usually hand them out to the sheep.

Anyway, as Lambie had long gone into the hill park along with his friends, I thought I would introduce Gussie to carrots.  He had never seen one of those.

He sniffed the carrot for a long time.

His mother, Dahlia, likes carrots and was happily scoffing away and so Gussie decided he would like to try one.  Crunch, crunch.  And then he decided that he really liked carrots and could he please have a lot more. I duly gave him a few – one at a time.  These little carrots are the perfect size for Gussie. It’s like they were grown for him.

I wanted the sheep to go out into the field too, and join the flock, so rustling my paper bag of carrots, the sheep duly followed me.  Mission accomplished and another carrot as a reward for understanding that fields are for sheep during the daytime.  I leave the gate open so they can come in at night, if they want to.

It’s been a glorious day in Shetland.

I think we are finally having our summer.

It has taken it’s time in coming.

I’m just looking at my phone, trying to find today’s blog idea when I realised I have many photos of Monster on our Persian rug.  I think it is because it makes the perfect background for his beautiful physique.

Some pictures are more flattering than others but Monster does look very good against the vibrant Persian patterns and colour.

(a lovely waistline but rather stubby chubby little legs – that’s all I am saying!)

Sometimes, Pepper is added to the mix.

As an almost invisible cat, Monster features a lot in my life.

Mostly, he wants to join in with whatever I am doing.

Or likes to drape himself all over my iPad while I am having breakfast, trying to catch up with various forums and websites.  The little-kitten look melts my heart, every time and I give up all thoughts of anything but tickling Monster’s dangerous tummy.

And then I will be biffed by a paw.  Resistance is useless.

Monster also does a very good sulk as well, especially when I have shouted “enough” because it all gets a bit much.