I spent yesterday evening sitting in the little sheep shed with Dahlia and Gussie while it was raining outside.

I wanted them to get used to the idea of an indoor shelter.  Something, as hill sheep, they would have absolutely no concept of.  The rain helped.

They were introduced to a haynet too.

that didn’t take long.  They would’ve never seen hay either.

I sat there for a couple of hours playing Classic FM (the relaxing mix) on my phone.  They liked the soothing calm, I think.

This morning was different. Dahlia was desperate to be out of her wee paddock so I bit the bullet and opened the gate.

I crossed my fingers that everyone would be kind.

They were, apart from Harrel and his mother, Maggie, who constantly chased Dahlia and Gussie away, trying to split them up and butting.  Rude.

At one stage Dahlia and Guss both turned up at my shed.

Gussie (or Gus-Gus now) is very sweet.  I could hug him all day and he would love that.

Dahlia is doing so well too. She follows me about and is very tame.  She talks to the hill sheep as they go past but is not pining for them.

Pepper has worked her magic.

Firm friends.

I have had words with Harrel about his ‘haviour. We had supervised playtime and  I stayed with them while they all ate grass, shooting threatening looks over at Harrel if he wanted to make anyone’s life miserable.  He did manage to behave and licked/chewed – he knew I meant business.  The freezer might’ve been mentioned.

They followed me around while I did various crofting chores and are curious.

I love they way they are looking around like potential house buyers.

It won’t be long, I hope, until they all become one flock. I am optimistic.

Well, here’s a thing. I have added two more sheep to my little flock.

They are from the scattald (open hill grazing). The ewe adopted me by standing by our gate.

And then, a few months later, she arrived with her son.

So I asked a friend to talk to the crofter, as I knew this could end badly, and he very kindly said I could have them both.  I also paid him so he wasn’t out of pocket.

When the sheep turned up this morning, this time I opened the gate and put them in the small paddock behind the house where there is also a little shed.

Later on, I went to sit in their field and was duly investigated.

The little boy refused to talk to me.

Of course, Pepper is intrigued.

I brought treats with me and they proved popular.

The ewe is a sweetie.

I think it will be Agatha or Aggie, which now I think of it, will probably muddle up Maggie.  So, she might be Dahlia.

I don’t think these two have ever seen so much food and I also gave them the sheep lick.

Little Himself still remained aloof.  He is called Bonzo but that could change to Gussie Fink-Nottle.  There is a Wodehouse theme here.

They’ve never seen a shed, so I put the lick in there.

And also their bowls.  They need to learn that they can come and go when the weather is bad, like tonight.

After having to listen to flute duets all afternoon, the other sheep came home and introductions were made.

I said to everyone “remember when you lived on the hill (Edna, Madge, Maggie, Bert), and how it was, so BE NICE!” and then fed them all animal crackers.

Little Himself, aka Bonzo, calmed down a bit later on and now will let me stroke him.

So, that’s us.  Two more and let’s hope everyone gets on.

I came back yesterday from working at Turriefield (my sorting and packing veg volunteer job for a local cooperative), with a large bin liner of the last of the celery – various bolted tops and stalks.

They were meant for the Minions but, as the Ancient Icelandics were nearby, I put some in a carrier bag and went to see them.  I wanted to know if Icelandic horses like celery.

Haakon sniffed it.

Iacs was having a bit of a sit and I reckoned he loves all food, so of course he would enjoy it.

Nope, not celery, though.  I have found the one thing Iacs won’t eat.

Kolka went by the theory that if you don’t try it, you don’t know whether you like it or not – something I always told my children when faced with unknown food.

Haakon actually ate a few bits.  He munched away, more I think out of politeness than liking.

Iacs refused point blank to eat this new thing but sniffed the leaves a lot trying hard.

He wanted to like it but….. nope.

So I gathered up all the leftovers, put them back in my carrier bag deciding never to feed celery tops to Icelandic horses.

I took the rest plus the big bag to the Minions who were thrilled.

Now, they love celery tops and stalks.

There was lots of very loud munching.

Sadly, this is the end of the celery season now.  I know the Minions will miss this treat.

This morning, mostly everyone was soaking wet from last night’s Hurricane Ernesto.  Meanwhile, I had spent the night awake worrying and listening to the howling wind and pouring rain.  On a good note, I was happily surprised to find that the rugs on the old ponies had done their job.  Tiddles, Vitamin and Fivla were mostly dry..

Feeling that the old Icelandics might like somewhere to dry out, I opened up the small shed and led Haakon by his chin-hairs to the open door.  He stood there and wouldn’t go in.  So I grabbed Iacs and in he charged, followed swiftly by Kolka.

Iacs then blocked the door and discovered the hanging salt lick.

It is a pity this shed is only really big enough for two horses.  Three would be a squeeze but that’s the way.  The outside walls offer shelter too and, as it had stopped raining, Haakon didn’t seem to mind very much.  I guess if he had really wanted to go in, nothing would’ve stopped him – certainly not Iacs blocking the door.

I left them all arguing.  It is that time of year when I don’t know whether to bring the horses and ponies all in on nights like last night (which was vile) but it was warm (12-14 degrees Celsius).  I had to go into the big shed to fetch something, where the stalls are now located, and it was bonkers hot which everyone would’ve hated for 12 hours.  Swings and roundabouts really.

Yesterday evening, I was just shutting the ducks/hens up in their house for the night, when I turned around and saw this – a blue moon, that was red due to the smoke particles from the US fires apparently.

I was amazed. I’ve never seen the moon so big and looking magical as it came over the horizon.  Propping my phone precariously between two rocks on a fence post and being bitten by unmerciless midges, I managed a few ok-ish photos.

I need to find out what the best settings are to achieve better.  But, still, I was pleased.

Today has been a good-ish day but it is deteriorating now with the end of Hurricane Ernesto hitting in the afternoon/evening.  I am not looking forward to that.  We have a flood warning which hopefully won’t affect us.

These two were together – Haakon, lying down and his younger cousin, Iacs.

Good old Haakon.  30 years old this year and still just the same.

Iacs, 28 years old this year, is also still just the same.

May they never change.

Kolka was a little way away, but she came over when she saw me.

She’s doing well and is just “one of the boys” really.

Apart from her daily kicking/reversing match that she has with Iacs every morning (and loses every morning) about wanting his bucket when she’s finished her own.

Off to batten down some hatches.  I put rugs on the old Minions who were fine about having them, except for Tiddles who decided half way through the process to do the Grand National around the track with all his friends. I can truthfully say no one has laminitis.  Well, I wouldn’t actually know if they can walk because they were too busy bucking and farting as they galloped like the wee turds they are.  Fivla and Vitamin watched.