Because the sheep are becoming increasingly lame as the wet weather returns, I decided to muck out the sheep shed which was not its best.  It was only meant to be a quick job. Nothing huge.

But, like most things, this small job turned into mammoth task.

Sheep poo has a unique formulation that it sticks like concrete and we had to chip the welded blocks off the rubber matting from the whole area.

Ugh.

A few weeks ago, our electric wheelbarrow arrived and I cannot tell you just how much easier it made the task of lugging everything to the muck heap.

Dumping the old bedding was effortless and for those of you wondering how I can possibly have this – I sold a field and the proceeds have gone into making our lives (and backs) easier this winter working with the animals.

Anywho, we scraped and shovelled all morning and eventually we could see a change.

My afternoon was spent packing vegetables but when I came home…..

….. I found OH had continued with this job and the place was looking even better.

You could eat your supper off the floor.

Dahlia and Gussie were around, occasionally popping by to give encouragement.

OH had spent the afternoon cleaning and  relaying the rubber mats, which had migrated and curled up over the years.  Some needed trimming.

I laid out two bales of wood-shavings first.

And then two bales of straw on top of the shavings.  The perfect sheep bed.

I ache therefore I am so I am going to take every known painkiller in my possession and go to bed now.  That was one huge task.  Never again.

Not much is going along here, which is just how I like it. No dramas, please. I am trying to promote normality with routine in the household, inside and out.

Some take to this better than others and some have absolutely no idea what I am going on about.

The two newbies are becoming familiar faces around the croft.  The sheep are all busy sorting out their hierarchy.  My lot are very snotty but integration is always a slow process. The bullying is calming down slightly so thank you to Maggie and Harrel, who should know better.  Less butting, more invading space and making a point.

When the others have gone away into their field, I feed Dahlia and Gussie often.  They need to put on weight, ready for the winter ahead.

They are very inquisitive sheep and are completely taken with Monster.

He, less so!

I am also treating Gussie’s right eye as it is not as open as the other.  He was very good this morning having drops put in.  These two are tamer than the others.  For hill sheep, this is most odd.

Also, Iacs seems to have perked, which is a huge relief and thank you for all your kind vibes.

He has now rejoined the herd of three and that is all I wanted.

Perhaps he had a sore tummy and worming has helped.  He was due.  In fact, they all are and I have wormer for everyone else – that is my next job for tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, every available minute, I am still making sheep to sell and then there are the diaries.  I am racing through 1938 and WW2 is looming…… oh, the worry.

I will just leave this here.  As I was doing my afternoon chores, I came across this little reprobate looking very hopeful.

I was, of course, immune to his charms! ❤️

I have been worrying all day about Iacs.  He is not himself and is spending a lot of time by himself, which is never a good sign.

It is not like him.  He has deliberately taken himself away from the other two or lost them.  He does do that quite a lot.  I think the one brain cell is on a go slow.

When OH mentioned that Iacs was not himself this morning, after giving them their breakfast bucket, I decided we needed to do something. What? I was not sure.  But something.

So I gave Iacs a dose of oral probiotic paste and then talked to Daisy.

I went back and gave Iacs a dose of nuclear wormer too, for good measure.  They are due.

I kept an eye on Iacs all day and am hoping that whatever it is, now isn’t.  I noticed he has now rejoined the group.

Later, I took a carrot over for each of the horses.

The eating, drinking, rifling through my pockets and trying to annoy Kolka is still the same.

So I will continue praying to the Gods that this is just a Bibble-blip.  Please keep everything crossed.

In other news, I left the sheep to their own devices today and things are definitely calmer, though Barrel continues to be a numpty towards Gussie and Dahlia.

Dahlia is intrigued by the hens and ducks.  She keeps cornering  or holding them hostage to find out more about them.

Gus-Gus is enchanting.  We had lovely hugs today.

He’s just so fluffy!

So everything crossed for Iacs, please.  I will go to town tomorrow and get more wormer so I can nuke everyone.  It’s that time of year.

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.