Thank you for your orders.  I will be going to town tomorrow (dentist appointment).  The bags and tea-towels have been totted up and I know what I need to buy on your behalf. If you want me to pop a handmade hand-felted Shetland sheep into your order, now is a good time to let me know, before all my stock goes to the shop too.

This afternoon was spent at Turriefield packing vegetables for the shops and various veg boxes.

There were mountains of various veg.

And we all worked hard bagging, pricing, and distributing.

I enjoy the work.  It’s nice to be away from the croft to do something completely different and the Golden Rule is that what is said in the shed, stays in the shed so we talk about everything and I always come home feeling I have achieved.

Sometimes, I am given a bin liner of edible horse food to take away and today was celery tops so, when I got home, I threw half of the bag to the Minions.

And then I went to open the gate, turning my back, and every leaf had been cleared in seconds!

The ponies adore celery and I have the celery bottom sitting in my mother’s celery vase!

Pepper and I waited in the car for Stephen, our farrier to arrive – the car was somewhere out of the wind and in a good spot to see him come down the track.

And arrive he did.

The Minions were checked and trimmed first and they all behaved themselves…..

The others watched on.

While Stephen (our farrier) was working, I had the pleasure of lovely smiling (if grubby) faces.

Pepper was very involved too.

I did ask Stephen if he minded Newt being helpful, but he said he trusted them and understood that my ponies are inquisitive and not bitey.

Meanwhile, Pepper is going to get kicked one day because she is far too trusting.  Having said that, this is Fivla she is walking under and to kick would actually involve effort – and that’s never going to happen.  Fivla does not believe in effort.

Anyway, everyone was deemed fit and well, with no laminitis or signs of hoof deterioration, which was a huge relief.  Stephen also said they looked so much better than last year.  On the downside, he said ***cough *** that the Icelandics looked a tad on the fat side.  I don’t see it myself.

Especially if I stand far away!

I gave myself the day off today meeting a friend for lunch in town, and I did a spot of shopping too.

Harley came along with his owner to lunch.  I refrained from bringing Pepperpot as I reckoned she would be over-excited and silly, causing complete chaos.

Harley, of course, behaved beautifully, charming all around him which confirmed to me that I was right to leave Pepper behind.

A quick visit to Jamieson’s, where I rearranged the field…..

And we admired their front shop window.  Inspirational.

And then I popped into the Tourist Centre to get some tea towels of the ladies – Vitamin and Fivla – before they close down in Autumn (see the Shetland News link – it explains everything).

Anyway, the Tourist Centre sells the tea towels, or drying-up cloths (apparently they are called “dish towels” in the US).

And, look, there is also a tote bag too with the same photo on both sides.

I will admit I did let on that these were my Shetland ponies and, although older, they are still going along well.

Prices –
£7.40 for tea-towel
£18.50 for the tote bag

Postage – I need to package one up and can let you know. I am happy to post to anywhere in the world, if you are happy to pay the cost.

Message me – frances@fstaylor.co.uk

If you want one or many, let me know.  I am happy to pop in, buy what you want and post it out to you.  I would hurry, though. I think the shop is planning to close soon (September is the rumour, but I could be wrong).

Is it me, or is everyone is a bit odd today?

On my way to my shed this afternoon, I met Lambie looking a bit gormles.  No, that’s mean, I will say lost.

So I asked him if he wanted to come in to my shed where I was about to start making sheep.

I think it was my delightful Shetland pony doorstep that Lambie was wary of.  He couldn’t decide and I could see the single pea that is his brain rattling around.

So, after dithering a while of should-he, shouldn’t-he, Lambie turned tail and concentrated on eating.  I have no idea what was going on.

Pepper and Ted just watched from the comfort of their chaise longue.

And I made these two.

I found Lambie later on and I think he was back to his normal and I use that term in its loosest sense too.

Well, that’s Daisy gone south now.  She flew off today and, I won’t lie, I’m going to miss her hugely.  It was brief but lovely to see her.  A few days is better than no days.

And life goes on and, while Daisy was here, I had a wee holiday too by which I mean I completely neglected to make any sheep, transcribe the diaries or learn Latin for the few days she was here.

I know everyone will miss Daisy very much.  Both Pepper and Monster made it their mission to wake her up every morning.

Poor Daisy – I asked her a million questions about the horses and ponies’ care.  One thing she did mention was to keep the Shetland ponies in the little paddock for 12 hours, where there is hay and water so they don’t gorge on the new-to-them grass that we opened up yesterday.  That made good sense to me so that’s what I’ve done.

However, I wouldn’t say I am very popular for it but I must stay firm.

And the fact that, by this afternoon, the ponies still hadn’t really finished their hay just proves there are pickings out there and they don’t need anything else for 12 hours of the day.

Stay tough, Frances, stay tough – Mantra “Shetland ponies live off fresh air”.