Tag Archives: Fivla and Vitamin

An Indian Summer

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I’m running late today with writing the blog. Apologies, but I was talking to two friends overseas – (they know who they are but it’s my fault for not being more organised).

Anywho, today was another beautiful day and it was my turn to walk the dogs. I took them out and visited the old horses and ponies. We call days like these “an Indian Summer”.

Fivla didn’t want to talk to me mostly because I had told her to leave her wee shed and go out and enjoy the day.  She grudgingly left, probably muttering but she had been inside for a good 3 hours first.  You have to make the most of days like these now.

Vitamin was already out and about and enjoying the autumn sunshine.

She came up for a chat and I admired her always gorgeous “teddy-bear ears”.

There’s still lots of grass and everyone was making the most of it.

Vitamin is looking nice and round, storing fat ready for the winter onslaught.

I don’t want Fivla to get any fatter and I told her this which added to her grump.

This lot will probably stay in this big field for another month or so, and then the little Shetland ponies will go in for winter because it will already be nicely grazed down.

The old Icelandic horses were further along in the field.  Again, they are all looking good now.

And everyone’s winter coats are starting to come in too.

Not going to lie, I am dreading winter.

Going Out

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There was a weird eerie light this morning, when I went to fetch the buckets in to wash before putting them away.

The “big” horses had let themselves out and looked very picturesque in front of Stourbrough Hill capped with low cloud.

(173-metre summit located at the center of the Walls Peninsula)

The sheep were also meandering their way out of the paddock and into the big field.

They remain wary of the horses for absolutely no reason.  Shetland ponies, well yes, I can understand, but not the horses.  They’re no bother to anyone.

All the sheep held their collective breath and went past the totally ignoring horses with their eyes closed.

“Don’t notice me, don’t notice me, don’t notice me” I am sure I could hear.

For some reason known only to herself, Dahlia had been left behind.  She soon caught up, though.

Meanwhile, in the wee paddock with the wee shed, Vitamin was busy offering a washing-up service on all buckets.

“No food too small” is her motto.

She did a very thorough job.

And I told her so.  Well done and thank you, Vitamoobag. You’ve saved me a job.

Fivla had just vacated the shed and was doing her own thing – more eating then.

And apparently I have still yet to be forgiven for being disappointed with Pepper.

The Importance of Apple Cake and Deep Sleep

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Under strict surveillance this morning, I made my usual apple cake – I’m trying to use up eggs.

The strict surveillance that I was under.

So now what to do with my apple peel and cores?  Who do I know who would like them?  Let me see.

Spotting Fivla and Vitamin, I gave them the apple bits.

They said nothing to the others and quietly munched them all up (I found nothing left when I was poo-picking later).  I doubt the others even knew there were free apple bits going.

I was in my shed after lunch and everyone was around and about.

I like to look out of the windows every so often to see who is close by.  Haakon came over and plonked himself down.  He wanted to sleep so I ended up leaving my shed much later – in fact I almost made a whole other sheep to go with the one I had just made – so I didn’t disturb him.

I didn’t want to wake up Haakon because I read somewhere that old horses really need to sleep and the fact that he feels he can lie down is good because he will get proper deep REM sleep which is essential to his well-being.

Once Haakon woke up and was standing up and grazing with the others, I packed them all off to their field.

I’ve given up walking them one-at-a-time with a headcollar as that takes forever and they can be stupid to catch so instead I herded them into a group and told them all to “go to bed”.

Mass movement is much simpler.

Luckily, they all know what I mean and they know I will let them out tomorrow to continue on the good grass.

Asleep in the Grass

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I was in my shed this morning, when I looked outside only to find everyone happily resting.

The spot they had chosen utilised the shelter of the dry stone walls and the surrounding sheds.  There has been a coarse South East wind blowing all day.

It’s been enough wind to be annoying, if you have a beautiful mane like Haakon.

Anyway, Iacs was in charge of fending off the potential tigers (good luck with that).

And the others were flat out snoozing.

I wonder what Kolka was dreaming of.

This was the view from the upstairs bathroom window.  They all stayed there for quite a while, asleep out of the wind.

After lunch, when I went outside to go to my shed, I made a slight detour to see if Fivla and Vitamin had turned up and wanted to come out around the house too.  They hadn’t been around earlier.

They had come down and wanted out.

I opened the gate so they could come through and enjoy the lush green grass with the others.

Saturday afternoon is flute-duet- afternoon so Mandy and I played our flutes and quickly realised that our only audience was Vitamin who sensibly and understandably didn’t stay long.