Tag Archives: My Shetland

Breakfast for All and Cat TV

There is an order to my mornings.

The older horses and ponies are last on my catering list, after the sheep and the other Shetland ponies. However, they don’t mind and I leave them with their own bucket in a strategic spot in the field going back to collect the empty buckets afterwards.

My breakfast is considerably later – between 9 – 10 a.m. and sometimes I share the table with Monster which I do not approve of but he refuses to listen. He likes to annoy or help, depending on his mood.

Today it was annoy.

And Monster was very unhelpful. I was trying to order Pepper some special food for her sensitive tummy (day off from eating again yesterday *** sigh ***). Monster was having none of it and I think changed my password and probably ordered a little something for himself too.

To get him off my iPad, I put Cat TV (Youtube) on for him and he settled down to watch it while I ordered Pepper her special stuff.

This afternoon was, again, unhelpful in its own way. I had an emergency dental appointment in town and Pepper needed to have her stitches out too. OH kindly offered to take Pepper to the vet, as dental appointments are like hen’s teeth around here.

The stitches are now out and everything looks healthy. The vet, apparently, said these things take a long time to heal. So Pepper is sporting a new dressing and bandage and we will continue with dressings for a little while longer.

And I’m glad I got to see the dentist too. Talking of teeth….. Lambie is on good form (thank you for asking).

A Funny Old Day

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Winter seems to have returned today and we are all grumbling. It was 12°C with a mean F7 westerly so about 8°C. Brrrr.

I spent my morning productively taking the internet to bits. Our whole network had ground to a halt so I repositioned the router upstairs (for better signal), reset all the extenders and re-attached them to the network. So far, I have tripled the signal strength around the house, and am praying it stays like this. Our internet signal is my bête noire and in Shetland, without fibre, 22 Mbps is jolly well racing along.

In need of a break from argumentative, yet invisible, technology, I took to my shed after lunch to admire my one sweet pea flower that I have successfully grown from last year’s seeds.

I made another sheep – the white one on the right – to add to my latest bag of stock.

And then it was the turn of the real sheep. They had spent their day in a field with deep thick grass – everyone’s winter grazing for when it snows.

The grass has really taken off this year.

I could barely find Lambie.

Rattling a packet of ginger biccies, they all agreed to come inside which means all my outside animal chores are done for the day and I need not go outside again.

Even Lambie cooperated.

This is always the tense bit as I can’t double back to close the field gate and the ponies are just around the corner eating their haynets. They could so easily run into the field.

Once through the main gate, I ran back to shut the field gate so the ponies couldn’t go in.

And then there was my follower. Today it was Barrel doing his best for an extra biscuit but the packet was finished so I had nothing to give him. Sorry Barrel.

Doing Everything Early

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I’m going into town for a meal later so have had to do everything early. It is raining so that is helping too. The sheep also wanted in at lunchtime and the Shetland ponies were in their containers sheltering.

I generously filled two small-hole double haynets and tied them into their boxes.

That should keep everyone occupied for a while and hopefully fill them up.

Pepper obviously was my constant three-legged companion. She is managing suprisingly well on three, sometimes four, legs. The slice off her front pad is healing nicely and she has day dressings and at night, when she can’t escape, a baby’s sock to keep the wound dry and clean while airing. So far, this method is working. Her stitches are booked to come out on Monday, all being well. Pepper is also grounded and not going on walks – only allowed outside with me doing chores. Ted still has to go on dog-walks which he hates and runs straight home the minute he can.

The other support team is helpful to the extreme.

Not!

But he’s around and shouty if someone (him) might be starving.

In the big field, the horses and ponies are rotating the use of the shed. Mostly it is a battle of wills between Kolka and Fivla and Vitamin, though I have seen Haakon briefly standing in there. Iacs, never. He is not that kind of wuss.

The never-ending feed machine continues, just earlier today. Everyone probably thought it was their birthday!

Trigger Happy

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I am a great believer that sleep is when your body does its best healing so when Pepper finally switched off this afternoon, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

But mostly she is awake, trigger happy and desperate to be off. Anywhere.

And then at about 3.30 p.m., the trigger arrived in the form of Monster who was looking for someone to give him his tea (tea-time is 4 o’clock and not a minute sooner – he knows this). I opened the shed door to his pathetic scratchings and Ted rushed off into the house. Pepper was now awake and rather wishing she had gone off with Ted because she could go hunting, which I am trying to discourage what with her poorly paw.

Anyway, I tried to ignore Monster but the paw was out, the prodding adding to the pathetic mewing.

Shouting in case I hadn’t got the message. The very loud message.

Wanting just a few more moments of peace, I picked up Monster and dumped him on the chaise-longue (read dog bed).

I can so no to Monster very easily but not that enchanting little Pepper face with the pink bandage (pink really suits her).

I went into the house and gave everyone their tea. Phew. Monster will live to see another day. I think we are all thrilled there.

Out again, I fed the ducks/hens and gave the ponies their hay but this time in piles so they could enjoy it rather than spend hours fighting it out strand by strand from their very small haynets.

I just thought they might like to have an afternoon treat.

As you can see, they’re not exactly fading away either. All I do is give out food, I think. That’s my job.

Da Gairdins Visit

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I spent a lovely, if blowy, morning at Da Gairdins in Sand, 4 miles north of Skeld. A 60 acre site of woodland and gardens open all year round for everyone to visit.

And I had never been before (I have no idea why but I haven’t).

So, apologies for the photo drop but I had the best morning walking around with our visitors enjoying everything. I only managed the first garden – there are three different areas to discover.

From Lonely Planet – “Four miles north of Skeld, a side road leads to Sand, where you’ll find Da Gairdins i Sand, a brave attempt to create a colourful woodland garden amid the bleak moors of western Shetland. Various environments, including grassland, wildflower meadows, rhododendron walks and wildlife ponds, have been created in the lee of conifer shelter belts. Pick up a leaflet at the entrance for a description of the various walks.”

Well, all I can say is that it was a lot more than “a brave attempt”. This patronizing review was written by someone who obviously has never actually tried to cultivate, let alone grow, a brussel sprout in Shetland. This is a true labour of love.

The Shetland weather is unhelpful in the extreme and the love and hard work put into achieving this truly awesome environment is evident at every turn of the peaceful trails.

So here are my photos of the first “gairdin”.

I must go back and explore the other two. And I know I say this and never go back, but I will. I am determined to explore. I had the best morning.

From Da Gairdins’ website – “Come and enjoy a variety of garden walks, discover thousands of trees and plants and appreciate open views across the sea. Watch the wildlife in three large ponds teaming with frogs. Take pleasure eating outdoors at one of the many picnic areas. Stroll through woodland, Pampas plantations and Rhododendron beds. And much, much more! Dogs are welcome on a lead.”