Tag Archives: sheep

Kolka Update

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Kolka seems a lot more like her strong 32 year old self today.

She is alert, interested and eating better, although still stiff when she walks but there is more range of movement in her hind legs.

She remains on twice daily painkillers, an injection of antibiotics (which she is very good about – it’s a big one with a large needle), probiotics and is mostly living outside with her waterproof rug on.

Her eating is more enthusiastic too, which is encouraging.

Fivla and Vitamin are close by shouting for their herd but they have to stay where they are as the grass around the house is too rich for them, especially this time of year.

However, the sheep are very unimpressed with this new set-up.

I have barred the entrance to their shed so they can still come and go if they want with no horses inside.

And opposite, the horses can do the same if they want shelter.   There is food and water there too.

So, turn left if you’re a horse and right if you’re a sheep.

As I write, absolutely no one has worked out my marvellous piece of shed management.

But I think the long rich grass, the pottering about with her friends is what Kolka needs to keep her mind and her guts active.

So, keep thinking and praying for Kolka as I keep forgetting she is 32 years old. Yesterday’s drama was not something an old lady should have to go through.  I thank the Gods we got to her when we did.

Poor Gussie

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Poor Gussie.

Sands of Sound

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Floss and I were an hour early for my hospital appointment yesterday (yes, on a Sunday) so, to fill in time, we went on an expedition.

I have always known there was a small beach in Lerwick but have never been able to find it.

Yesterday, armed with Google maps and Floss to read me the instructions, between us we found the Sands of Sound – a lovely sandy beach quietly tucked away on the south side of Lerwick.  I felt we almost drove through folks’ gardens and backyards to get to it.  But we managed.

There is a small burn that runs onto the beach – the Burn of Sound.

Houses to the north east.

The beach wasn’t very busy – just three people at a table drinking tea and playing the board game, “Carcassonne”, like you do (there was definitely an Alice-in-Wonderland vibe).

There is also “island” in the middle (which worried me greatly) called the Holm of Sound.

On there, I could see a flock of sheep grazing and all I could think about was whether they were marooned or not, should I call the Coastguard, should I go and swim them back across, what were they doing for water?  What would Lambie do?

But I calmed down when the Carcassonne-playing folk told me that the island is actually attached to the mainland at low tide and the sheep can walk across easily. Phew.  Panic over.

I went back to enjoying the utter calm and serenity of the beach.  It was a lovely find.

Loners

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In every herd or flock, there is always one.

A loner.

With the sheep, it is Lambie. Of course, it’s Lambie. How could it be anyone else?

Possibly not the brightest star in our firmament and, yes, he stood there in his little dining room/pen for a good hour while the gate was open telling himself he had nothing.  You can almost hear him singing to himself “nobody loves me, everybody hates me, think I’ll go and eat worms”.

I did tell him, repeatedlym…. but nope, nothing.

The lights were on…. yada, yada. Lambie eventually worked it out.

With the old horses and ponies, it is Iacs. He is often found by himself staring into the middle distance looking distinctly vague. He lets out a pathetic neigh of loneliness and Kolka usually draws the short straw and has to go and get him back.  She is kind like that.  Haakon hides and says nothing.

And, lastly, amongst this lot, you can guess who it is and why it is……

Yup, Newt.  Nobody loves Newt.

And we all know why.

(in case you don’t, it is because he is awful to everyone when they’re eating – the bottom whizzes round trying to kick anyone in his way, including me!)

And so Newt is all alone in the world too (despite having great hair this summer).

Busy Day

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We have visitors coming up from south for their holidays tomorrow so I wanted to be prepared, food-wise, and have spent my day chained to the stove, cooking with varying degrees of success.

I made 3 curries, 2 chutneys, a really bad cake (I am quite ashamed of it and will try and pass it off as pudding rather than anything you would eat with a cup of tea), a batch of ice cream, got another one mixed ready to go, and lastly boiled and peeled lots of duck eggs for picnic sandwiches. Obviously I was supervised.

 

Later on, Monster and Pepper had a good battle – it was revenge for when Pepper had ambushed Monster.  He won, of course and she ran downstairs using me as her shield in case he had another go.

I needed a break from the kitchen, all the cooking and so I took everyone outside.  After putting out the haynets for the Shetland ponies, I went into the sheep field and sat down on my coat for some much-needed sheep-watching or maybe it was the other way around?

 

Pepper sat on me and then beside me getting annoyed with the flies.

She was trying to catch them by snapping randomly at the air.

Lambie was far away.

And then suddenly he wasn’t.

My dear little boy. We had a lovely chat.

And he also passed the time of day with Pepper too.

(which I always think is very sweet).

Sitting in the field surrounded by flowers and sheep, listening to the birds, while Pepper snapped randomly at flies made a peaceful break after slaving away in the kitchen all day.