Tag Archives: Shetland life

Channeling his Inner Edna

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Some of you may remember Edna.  A hobbit-like ewe who enjoyed her many breakfasts.

Always, Edna would follow me back after breakfast to have another one.  It was her routine and we duly obliged because she was very old, had no teeth and asked politely.  Edna was the only sheep ever allowed legitimately in the feed shed.  Others are not encouraged.

But now Lambie has decided to channel his inner Edna and, instead of following everyone else out into their field, like he has always done all his life since time began ….

….. he now doubles back and today I found him by the feed shed, looking hopeful.

That little face – how can I say no?  No one could be that mean, surely.

So, because Lambie is now the oldest of the sheep, and because he asked so nicely and because I think he looking a little thin, and because I have the word MUG tattooed on my forehead, I fed him another breakfast and he got fresh water too, because he is drinking more, I’ve noticed.

I can see this becoming a routine.  Edna would’ve approved.

Every morning, when I go back thinking my work here is done, and put the empty buckets back in the feed shed, there will be a not-so-little Lambie waiting for me looking hopeful.  I know it.

And just as Lambie was finishing up his second breakfast, ‘Ster appeared out of nowhere.

And then ‘Bert quickly followed behind him and Lambie left them to finish up the last crumbs.  I told them all to go back to the field like I had originally planned, please and they ignored me.

Scorned

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I appear to have tonsillitis so all bets are off and all plans cancelled.  I am just doing the bare minimum, ie feeding the horses, ponies and sheep and about to put rugs on everyone because winter is returning for the weekend. Meh.

Lambie is being a bit strange. Well, stranger than usual.  He followed me back from his field while everyone else was going out for the day and I ended up giving him two more breakfasts because I felt sorry for him.  He did look very pathetic all alone in the world.

Later, when I was on my way out to feed a friend’s cat, I found Lambie all by himself.  He didn’t seem to mind, though, and I offered him another breafkast, which he refused and I even told him that if he were around later, he could come and doss down in my shed while I worked.  We could watch “The Other Bennet Sister” together.

With that thought, Lambie got up and left to find his real friends.  A part of me was pleased he wanted to rejoin his flock and a bit of me feels somewhat scorned.

So much for my kind offer of company.  I think I will go back to feeling ill again.

Everyone Bare Nekkid

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It seems odd that not 36 hours ago it was blowing a hoolie and snowing but now everyone’s rugs are off and they’re all bare nekkid.

The nicest bit of taking rugs off is seeing just how clean and beautiful they are underneath.

No one looks too thin, which is my main worry this time of year – with rugs on, you don’t know what is going on underneath.

Everyone had a lovely sleep lying flat out in the sunshine too.  I could almost hear them snoring.

And also they told me spring is here by starting to lose their winter coats.

I am lazy and don’t brush anyone until it gets until mid May/June as their winter coats might still be needed.  It could get cold again still.  You just never know.

I am particularly pleased with Vitamoobag.  She looks glorious for such an old lady (32yo) but it doesn’t take much for her to look like a hat-rack, I know that.  At this age, we all just go day to day with absolutely no expectations.

I climbed up the hill back to the house to find we had company!

Comes in Three’s

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Bad luck comes in three’s.  That’s the saying and my Monday was no exception.

It began well, and I was lured into a false sense of security as I started the fully-loaded washing machine.

1. It stopped working half way through the cycle – soaking wet clothes and no obvious reason.

2.  I am still stressed about Skippy dying – so that counts in my book.

3.  And, lastly, Pepper refused her breakfast and is back to wandering lonely as a cloud.

Luckily OH got the washing machine going. I know not how (something about the plug) and I can stop worrying about that.  I feel sick when the washing machine dies and would rather have no tv than no washing machine.

Skippy now has a very proficient doctor who is busy diagnosing the problem – possibly battery – and he says Skippy is basically an electric mobility scooter by any other name so hopefully it can be mended (pretty please God – a broken Skippy just makes me hear the words “a total waste of money”).

And as for Pepper – well, she ate her tea – huzzah, but apparently she doesnt like the brand we have so I opened an expensive Lily’s Kitchen tin which she loved and obviously cat food.  I can see where this is going so I phoned the vet surgery and made an appointment for Pepper to have a complete blood count done.  Then, at least, I can rule out anything suspicious and know she is just a bloody-minded wee dug who has me under her paw running around in circles for her and not IBS, pancreatitis, kidney/liver disease, cancer, Addison’s, etc…..

The washing-machine and Skippy I can let go of, but not Pepper.  I think this eating/not-eating has gone on long enough now.  Tomorrow afternoon is the appointment. Taking blood should be fun.

First Fluting

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As you know, I am trying to get my life back in order now the caudal epidural steroid injections are kicking in.

Today, my fluting partner, Mandy, came round for lunch – a quiche with unidentifiable filling (was it basil or spinach, no one knows!) and then we retired to my wee shed for a play.  Despite the injections which were lower down my spine, I find holding the flute increasingly difficult as it exacerbates my brachialgia – the pain in my neck, shoulder and arm.  But I plumbed in my Painpod (EMS/Tens machine) strategically placed the pads, turned the zapping power up and we had a go at playing something nice and easy.

As we played, we saw out of the window the sheep drifting past. They like music and we played a few pieces in between chatting and many cups of tea.  We haven’t seen each other since before Christmas so there was lots to catch up on.

And then we realised that we actually had a proper appreciatiive audience, which was nice.  The others were out of shot.

And, as it’s Muzzah’s Day, I even had a cuddle this morning off Lambie which, as Floss remarked, he hasn’t been near me all the times she’s been here.  So that was the icing on the cake.