Tag Archives: Shetland sheep

Summer Was Brief

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The rain clouds were coming in thick and fast this morning and by lunchtime it was pouring down.

Obviously there is the world’s smallest shed for everyone to pile into but of course this lot only live in there when the weather is lovely.  Haakon and Iacs rarely go in.  It is mostly the girls’ domain.  Today I found Fivla had ownership.  She strategically blocked the door while she ate her breakfast.

After making another white sheep – this year’s must-have-from-Lerwick apparently, I went out into the rain to feed ducks/hens and put out haynets.  I decided to split each haynet in half and hang out four in the container instead of the usual two in the hayboxes outsid)..

It is neither cold or windy, which is good.  The ponies will come and go and do what they want.  It’s not up to me to make their decisions.

I found the sheep all piled into the wee shed waiting to come home.  Apparently they melt in the rain, according to Lambie.  I was closing up when I turned around to find Dahlia with me pleading hunger.  I gave her a secret bowl of food because she asked so politely.

Lambie had already gone to bed.  Of course he had.

Some of the others joined him. So that’s us, listening to the rain outside and thinking summer was brief but nice.

Too Early

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I mis-read my appointment time for a routine check-up at the Doctor’s so I had 40 minutes to waste.  There was not enough time to go back home, and not enough time to go and do anything useful, so I found a well-situated garden bench in the grounds, just outside their poly-tunnel, saw a good friend, and we sat down for a chat.

The views were spectacular.  I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better.

The last of the flowers were giving it their all.

We duly put the world to rights and caught up with news of our respective families.

Life was good sitting there.

I went home and made sheep after lunch. Later I went out with haynets for the ponies.

After my share of poo-picking, I went to talk to Lambie who I noticed this morning was sporting a greenish tinge to the wool on the top of his head.  The midges had been out in full force so he was probably rubbing on the lichen on the shed.

As I write this, the green (and the midges) have mostly gone now. Lambie is much happier too and life is even better when he’s smiling.

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.

Celery For All!

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Lambie et al have just discovered that Flossie is here now and that she isn’t Daisy!  I mean who knew? Honestly, I do sometimes wonder at the size of brain for an average sheep who should know better.

I left them all reacquainting themselves and drove over to Turriefield where I volunteer to pack vegetables.

Today I was “on tomatoes” and then a large variety of other veg.

I came back home at lunchtime armed with a huge black bin-liner of celery tops and discarded outer stalks.

I was going to give the contents to the Shetland ponies later but they were already milling around the containers looking hopeful, so I emptied it out over the fence for them.

The ponies were thrilled.  The loud munching sounds were wonderful.  A bag of celery is always a huge hit and they have all been practising their hard-done-by look recently while I remain vigilant about their diet.

 

Tiddles ate his stalks like spaghetti, forever chasing them into his mouth.

The ponies had a lot to eat and later, when Floss dutifully went out to poo-pick the track, I asked her if she had seen any leaf/stalk remnants.  She replied that she hadn’t even known they had been eating celery so obviously no evidence remained.

Meanwhile, Gussie has decided Monster will be his BFF. Monster does not agree or give his permission.  I feel this relationship will not improve.

Resentment and Winning Smiles

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Today I went to town to do everything as quickly as possibly so I could get home again and not have to go back for a while.  Well, that’s how I feel about going to town.  I also had a hospital appointment.

I popped into Jamieson’s Knitwear to re-stock my field. When I had phoned them earlier, they had requsted just white sheep so that’s what I took in.  Apparently white sheep are the most popular.

I also stopped to admire their nautical themed window display.  Very clever, I thought.

At home, I was met by resentment.  I would’ve taken her (she was asked about at the Bank when I went in) but I didn’t like the idea of her sitting in the car for all that time while I went to hospital, etc.  So resentment it was.

But also waiting for me were some lovely Winning Smiles from the sheep.  Mostly Gussie. He is such a dude.

A little one from Lambie. It feels a bit grudging by his usual standards.

And Tiddles was happy to see me.

Daisy and I spent some time with the sheep because it is always a good way to lose the I-have-been-to-town feeling.  It is a different world out there.

  

And back to my shed to make only white sheep for a while.