Tag Archives: shetlandsheep

Sheep Therapy

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Today was much better than yesterday but the bar was set pretty low so things could only get better really.

This morning I found everyone was in the right field, ate their own breakfast, and even did as they were told so I must put yesterday’s debacle swiftly behind me and move onward, ever onward.

We went on a nice dog-walk and I quickly found the sheep who have settled well into sharing a field with the Shetland ponies. I think they are all going by the theory of “if I don’t bother you, then you won’t bother me”. It works.

Sheep therapy was at its best.  Maybe they knew I was out-of sorts from yesterday.

Gussie was practising his Winning Smile on me.

Dear Dahlia.  She is such a happy lady.

‘Ster was sporting some rather fetching moss.

Lambie was busy doing his Greta (as in Garbo “I want to be alone”).

But I managed to get a lovely smile from him too….. eventually.

‘Bert and Barrell are apparently friends today.

I have no idea what got into them yesterday. They wouldn’t stop hassling and butting each other until they were both at a stand-still exhausted and panting, a quick re-group and then they would start all over again,

Madge has come on. She will now sniff my hand and run away, grunting like a pig.  Still, that’s a vast improvement on the absolutely nothing she usually offers.

A few more of Gussie Dustbin just because he has such sweet expressions.

This is what he thinks is his Intelligent Face. I haven’t the heart to tell him.

And, lastly, Maggie who was doing her absolute best.

But obviously Lambie is the King of Smiles (though I might admit that he also looks very goofy in a the-lights-are-on-but-no-one-is-home sort of way and I can vouch for that!)

Give me Strength!

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Apologies for radio silence yesterday.  There was an unexpected hospital-type emergency which is still ongoing.

Anyway, my morning started as it meant to …… ie, badly.

  • I could only find 5 sheep – Maggie was missing.  Dahlia and Gussie had vanished too.
  • ‘Bert and Barrell were at war and wouldn’t go into the sheep shed for breakfast as they were too busy beating the crap out of each other.
  • Pepper vanished.

So I ignored all of that and continued as normal hoping I wouldn’t find any other awful messes along my way.

  • I decided I would find Maggie et al on the dog walk later.
  • I gave Bert and Barrell their breakfast anyway and noticed someone ate it as the bowls were empty later. I also gave both of them free-rein with the TurmerAid box in the hope they would be too drugged/relaxed up to fight! I hate it when there are arguments in the flock.
  • Pepper turned up, just I was about to find the car keys and go round all the neighbours apologising.

My day continued in this disastrous theme when I broke the washing machine and Monster’s timer bowl (for his very early morning snack).  At that stage I just decided I would not react to anything the world was going to throw at me.

Later, on the dog walk, I found Maggie who was in the wrong field (just why?) I brought her home and she very gratefully rejoined the others. Dahlia and Gussie were at the furthest point of the field possibly gazing at a newly arrived hill-ram. I gave them the breakfast I had brought so I knew they were moving and eating fine.  Oh, yes and then it started to rain and I got home totally soaked through to the skin.

And then I discovered my Advent Calendar, which I thought I had been so clever about was showing all the pictures despite me trying to only show the one for the right date like a paper advent calendar.  Hopefully I’ve put a stop to that and I hope no one’s peaked.

Give me strength!

A Rough Day

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Today was rough (74mph wind recorded today in Fair Isle).  I started my morning with the sheep as they were close by but I couldn’t find Dahlia and Gussie because they like to spend their nights outside in another field.  They hadn’t turned up for breakfast so I just fed the ones who were around.

After nearly being blown over on a couple of occasions while feeding the horses, I went back and put up two haynets for the sheep so, if they decided not to go outside (and no one would blame them), they would have food to eat.

I couldn’t see the Shetland ponies either and it was certainly no weather to go looking in.  Later on in the morning, I spied them huddling by a dry-stone wall and Dahlia and Gussie were close by too.

They came in and I gave them a late breakfast.

This was much to the rage of the hobbitses-sheep who would quite like another one since I had mentioned breakfast again.

I was glad I had found D&G as I worry more in this weather.

I think Maggie was pleased to see her hill friends too.  She spends a lot of time with them. Maybe it’s a black sheep thing.

Dahlia gave me a lovely smile.

And so did Gussie-Dustbin (his new name).

When I went back outside the ponies had come closer and were now asking for their breakfast, which I luckily had with me, so they ate it and bounced off again.  The weather is calming down now. I have run out of outdoor clothes. They are all soaked through.

Frozen Fingers

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Not great photos today. It was too bloomin’ cold and my fingers felt like they had frozen off.  I am currently sitting at my desk playing soothing music while I thaw out – my feet are on a hot water bottle and I have one on my lap.

Anyway, this morning produced a lovely surprise – everyone was together.  Even Madge is coming out of her shell, which is something I never thought I would see.

Gussie is rather taken with Maggie – he is ginormous now, possibly the biggest of all the sheep.  Quite the heffasheep.

Maggie spends a lot of her time in the hill field with Gussie and Dahlia which is fine – as long as they turn up for breakfast so I know they are alright and not lying somewhere upside down in the 30 acre field.

And Lambie remains, well just Lambie really.

We had a sprinkling of snow this morning with a few snow/hail showers all day.

In the afternoon I went into my shed to finish a sheep while watching a Hallmark Christmas film (my determination to find some Christmas spirit and inspiration).  Pepper was having a non-eating day and quickly learned that, if she made sick noises by the door, I would let her outside and then, free at last, she could run off hunting, probably looking for more carrion to eat.  Wee turd.  I am not pleased with her one bit.

Doing the afternoon chores afterwards (I now start at 3pm as it is dark by 4), I fed the ducks/hens, put them to bed and then poo-picked the Shetland ponies’ track.  Newt nearly had the wheelbarrow over (I would’ve happily throttled him if he’d succeeded) and I honestly think my fingers have never been so cold.  I am going to find my freezer-food gloves for tomorrow. I never want to feel like that again. I felt sick with the pain.  Once finished, I went to bed to huddle and warm up.  Monster came to annoy while Ted whined on about “what time is tea?”  Pepper sensibly stayed away.

Oh yes, Pepper said she could only eat cat food for tea. Give me strength.

Stanevatstoe Loch

Still Fighting with the Blog

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I am feeling a bit down today.  It is a mixture of things – the cold is in my bones, going through old photos has made me sad and I am still fighting with my blog settings (tag clouds etc). All just little stuff really in the grand scheme but still, they get to me.

But today I mastered the art of those social media follow me link things – I have no idea of the correct lingo, sorry but please see top right of page and there they are.  So, please follow me.

I also need more links on this blog so if you have a link, give me a shout (thordale144@gmail.com) and I will do my best, after a lot of effort, to add it.  Don’t feel bad about the strenuous effort it will take.  This is entirely due to my lack of ability to remember how to do any of this.  I have the brain of a hen.

Anyway, here are some photos that I can just about bear to put up from around 2020 and I will  go back to the nuts and bolts of this blog.

My darling BeAnne

Ominous weather looking over to Foula

View of Mum’s house in the Autumn

Lambie

Daisy hugging ‘Ster with a disgruntled/jealous BeAnne at her feet

“Corbie” (raven)

Icelandic horse foal – Hjalti

From left to right – Hjalti, Efstur, Taktur, Kappi, Klaengur and Dreki (I think but I could be wrong)

Her Maj looking perky