Sheep, Sheep and More Sheep

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After their breakfast, I put all the sheep out into their field for the day.  It was a nice bright start and so Bert went straight to “his” shed.

Yes, that’s right, it’s Bert’s shed now.  Move over Fivla and Vitamin (they’ve left the field anyway), Bert’s in da house!

Lambie thought he might like a go in the shed too.

But Bert was having none of it.  His shed, dontcha know (there’s probably a Law somewhere).

Ster was miles away.

He wasn’t interested in sheep-shed politics.

Maggie and Barrel were not shed folk either.

Ditto Gussie and Dahlia.  It’s funny how the boys still stay with their mothers (or is it the other way around?)

Madge was on her way out to the hill to join all the bloody hill sheep that can now get in thanks to Kolka’s attempts at show-jumping last week.

Anyway, back to Bert and Lambie.

I don’t actually think Lambie minded very much.

He gave me one of his Winning Smiles and I decided not to get involved.

I spent the rest of my day making sheep. One in the morning and one in the afternoon because a) my stock is low now, b) Wool Week is looming and c) I have a tiny social life and will have to miss a few afternoons stabbing due to other commitments.

I went back outside at teatime and found Bert back in his shed (I do hope he made the most of the day and actually left for a few hours).

And this time Lambie had snuck in too (and apparently Ster, I found out later).  To be fair it was raining and the sheep told me they were only in there only because they would melt otherwise. Who knew?

My Perfect Day

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At last, my perfect day when absolutely nothing happened that was out of the ordinary or stressful.  My kind of heaven. I have had enough drama recently to last me a lifetime.  It’s all been a bit too much and I am praying it’s over now.

I spent my morning delivering some sheep to friends who were going into town today.  The sheep were needed urgently to restock my sheep field at Jamieson’s Knitwear.  Someone had come in yesterday and bought all my stock and I hate an empty field.

On my way home, I popped in to some friends for a cuppa.  So that was very nice and civilised and we put the world to rights.  Pepper came with me (though, there was a small disgraceful wee on their carpet – I was shocked and we had to leave rather quickly).

My afternoon was spent in my shed making more stock for the shop while possibly eating Tunnocks Tea Cakes.  I finished one sheep and made another listening to an audiobook.

As I write my sheep have refused to come home and I left them sitting contentedly in their field.  They can sort themselves out.  The gate is wedged open and I’ve lost interest.  The ponies have their hay, the horses have lots of grass and I dished out apple slices to all when I gave Kolka her daily painkillers.

And lastly, I took this photo at breakfast a few days back when I told Monster he could not have the milk from my porridge.  So, for revenge, he plonked himself firmly on my iPad saying then I couldn’t use it!  Rotter.

So that’s a lovely boring day in my world where the most exciting thing to happen was Pepper doing a tiny pee on a friend’s carpet (oh, the shame. I am so sorry, Kerry!)

The Kolka Theory

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My friend, Monika from Sandness Equine Services, came up with this theory and I think this is very credible.

Basically, Kolka was calmly grazing at the far end of the field with the rest of the herd (Haakon, Iacs, Fivla and Vitamin).  It was nearly breakfast time and they all know to come home for their buckets and had started making their way.  All except for Kolka who looked up, saw everyone had vanished (to be out of eyesight does not take long as there is a small hill) and then panicked, jumping badly straight over the fence into the hill where she got caught up and into trouble.  Icelandic horses are not known for their show-jumping abilities.

Once released, Kolka recovered and she then cut her head slightly while living around the house.  There are old fencing wire rolls, etc lying around.  They went into a field.

The next panic was because Kolka was talking to Vitamin and Fivla over the fence at an early breakfast time when she looked up and noticed her beloved Haakon had vanished again.  He and Iacs were eating their breakfast around the corner.  This time she went into a blind panic not helped by remembering what had happened a few days’ earlier.

The terrible cut was probably from itching her head, which had been healing nicely but getting to that itchy stage, and she opened up the old wound making it much worse.

Monika and I discussed all this after she had given Kolka her second Jin Shin Jyutsu therapy session, which Kolka loves.

I can’t thank Monika enough for standing in the pouring rain working her healing “magic”.

BLOOD ALERT!

Look away now if you are squeamish because Kolka’s wound is not pretty but it is clean and dry and not bothering her one bit.  The vet and I are pleased with how the healing is progressing.

  

“It’s Got a Funny Taste”

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Because I let the old Icelandic horses have the stable for one whole night, the sheep refuse to ever go in it ever again. “It’s got a funny taste” (our family saying for anything different or new).

After the horses left yesterday morning, I spent a good hour cleaning that shed, letting the surface dry, putting down deoderiser powder and laying out a whole new straw bale and shavings too.  It was now pristine and perfect.

But no.  Apparently it’s different.

It is also pouring with rain and all the sheep are huddling around outside miserably in the rain….

… or standing in the world’s grottiest shed that is about to fall down.

So, in the pouring rain, already drenched as in I couldn’t get any wetter, I went back to the house for the ginger biccies and animal crackers.

“Did someone say biccies?”

I rattled my boxes enthusiastically.

And suddenly I had everyone’s attention.

Barrel  had already decided there were haynets to finish (and he got an extra biccie for being my sensible boy).

The others soon followed me inside too.

That was all except for Lambie and Madge who were still playing Suspicious Aloysius.

But Lambie could hear crunching. I went out and lured him in with a crunchy packet.

And then suddenly it was alright. The shed was fine to be in and oh look, Muzzah put up some haynets to finish.  Who knew?

I left Madge to her own thoughts.  She’ll work it out.  I know she just doesn’t like people in her shed – they have a funny taste, apparently.

Give me strength!

No Idea What is Going On

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I went out early worried at what I might find in the stable but Kolka, Iacs and Haakon were fine and wanting to leave. I gave them their breakfast and everyone was totally normal.

Next I led Fivla and Vitamin into the field I thought would be safest for Kolka so they could all be together again.

Everyone went in, again perfectly normally.

And since then I have been checking on Kolka every few hours and there has been nothing.

Her owner came to see her and he agreed, Kolka was the same old Kolka, except for the massive wound on her forehead, now stitched up.  He got not vibes either of anything being off and he knows Kolka very well.

So I wonder if it was just a series of unfortunate events – (falling over fence, superficial cut on forehead, panic attack and then major cut on forehead) ie. completely random events that have absolutely nothing to do with each other or is there something else going on?  I just don’t know and I have no clues either from Kolka herself.  She is so normal, like nothing has happened. She remains on daily analgesia and antibiotics.

We will see how things go in the next few days before we make any big decisions.  If I can’t keep Kolka safe, then ….. well, as my mother would say, “we will see”.