Uninvited guests
Jonathan >
After a few days of clear skies and warm summer sunshine, and more than week since the last rain, today’s low cloud and drizzle are good for the walled garden and the croft ;
but they also make the morning rounds just a bit harder work – not least climbing the hill in waterproof jacket and trousers.
I reach the hill gate to find none of the sheep waiting for me – not even little Windy, anxious for her morning bottle of milk. (I’m going to have to start weaning her, soon.) I climb to a prominent high point and call Trobhaibh! Trobhaibh (Come hither! Come hither!), and listen for the echo resounding from the steep north face of Beinn Eisabhal. Satisfying, but unlikely to reach far in the low cloud.
I wait a while and listen: distant bleating: but from where ; from whom? And what’s that … neighing, too?
The cloud swirls and clears, opening up a view of the corrie above Seonaidh‘s crofts. In the distance, appearing over the high ground between Bun a Mhuillin and Roisinis, appears a few black heads, and the bleating becomes clearer and just perceptibly louder.
I wait.
Suddenly, looming out of the cloud to the right, not the corrie below, appear two white Eriskay mares. A trail of others appear behind them. All uninvited guests, here for a free breakfast!
They’re friendly enough, and one older mare accepts my strokes around her head, but is more interested in the bag I have with me, containing the sheep’s morning ration. Within moments, I have twenty Eriskays pestering me for sheep nuts. “No way! These are for Queenie and her flock : you can [beep] off!”
Queenie herself soon appears at the head of the rise, Windy close behind, and the rest of the flock trailing along, all bleating ‘Wait for me!” “Don’t forget me” and more on that theme.
Queenie leading the flock, arriving after Eriskay ponies.
I lay down big fistfuls of sheepnuts, arranged in an irregular line (as tussocks and puddles permit), keeping it short so that the sheep crowd together and there’s few opportunities for the ponies to stick their heads in and steal.
But the sheep are skittish, nervous of the (to them) huge Eriskays: I stomp around the ewes in a circle, defending them and their breakfast from any disturbance by the avaricious Eriskays.
Soon, the sheep have had their fill, and move on: the ponies move in and comb the ground with their soft whiskers, their lips parting as they detect the occasional sheepnut missed by the sheep.
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Are the ponies wild? They’re lovely but you don’t really need more dependents. I feel like I missed a post about your health?
J > Not wild, but not entirely domesticated. They’re all owned, but minimally managed. We have the right for one pony (and it’s foals up to 12m old) to go on the common grazing – but we don’t use it, as it would bring additional responsibilities we could do without. The post you might have missed was ‘Down but not out’ – fairly recent. It looks like the long-term effects of having Lyme Disease (diagnosed about 10-12 years ago – but too late to ensure treatment effective) may be ME/CFS, which like Lyme Disease is a neurological condition probably originally triggered by bacterial infection of the nervous system (in this case with Lyme Disease). I’m no hypocondriac, and I hate labels attached to me, but it is useful to understand what’s wrong, and more importantly how best to manage the condition so I can best continue normally. No lying around feeling sorry for myself – that’s not my way!
Those are beautiful horses! But like you the sheep would come first for me also.
How are you doing, by the way? I’ve been wondering ever since your post .
J > Better – for now. ‘Episode’ was suddenly gone, as per my post, and since then feeling generally good. But a lot of physical exertion on any one day leaves me low the next, so best to keep moving, take things steady. Example: I no longer round the sheep up to shear all, or even most. Now I keep them coming to me, used to me and trusting, and then just ask one if she doesn’t mind me shearing her. Next morning, same thing. Less stress for everyone, that way! Obviously that means we have to keep numbers down. [Shearing post on its way.] Thanks for asking Linda.
Your shearing post will be very interesting. I’m glad you are doing better, Jonathan. Tick fever is a huge problem to over come!
We have nothing so exciting stop in unexpectedly…for the most part, only animals that pose a risk to our animals (but not to us).
Interlopers, I know, but what charming ones! Glad to read the sheep got their breakfast.
Though I was playing a different fiber this week at Smithfield House, some of your Hebridean was displayed with a bit to handle. Can’t wait to spin it. Last night while helping a friend sort and inventory her fleece for Wool Pool, mill, and personal use, I came home with a white down Dorset ram raw fleece and an older Shetland x Finn brown raw fleece. Guess I better get on wool prep.
J > Dorset Down is wonderfully fine – though often a bit short for hand-spinners. It is similar, though I think superior as regards fine-ness, to other downland breeds developed in the early-mid 19thC, such as the Shropshire. Enjoy!