Saturday 30 March 2013

357

There's a few piglings knocking about The Croft at the moment. Not entirely sure where they came from but think there may be some incest involved.

Nevertheless, the little darlings look lovely and Mr Crofter Sir, him of the committees etc loves them all the same.


They have been enjoying the sunshine too.

Saturday 23 March 2013

355

Poor little Poppy - for that is the new coow-ettes flavour - has been a tad under the weather. She was rather keen to explore the croft yesterday but the cold got to her and the coow physician had to be called to give her a tonic. Now she resides with Hyacinth in a nice warm barn all surrounded by hay-bales to keep the cold east-wind that is roaring across the island out.

Poppy

Luckily Mr Crofter Sir had a delivery of hay from the mainland the other day - the evening he was meant to be coming out for dinner as it happens. But, I am sure Poppy is most grateful for the hay-bale wall as well as something nice to lie on.

Hay-rolls

A few of the hay-rolls outside the tooth factory prior to their re-positioning in the barn. I think perhaps the rolling of the rolls and the carrying of the bales got the better of The Crofter that evening. I mean, he even turned down a dram in front of the fire!


Meanwhile, the chickens, turkeys and the like can use the draped hay-rolls as a nice perch in a barn.

Thursday 21 March 2013

354



This is Cocker - or something like that. Or maybe not. I can't remember as my ears are always ringing when he's around [in the cage]. He struts around his cage, chewing the slipper [!] squawking and all that as if he owns the place. Who does he think he is eh? Tell me that.

And Sue likes him. Talks to him and everything. Imagine.


Tuesday 19 March 2013

353

Yay! Another coow-ette has arrived. Mrs Hyacinth delivered the little one without any of the fuss that Esme created. And yes I have a snap and no, I haven't developed it yet. It has yet to named on account of it's unknown flavour.

Mr Crofter Sir, the 40 year old down the road was coming out for a celebration dinner with Eve and I last night - but the hay delivery came late. Saw the lorry trekking back to the ferry as we tootled home. Ah well, another day perhaps.


The new apportionment has now been properly apportioned and fenced by The Crofter, family and friends. And a wonderful job they have done too. Looks like nothing is going to get through - but they have managed to remember a gate. Just need to have it GPS'd and the coows can have a look then.



Dad Crofter supervised 'The Hanging of the Gate' and smiled as he did it. Mr Crofter Sir took the wheezing tractor up there as he needed to pull the Land-Rover out of the wet peat where it had sunk up to it's armpits. Friends eh?


Still, look at the fence. Has a touch of the Hebridean in it already!

Sunday 17 March 2013

352

The weather so far today has been lovely. I mean, I actually saw a couple of people WALKING to church this morning! We spurned that way of being and took off for a stroll on the beach.


Hyacinth awaits some action in the maternity hutch while her son Flash bellows at whoever he can out on the borrowed apportionment. He is missing Mum.



The weather is not always so kind, snow, rain, sunshine and wind are all available on the same day sometimes. But animules still have to be fed, stuff has to done and what have you - and sometimes I get a snap of 'it'.




Meanwhile The Crofter sits in front of the wide screen TV watching 'his' team lose. Again.

Saturday 16 March 2013

351

There were three here, now two

We were out at the old, borrowed apportionment the other day. I rather suspect Mr Crofter Sir, him of the grazings, shoppe etc, likes to arrange a 'happening' from time time - when he thinks my blog is a little slow no doubt.
There are two beasts out there now after Hyacinth came in for some bed rest prior to her giving birth to another calf-ette. She rests less than contentedly in the birthing barn waiting for something to ahppen - and food to arrive. Meanwhile Diogenes and Flash reside out on the apportionment - Flash not being so keen since it's the first time away from mum. But it seem Diogenes is schooling Flash in the ways of exiled Shetland coows by chasing The Crofter across the land as he ventured in with a bag of feed in hand. And I have the snaps to prove I think -  although the film is yet to be sloshed in chemicals to show the images. Anyway, I have never seen The Crofter move so fast - except when Tinga looked like she was going to place he horns where horns didn't out to be in The Crofter :-).

There is also good news on the new apportionment - Eve and I were out inspecting the progress this morning and witnessed a momentous event - of which more another time. Needless to say The Crofter was smiling - for a change :-(


Just remembered I had a film from the Zorki4 hanging in the dryer thing so popped out and found these snaps. Not quite the masterpieces I had taken in my mind by hey, I just snap away!

See the interest of Flash as The Crofter takes a bale of hay stuff and a BAG of FOOD as well. You can almost feel Flash slavering at the thought.



And here we see [excuse me while I giggle helplessly for a moment] The Crofter legging it away from an over-interested Flash and Diogenes. Told you I had a snap didn't it?

Thursday 14 March 2013

350

The official Crofter Birthday snaps;





Yes, well.

He was enjoying himself anyway!

349

Well, hello [apologies for my language, just getting down wif the yoof - reinstating my own lack of years - relatively that is ].

Well hello, Mr Crofter Sir - him of the grazings committee, the shoppe committee and the wheezing Chinese tractor is 40 years of age today. Imagine that. He can't.


Look how handsome he still is [this was taken a couple of years back mind - and he does seem to aged a bit of late]. But still, 40! How young is that?

I, The Crofter's own official photographer will be down later to take his official birthday snap - hopefully he'll be dressed by then. I might even wish him Happy Birthday. 40 eh? Can you believe it?

Tuesday 12 March 2013

348

There are other crofters in North Tolsta - other than The Crofter - formerly known as Paul. You might havbe seen snaps of some of the others before but, I must admit they have rather taken a back seat recently due to the excitement in The Crofter's life. I mean, looks like there's another calf on the way and Hyacynith has been brought back to the ranch today so she can have her foal in comfort. relative comfort. I haven't been down this afternoon so don't be getting all excited up because I have no snaps of her.

But I do have a snap of Hector. Somewhere. Look here, there's a nice snap of a Murdo too. Murdo now has this huge vehicle with which to get the milk from the shoppe. Very impressive - and you could get a fleet of sheeps in the back if you wanted to. Reminds me of a scene from Local Hero - which, if you have not seen, you must!




And there's this lovely crofter - whom I forget his name but should imagine it's either Murdo or Donald! Lovely chap whatever his name is.

Saturday 9 March 2013

347

I'm not sure the new apportionment that the Crofter has use of is finished yet. Can't be sure because I'm not really aware what it will look like when it is finished. I suppose the coows will be looking it over. Yes, that will be a give-away.

In the meantime, The Crofter and Dad Crofter are still giving a bite to eat to the coows still on the borrowed apportionment which means a mechanical beast - one that's working and everything - has to take out a roll of hay-stuff as well as some lovely dry-stuff for the coows - including Diogenes who is huge these days - to eat.

I get to go along and point an old camera at them. See if anything un-towards happens. It doesn't. But I snap all the same. I shall came back again just to see if The Crofter falls into a wet patch!





Wednesday 6 March 2013

346


The sheeps are safely in the croft now after their brief stay on the cliff edge. Black Hebrideans and the woollie-back white ones too. All friendlied up together - though they always seem to keep a distance from each other.


See, that's Dad Crofter driving the quad on the beach below here trying to see where the sheeps had got to. Luckily not right down on the beach - although it wouldn't be the first time if they had fallen there.


And there's some woolie-backs looking at the view near the stop of the somewhat unstable cliff. Probably looking to see if the MV Isle of Lewis has sailed.


The sheeps have this to play in when they are put down on the bit of common grazing. I never tire of looking and photographing it. Wonderful landscape!


Oooh, don't look down. That's the little steep road down to the beach.


I might add here I took the opportunity to post a few more snaps - all duly off proper film, developed and all by me to celebrate hearing that I have fans who read this stuff. Especially those at Earthlines - a lovely magazine.

Tuesday 5 March 2013

345


It seems the day has not started properly if The Crofter isn't seen with his bucket of builders tea in hand en-route to the tooth factory. I think he was pointing for 'Arts' sake. Possibly. Not that I know who Art is anyway.


Meanwhile the ducks are doing their thing, taunting the next door crofter's furry things. They were making quite a racket but the sheeps just carried on eating.


And Dad Crofter took his bucket up the road in search of some freshish grass for the guinea pigs to eat.

Monday 4 March 2013

344

The Crofter has escaped my interest the last couple of days. I have my own life you know and a lot of the time it's interesting enough not to have to supplement it with excitement down at the croft.

The other day I took off with The Crofter and Dad Crofter to move the sheeps from there [the upper machair] to there [the croft] ready for the lambing that's looming. Only, an unwanted dog joined in the 'fun' and in no time at all the sheeps were all over the shop - including halfway down the cliff-face on the machair - thankfully in a safe place. They are all up and on the croft now but Mr Crofter Sir, him of the grazing committee and everything was not a happy bunny.

Donald, Mr Crofter's neighbour was visiting the other day. Looks like neeps was on his menu.


Donald on his own plot

Sunday 3 March 2013

343

Nothing passes The Crofter when it comes to style. Or is it that he doesn't notice anything when it comes to fashion?


Notice the fashionable dungarees. I seem to remember these in the 1980s so you can see The Crofter is keeping well in the 'vogue'.


And now, in keeping with the 'trend', The Crofter dons a scarf!