Farm Life with Skyelark, Our Scottie
The Nasty Wee Beasty
When Island Reality Meets Urban Illusions
🦠 The Mite Reality Check
Our Scottish Terrier Skyelark has them—the 'nasty wee beasty'. The mite will happily live off its preferred host for up to 17 days, so it is imperative that we get this thing sorted. This isn't just a pet health issue; it's a masterclass in what happens when urban convenience meets island reality.
On the mainland, a mite infestation would mean a quick call to the local vet, a same-day appointment, and a treatment plan backed by readily available medications and follow-up options. On Fair Isle, it means becoming your own veterinary strategist, your own supply chain manager, and your own crisis intervention specialist.
The mite doesn't care about our geographic constraints or our romantic notions of simple island living. It operates on its own 17-day lifecycle, indifferent to ferry schedules, weather windows, or our learning curve in remote animal care. This is the difference between choosing difficulty and having difficulty choose you.
🎭 To Mange or Not to Mange?
Our little girl is starting to lose a bit of hair too. This single sentence contains the emotional weight that separates theoretical preparation from lived reality.
When you choose remote living, you imagine yourself rising to heroic challenges—storms weathered, provisions managed, self-sufficiency achieved. You don't imagine yourself watching your beloved companion animal's health deteriorate while you frantically research treatments on an unstable internet connection.
The question "To mange or not to mange?" isn't philosophical—it's immediate, practical, and loaded with consequence. Skyelark's hair loss isn't just a symptom; it's a visible reminder that island living means accepting responsibility for outcomes that urban dwellers can outsource to professionals.
🎯 The Remote Care Framework
Diagnose
Become your own first-line veterinary assessor
Research
Transform internet connectivity into medical expertise
Procure
Navigate supply chains when time is critical
Execute
Implement treatment with precision and care
⚓ The Island Truth About Responsibility
The nasty wee beasty teaches lessons that no amount of urban pet ownership can prepare you for. When you're responsible for another life in a place where professional help is a plane ride away, every decision carries weight that most pet owners never feel.
This isn't just about mites—it's about what happens when the safety nets of civilization are removed and you discover what you're actually capable of. The mite infestation becomes a test of resourcefulness, commitment, and the willingness to learn skills you never thought you'd need.
Urban pet ownership lets you specialize in love while outsourcing expertise. Island pet ownership demands that you become competent in everything: diagnostician, pharmacist, treatment coordinator, and emotional support system. Skyelark's health crisis isn't just her challenge—it's our education in what real responsibility looks like.
The complete story of what happens when idealistic dreams of island living meet the practical realities of remote veterinary care, weather-dependent supply chains, and the education that only comes from being truly responsible for the lives in your care.
🌊 The Philosophy of Earned Competence
The mite infestation forced us to confront a fundamental truth about authentic living: genuine self-sufficiency isn't about rejecting help—it's about developing the competence to deserve it. When the vet is hours away by plane and weather permitting, you can't afford to be helpless.
Skyelark's recovery isn't just about eliminating parasites; it's about proving to ourselves that we made the right choice in coming here. Every successful treatment builds confidence not just in our veterinary skills, but in our decision to choose a life that demands growth over comfort.
The nasty wee beasty taught us that island living isn't about escaping responsibility—it's about embracing so much responsibility that you become the kind of person who can handle it. Skyelark trusted us enough to follow us to this remote outpost. Now we have to become worthy of that trust.
Continue the Journey
Share your own remote responsibility story in the comments below.