Autumn is running it’s course.  It becomes slightly colder each day and the garden is on its way out.  The last gasp of flowers are trying hard but it is a thankless task as no one is sitting outside to appreciate them.

Having said that, today was glorious – the sun was shining and no wind.  What Shetlanders call a day “Between Weathers”.

My back is still very far from good so I wandered about the garden “mobilising gently” taking photos of the last of the flowers.

I like the shapes, the patterns and the plant skeletons left behind.  I also like trying to work out how my camera works!  I am not a great one for RTFM and prefer to experiment with light, depth, etc.  Being self-taught also means I can’t actually explain to anyone how cameras and their settings work.  The hamster living in my camera is not considered a valid explanation.

  

The sun light was amazing too. I was almost……. yes, dare I say it? warm!

I happened upon Wussums who was out for a morning terrorisation of the locals.

He still loathes Loki and the feeling is totally mutual.

I know you are thinking he is fat but we barely feed him.  Wuss is just big boned this time of year and nature’s buffet trolley is still very plentiful.  Fat fur with the lispy purr.

Here are the results of my daily search for a Shetland pony, or is it a sheep?  No, ponies, those are definitely ponies.  Aren’t they?

(I am not driving today in case I can only get into the car and then find I can’t get out again when my back locks up – physio tomorrow so hopefully I will get some help and if I get stuck in Lerwick, the experts can prise me out).

Bjørn, Taktur’s trainer, came over this morning.  The rain has almost stopped and gone now and the fields quickly drained back to their normal state of winter sogginess.

Of course, the minute Bjørn mounted Taktur, it started to rain a bit so he warmed him up in the indoor school while waiting for it to stop.

Then Bjørn and Taktur went outside as it was more fun for them both.  So I sent them out wearing the correct gear (and if you still seriously think that this is a policeman on his horse, then you need your eyes testing).

Taktur’s fan club watched in envy.  Most of the envy was for the fact that Taktur lives in a field with muchos grass and this lot are fatty fat fat fat or blimpy blimp blimp blimp.

While I was waiting for horse and rider to return, I mooched about with Loki and BeAnne.

Loki practiced his coming when called.  This if the first time I have been able use my big camera and it was great fun (look? one leg!) watching him run.  Poetry, not like BeAnne who resembles a baked bean fired from a canon.

Eventually, there was the sound of “Black and Decker, Black and Decker” (the four beat noise of tölt) and Bjørn, Amina and Taktur came into view.

I took photos of them all going up and down the track trying to capture just how far Taktur has come in his training.  This is a very useful tool to look at later.  (I just love his happy little enthusiastic face with ears pricked as he bounces along!)

     

He is a horse in a million and only 4 years old.

We untacked Taktur, rugged him with his Thermatex and I held his food up for him as he tends to tip it up everywhere otherwise.  BeAnne acted as his own private Hoover and he dribbled the remainder onto her back so it looked like an appalling skin disease!

Having dribbled his food, Taktur then stood in his bowl.  (He is tied with two ropes because I could not work out how to undo the tape-like one so gave up and attached a rope instead because it tied better and he has his Houdini moments.)

Only a mother could love him, which is lucky because I adore him.

 

Last night it rained and rained and rained……

I could hear it all night, hammering on the roof, never giving up.

So this morning we were greeted by being under water.  I am glad we live mid way up a hill.  I am not holding out for that bridge which was on the way out anyway.

This is my neighbour’s field.  Not good.

And the burn coming down off Stourbrough Hill.  It was thundering and very noisy.

The horses, of course, were fine and didn’t give a damn.  Iacs was ridden and the same as ever.  Wet or dry, he happily bimbled along.  I did warn Janette, his rider, that he might try to roll but he behaved himself.

Taktur, our stallion, was pacing the fence because he caught a glimpse of his friends in the other field and wanted to be with them.  This bunch are all living in the Fat-Fighters-Field at the moment while Tatkur and Kappi have the long grass.  I think Iacs and Haakon would pop if we put him in that field.

You can see from Taktur’s coat that only the surface is wet  The rest is dry and we have had rain, and I mean real rain.

My back seized up last night and I couldn’t move this morning so I attached myself to the Tens machine plus took some painkillers and muscle relaxants.  This got me back on my feet  by lunchtime.  I am a great believer in gentle mobilisation, wherever possible, and I took Jack for his daily potter up the track.  There were rivulets of water coming down from the hills.

All the little streams were flooded and rushing along furiously.

My neighbours appeared to be living on an island.  I hope they are all ok.

I haven’t seen this much rain for ages.  But as quickly as it arrives, it all goes away after a few hours leaving us all feeling a bit soggy.

 

Indy and Hammy were resting their brains in their vast field this morning.

Jo and Fi were taking the girls out for an amble and training session on the road.

So Indy and Hammy got up to have a gaze.

Andy and Charlie were in the field too and rushed up to the see the ladies.

Hammy used the opportunity to show-off.  He knows he has the moves and so strutted his stuff up and down the fence for all to appreciate.

  

Then, as they rode off into the distance, he looked around and decided on doing his second best thing – which is annoy everyone else, mostly Charlie.

I love the way Charlie just stood there, completely nonplussed, while Hammy pranced around him in circles.

Eventually Hammy successfully managed to annoy everyone.

He received a reaction from Charlie, which was what he was aiming for all along.

Charlie tried running away but there was no point as everything Hammy did was faster, prettier and effortless.

So Charlie stopped and they were the best of friends instead.

Having finished with Charlie, Hammy happened to find his teeth resting on IndyPingPong who also happened to be in the area.  Indy gave as good as he got.

Hammy is a glorious registered Welsh Section A boy.

He is in a different league of beauty compared to his fat little hairy Shetland pony friends.  His pedigree is exemplary too.

I always think Hammy is one of those people who has ugly friends so he can stand next to them and look the prettiest in photographs!  You know the type.

He is that kind of friend but he does love his Indy.  Best friends forever!

 

Today, I decided to drive the car.  I had a shot yesterday and found it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would and yes, I could do an emergency stop.  So, off I drove.  The weather has been very curate’s egg – good, bad and very very fast.  It changes in minutes.

I love driving around.  Even the local routes have much to see.

The neighbour’s ponies were being unforgiveable.  I hate it when they do this to the fences.  I usually set BeAnne onto mine but I didn’t have her in the car. I also didn’t think it would be “a good thing” to set Her Maj onto someone else’s ponies!

I met up with some friends for lunch (yes, I am Café society) in the local church.  They make the best soup, bacon rolls and cake!  Hmmmm….. whoever made that Victoria sponge can live in my kitchen.

Then I made the most of my freedom and drove about looking for good waves.  A normal Shetland day, Gale Force something.

I saw a strange coloured wild bunny.  This are a few of them about and I suspect pet rabbits have made it into the local population.  We also have Myxomatosis, which is horrible.

My neighbour’s Shetland ponies looked amazing against the background of the stormy sea.

I drove to Dale Beach where Foula sits bang in the middle.  Did you know that down in this sea is the sister ship to the Titanic – RMS Oceanic – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Oceanic_(1899) – it went down on 8 September 1914?

And then I became obsessed with waves.  Where did the blue colour hide?  The sea was grey and stormy. I took many photos just to capture that magical ocean blue.

     

I sat in my little car and watched the sea for a while.  It was incredible.  All that enormous force.

And then I drove home again.

Golly, it is good to be out.