At some unearthly hour this morning, I received a phone call from the ferry company saying they were taking livestock. Huzzah!  At last.

So, after lunch, we brought Lilja and Sóley into the stable for the last time.  While Floss distracted everyone else with early haynets, I gave the girls a brush.  Manes and tails mostly.

I spent my time telling them I loved them very much and to be there for each other on their long journey south and to be good and kind to their new owners but most of all, make me proud.

They listened.

Then we loaded them using our usual bucket-of-feed method to which I had attached string so Floss could haul the buckets up once finished and we could set off knowing they didn’t have them rolling around their legs during the journey.

This method worked extraordinarily well.  I was pleased with my invention.

So loaded up, we set off. I took it very slowly giving us lots of time to get to the ferry port at Lerwick.

Once there, the gates were open and the girls were handed over. It was all very quick. The men were waiting for us, so I only managed a quick kiss good bye on their noseys (Lilja and Sóley, not the men!)

The boat will sail later this evening.

And the girls were loaded straight into their livestock container which had been prepared for their arrival with hay and water.

Travel safe, ladies.  Make me proud (*** sniff ***)

Monster is missing his family – Daisy and OH are not here for various reasons.  Floss and I do are best but in our hearts we know it is not enough.

I hope OH is reading the blog so he can see this awful photo…..

And this!

Monster is never allowed on the kitchen table.  This is his (and mine) look of “we don’t care!”  The sauce bottles are always suspiciously clean – just sayin’ – and today I had to buy bread.   OH always makes bread.  Oh, the shame.

Ted was also shocked.

And Pepper was looking for anything edible or inedible that might hit the floor.

Meanwhile the playing never stops.  It is actually lovely, if exhausting, to watch.  Pepper needed Ted in her life and he is very happy with this role.

This film has sound…. enjoy!

Yesterday, the sun shone and we had blue sky.  Wonderful.  I took this photo of Haakon just after he had demolished his bucket of green sludge.

Haakon now seems to be back on track and, again, I feel we dodged a bullet (well, he did, literally).

Iacs thinks green sludge is possibly the best food ever. He waits for me, trying to catch my eye in his “restaurant”, so I will bring it to him. These days I am just everyone´s waiter.  That´s what it feels like.

The girls still haven’t gone south. Every Thursday seems to be accompanied by a southerly gale and so the captain cancels taking livestock. I don’t mind. They are enchanting.

Though, taking photos of them is proving very difficult!

They like to follow.

I have to go south again at the end of this month for a few weeks but when I am back, I want to start riding Klængur again.  His hoof has healed and the cut has grown out.  Now he has had lots of time off, hopefully we can get going again.

While I am south, I shall dream of tölting on Klængur.  We used to have such fun.  I miss riding but at the moment I am just too busy – I meet myself coming home – so it will be something to look forward to.

Farrier Day today so we set off first to Leradale for the Minions and Old Ladies.  All fine there.

We worked on the usual basis of those that needed to be trimmed, were trimmed.  Newt got off free today.  Methinks he should really have cloven feet!

Apparently there’s a farrier in there somewhere!

Then home.  As Stephen, our farrier, was only trimming and not hot-shoeing (one firey flaming forge + Pepper = disaster), I made the decision to let the dogs out to introduce themselves. New people and situations are always a good thing. Ted said hello and went quickly back into the house while Pepper stayed around outside to “help”.

This is Efstur’s “I am a good boy” face.

And he was.

Everyone behaved perfectly especially with a small inquisitive dog around taking the hoof pieces to chew.  I was very pleased with Pepper.

It was all relatively easy today.

And someone is going to sleep well tonight!

I dreaded going to see Vitamin today. If she hadn’t improved, I was going to seriously think about our next step for her.

So I steeled myself up, took the bucket (deciding to keep it “normal”, ie food Vitamin had been eating before all this started rather than trying out new things).  I didn’t try to catch her. I just called her to her little shed, put the bucket down and walked away leaving her to herself. Like I used to.

So she ate…….. and I cried with relief.

I was standing guard at the door where I had visitors.

Floss was guarding Fivla from marauders.

She also had the bag of carrots, carefully chopped into edible shapes for old ladies.  The marauders were then happy.

After Vitamin finished (there was only a tiny bit left), Vitamin walked to the door where I was standing and I offered her the carrot which she happily scoffed, caught her (there really was no escape), and quickly gave her the injection, which she hated.  Luckily Storm had barged in to finish the bucket and I used him as safety while she threatened to kick (that injection must sting). I washed out her mouth (literally and physically!) and gave her the painkillers.

You know how relieved I feel.  I think we have bought ourselves a little more time.