A calm sailing, so lots of sleep. I didn’t even wake up when the boat stopped at Orkney (around 11p.m.).  So that was me nicely set up for the long drive south to our hotel in Cumbria – roughly the half-way mark.

We renamed the Sat-Nav to Twat-Nav as it at first determinedly tried to make us pull a U-ie on an Aberdeen dual carriageway and return us to Shetland!  After some drastic reprogramming (with a large axe), it luckily saw sense and directed us south, as originally instructed.  In revenge, it duly fell off the windscreen at a vital moment while negotiating Glasgow so Floss had to tenderly hold the bloody thing and tell me what it was saying.

We only got hooted at twice (I have no idea why).  We sat in a traffic jam for a while until we got bored while discovering it was going nowhere we wanted to go!

There was some mighty rain, for a while, and my granny-like driving in my granny-like car coped.

We had one stop at the Temple of Tesco, Dundee.  So many things to buy but so little anyone actually wants, or needs!

And this is the view from our bedroom window.  Trees!  I do miss them.

A good supper, bed and then onwards!

Floss and I are in our cabin on the boat going south now.

A long journey lies ahead but until then we are hunkering down with our supplies. Xx

Well, I told the little ones that I wouldn’t be around for almost two weeks and Daisy will be in charge.  Albie wanted to be packed in my suitcase.

As did Newt.  I told them sadly no, and I doubt my Mother would mind.  Her beautiful garden might, though!

They went through all my belongings – Fivla’s eye cleaning stuff, the teeth swoosher, the bucket of water for the swooshing.

I call this photo “My Little Hippo” rather than My Little Pony!

The flowers are stupendous in this field.  Fivla looked beautiful in them.  She has *** cough *** put on her summer weight!

And Vitamin is a much better shape, which is encouraging.  We will fatten her up ready for another Shetland winter.

I am so pleased I moved them all yesterday, because the lime arrived possibly in afternoon (it just appeared out of nowhere!) and already the bunny rabbitses have made it their home.

This afternoon, watching Star Trek Voyager, I tackled my ironing mountain this afternoon so I can pretend that we are always clean and tidy.  Then I try to pack what I actually need, will wear and use.  I don’t find any of this easy.

There is nothing nicer than a walk in the Shetland evening sunshine.

I try to go most evenings 1) because it is magical…. and 2) apparently it is good for me!

Today, Floss and I moved the Minions down to the lower field.  Apparently, I am told, the lime boat is arriving this weekend and we will have a 15 tonne delivery for their fields.  The ponies were moved and instructions have been left as to where the lime should be dumped and then spread.  It will hopefully kill-off the moss and let the grass grow through better.

Anywho, everyone thought the bottom field was fabulous. Full of long grass.

To start with, they went rushing about.

The grass was even higher than Newt’s knees!

Tiddles and old ladies, of course, were just “heads-down and eat”!

There was more enthusiastic rushing.  I think Newt is actually swimming through the grass!

I hope the lime makes a difference. It has been on my list for ages.

First up was Vitamin. Every morning, she keeps an ear and eye out for me and my buckets.  I think cantering up is the only exercise she actually gets.  Still, she is very enthusiastic and that is good to see.

Fivla prefers a more sedate approach, confident in the knowledge that I won’t give her bucket to anyone else. I wouldn’t dare!

I put Vitamin’s bucket in a little fenced off bit so she can eat at her own speed, at a relaxed pace and without the threat of her bucket being stolen.

Storm, I said “without the threat of her bucket being stolen.”  He wouldn’t dare. He is not that stupid. Optimistic, yes, but not stupid.

Dear old Vitamin.  It is only recently that I can see that she is looking her age.

But there’s not much I can do for her apart from giving her a regular meal, swoosh her teeth (so no debris lingers) and observe her actual quality of life.

We had a quiet chat about this and she is still happy.

Vitamin would be the first to tell me when she’d had enough. I know that.

Meanwhile, Waffle was feeling the heat horribly.  He eventually came over huffing and puffing and complaining bitterly about the “hot” Shetland summer.  So I got one of the now-empty feed buckets and drenched him in the cold stream water.

He loved that!

It made a huge difference and he was much happier.

The others entertained themselves.

Newt tried to squish the two beautiful orchids I was trying to photogragh.

And then he had a discussion with the bucket.

Life is seldom dull with the Minions.