It has been “blowing a hooley” for almost 24 hours now but it is very gradually dying down now.  Last night my little house creaked like an old wooden ship at sea.  But, as my old neighbour used to say “Frances, your house has been there for hundreds of years; it’s not going anywhere now” and that gives me comfort when I am lying in bed wondering whether the roof will blow off!

Today, I fed the sheep in the stable (they didn’t want to leave and had to be evicted), scrambled up the hill to feed handfuls of TurmerAid and hoof supplement to the old men.  They couldn’t have their usual chaff in buckets as they would’ve blown away.

I also brushed Her Maj.

And the cat.

Then, I drove to Leradale to see the Minions.  Yesterday, we just threw them into the first field and decided to move them to the hilly bit at a later stage.

Seeing that they were already there, I went down with a bag of veg peelings, threw them in the air and ran back to shut the gate before the ponies worked out what I was up to!

Mwhahaha!

I am so glad (and relieved) they are all safely at Leradale now.

There was lightning forecast and they had been in the “lightning field”. I never saw or heard anything, though.

Then over to Sandness, checked the mares (ok, drove past – they were fine and the fence is barbed wire so difficult to get over), shut the gates in the old Minion field, tidied up some errant electric fence tape and drove home.

It was especially hard work when the wind was giving its best – Force 11 – but I got it done and I will sleep well tonight.

The weather forecast for the next 48 hours is horrendous so Daisy and I made the lightening decision to move the Minions in a very small weather window this morning.

With the “red sky in the morning”, we went out as soon as it was light, did our home chores as quickly as possibly and then, armed with our Cunning Plan and many carrots, we drove over to the Minion field.

First up, we moved Vitamin and Fivla during the morning “rush hour” as we knew they would load while traffic went past. The van is parked on the side of the road.  We chose Fivla and Vitamin because then they would be waiting quietly for the next load, thus preventing unnecessary panic/stupidity and jumping over fences looking for their herd (it has been known).

Second up were Lilja and Sóley.  Sóley is not the best loader, in fact she doesn’t load but Daisy and I have spent a bit of time quietly working on this speshul skill and we approached it with calmness and she walked in like a dream.  Phew!  Clever girl.

Third load was Albie, Newt and Silver and the last was Storm, Waffle and Tiddles.  At this stage, they practically put on their head-collars and loaded themselves.

So that’s that.  It took 3 hours.  My back is complaining bitterly (I have to put up the heavy ramp, while Daisy stays in the van holding all the ropes, climbs over the barrier and I let her out the back door – this is our system and it works).

Everyone was perfect and I thank the Gods for that. We did have a Plan B if Sóley wouldn’t load – basically to leave Fivla and Vitamin at Leradale and give the remainers a bale of hay to get them through the next 48 hours.

We are having a brief respite today – a day “between weathers”, as it is known locally.  Most of the flooding has subsided and the animals all seem fine, which is a huge relief.  I did worry all night as the storm raged on, loudly and without mercy.

After sorting out the horses/sheep/dog at home, Daisy and I loaded up the car and drove over to see the Minions (my poor Mum-mobile, it probably never envisaged life as a farm car after its cosseted garage south-of-England life!)

The Minions were having a snooze so we laid out the hay in a sheltered spot and added some suprise carrots.

I tell myself that we let the horses and ponies get fat in the summer months for exactly this type of winter weather.  Their fat-stores will keep them warm.  The Minions all happily dug into the hay and didn’t seem worse for wear at all.

When we have the first weather-window, we will try to move them over to Leradale where there is better shelter, and their winter grass waiting.

Tomorrow, first thing or possibly Monday is looking hopeful.  We will see. I always worry in storms.  I just do.

We’ve had some quantity of rain over the past 24 hours and now it is blowing a hooley as well.  Not nice.  The wind is going to swing round from the north, temperatures are dropping rapidly and snow is forecast in a Force 9 overnight.

There is flooding everywhere and I think I might be saying goodbye to my bridge too.

So Daisy and I shoved all the horses at home to dry out a bit in the stables with haynets, and then went on to Sandness to see how the Minions were getting on. We found them busy begging at the Hydro men (electricity supply) who were in next door’s garden for some reason.

We had driven over in the van which was just as well as the roads were flooded in quite a few places and I doubt my Mum-mobile would’ve got through.  Anyway, the van made it through valiantly and we had brought two bale of hay.  One bale we stored in a friend’s shed and the other we distributed. Happly little Minions who are hopefully ready to meet the storm with bellies full of fibre – the best fuel there is for their internal central heating system.

Their burn is flooding but there is shelter and higher ground to stand on.

We went home and I took a few photos of our flooded fields.

This is our other croft across the road that we rent out.

From the road.

And, interestingly, this is the burn in 2008.  My neighbour took this photo when she said the burn was the highest she had ever seen it, 12 years ago. I think today it is even higher.

Anywho, we have done our best for everyone.

Stay safe everyone xx

This is Fivla (our old lady – aged 24 years young) who was having a little-bouncy-bottom-of-happiness moment.

This included some tail swishing.

Lots of cantering around.

Unlike the beautiful streamline Jaguar behind her, Fivla was not designed for speed.

But she has determination.

Lots of determination.

Mostly she is the staid old little pony in the field who has taught many children to ride in her youth.

But on this day (when we put them into the big field), she suddenly was overtaken with joie de vivre.

There was no stopping her.

Briefly, she was young again.

I haven’t seen her do this for ages.  It was lovely.

She’s looking good and she’s still got it.