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.

A filthy day so being a nice Mum, I let all the sheep out of their field as they hate being there when it is raining. To be fair, though, it has very little shelter and they don’t go straight to bed but generally let themselves into another field, by going through a sheep-shaped hole in the fence!

So, this afternoon, the Boyzens and Girlzens were around and Lambie, when asked, made a bee-line into my shed, where I was working.  They had already had their ration of ginger-biccies (2 each) so it wasn’t for food, he came running but to be in my shed.

I haven’t seen Lambie, by himself, for a while.  He chooses his Mum moments, not me.

He was quite aloof to start with.

And I tried to ignore this.

But then he turned round and gave me his 100% Winning Smile which of course melted my heart.

FYI, this is a Knowing Look not a Winning Smile.  They are very different.

And then Lambie said, having done at least 5 minutes of being nice, that he wanted out.

And when Lambie says he wants out, I usually believe him because sometimes he is asking to go out because he wants a piddle and it is never good to call his bluff.

A Muzzah knows (or at least tries to).

I drove over to check the Minions this morning.  I could sense they were very fed up of their 2 week old field.  To be fair, it is pretty small and they had done their best.

I came home and remarked to Daisy about the change in Minion attitude and perhaps we could move them over the road to their old field (which has had a good rest) tomorrow.  She replied that the weather was going to deteriorate and, if we were going to move them, we should do it NOW!

So we did. We drove back and two at a time grouped by levels of unhelpfulness starting with the worst, we led them over the road into their bigger field.

1. Lilja and Sóley
2. Storm (idiot) and Silver (stupid to catch)
3. Waffle and Tiddles (can be a race-horse to lead and Tiddles can be an arse to catch)
4. Albie and Newt (better at waiting with Fivla and Vitamin who are always last)
5. Fivla and Vitamin (for two old ladies, they were very happy!)

And then they all ran around madly while Daisy opened gates all the way down.

Fivla was doing happy little bucks to herself.

Albie watched the first lot (Silver, Waffle, Lilja and Sóley) gallop off to the next field that Daisy was opening up.

And then there was a mass bunching of bottoms and off they went too.

This is my most favourite of photos. Albie as a small jousting horse!

And off they vanished, almost down to the sea.

I think that was a wise decision to make.

Nothing much today. A day of well-earned rest.  I think I’ve just about thawed and dried out now.

The view from the car (still driving my Mother’s car as mine is still in the garage with no diagnosis!) I went to fill it up with petrol and it was a lovely drive to the pumps, which are 20 minutes away.

I came home to find Daisy just about to hop onto Efstur who was trying bit number 3,445 (well, it feels like it!)  This is the titanium version of the sweet gold anatomical straight bit.

This got the Daisy and Efstur Seal of Approval with the caveat that some horses do insist on going round like goldfish and Efstur may be one of them but, as long as he isn’t chewing (ie wearing down his teeth) and he is happy and relaxed, then for the time being, we will go with that.  Nothing is written in stone.

Horses change as they grow up and develop. We’ve had Efstur’s teeth and mouth checked by a vet; he is happy, relaxed and listening so this is where we are.  Maybe one day Efstur will forget his goldfish ways.  Some do. Some don’t.