I didn’t have a good night last night.  No sleep. I felt like electric ants were crawling all over me.  So I had an easy day today making everyone else do my chores, because that is what daughters are for!

Anyway, this handsome prince was waiting for me at the front door. Daisy has made her boys a day-paddock of grass that needs eating around the outside of the house.

To clear my head, I went for a walk along the road.  The wild flowers are fabulous, as usual but the bog cotton or cottongrass is amazing this year.

I have never seen it this good.

In Shetland, bog cotton is known as “Lucky Minnie’s Oo”.  Apparently “Lucky Minnie” is Scottish for grandmother. “Oo” is Shetland dialect for wool.  The perfect name then.

And I have just found this out, it was used for dressing wounds in the First World War (1914 – 1918).

Brilliant to see this time of year and possibly the definition of a swathe.

My head is cleared and I am feeling a bit better now. I hope it was just one of those nights and I am back to default settings.

Those electric ants are not welcome.

You know when you drive past a house, a place, a road, somewhere that you always tell yourself you should visit because it intrigues you……

Well, today, Daisy and I went to look at a small derelict kirk up on the hill that is a few miles down the road from where we live.  I must have driven past it a thousand times and I have always wanted to go inside.

Outside the front door – untamed rosa rugosa (beach rose) and sheep wool were tangled together like a scene from Great Expectations – the bit when Pip goes to see Miss Haversham.

We clambered through and opened the front door.

(lovely floor)

The kirk was in a bad way.

Some of the walls were back to the original lathe and plaster.

Most of the glass in the windows had gone – a bird flew through obviously very used to the escape route.

We found this nest later.

The view from the pulpit.

On the pulpit were three books. Two Bibles.

And a fascinating Scottish Psalter.

Is this instruction of how to sing the Psalms, ie when to change key? I have never seen music written out like this before.

We were not irreverant or disrespectful in any way – there was still a sense of peace and prayer in the kirk even though we found out later that the last congregation to attend was in 1980.

In the back room, we found the last remnants of worship.

I think these were envelopes for putting money in if you missed a service.

The Communion wine?

I said to Daisy “Oooh, a cross” and she replied “No, it’s part of a window”. Me told then.

Once outside, we carefully shut the door properly, bolting it against the destructive Shetland wind.

And had a wander around the outside.

I am glad we went in and saw this kirk. I love exploring and I love local history.

I found this information on t’net.

Today was Dreki’s turn. I don’t know why really. We don’t tend to do much with the youngsters, expecting them to lead nicely and have some good manners.  But as Efstur was coming in to be trained, I brought Dreki in too.

And then handed him over quickly over to Daisy!

These past few months Dreki Dragon has grown into himself and is standing tall and looking very like his dad, Taktur.

Daisy did some brushing and then took the little black dragon for a walk in a headcollar and lead-rope.

He has calmed down (matured) since we last did anything with him.

Both directions with walking nicely and standing still.

All good.

Then she handed me the lead rope and brought Efstur into the school to work with.  When the dividing wooden bar slid open, Dreki’s eyes were on stalks – it was the unexpected scraping noise, I think.

So we obviously had to go and investigate.

I like Dreki very much.  He is growing up.

Next up, I tied him up in our general waiting area and left him to work out how to stand quietly.

Once he realised he was arguing with only himself and no one else cared or wanted to get involved, he soon calmed down and just stood there watching Efstur being ridden.

He was fascinated by this activity.

So that was Dreki’s day.  I like watching his development.  He is a nice chap.

A lovely Shetland Summer’s day so Floss and I spent the morning with the Minions.  After doing a daily hoof rasp (Vitamin’s turn), I went and sat with Fivla.

I think she is looking fabulous.  A bit more winter coat to drop out and she will be in her Summer dresses.

I love the way she watches “her Flossie” brushing Sóley’s winter coat out.  Fivla has always been Flossie’s pony or is it the other way around?  Flossie has always been Fivla’s human.

While I sat with Fivla, Lilja was giving the mineral lick a good seeing to.  Note the two small wicked bottoms of Albie and Newt up to absolutely no good. You can hear the plotting and scheming.

See, I told you.  I knew it.

That was the hoof rasp got…

And then the hoof stand (ok, it’s an axle stand but it does the job, if badly).

Anyway, it was doomed.

Fivla and I watched on.

I relaxed in her company and tried to ignore the evil goings-on.

There was not a lot I could do except clear up the mess afterwards.  I am used to doing that.  Those two were in an evil mood.

*** sigh *** Never mind. The view was good.

And the flowers are beautiful.

My poor wee Lambie. He was having a moment yesterday so I let him out of his field and quickly found out what was wrong – the flies. He hates flies and it was a windless day so they were out in force.

I went for my walk and he said he would follow me, but didn’t leaving to go to a high part of the hill to get away from the beastly flies.

After my walk, I went up the hill to find Lambie and to check he was ok. Hard to miss – always different.

I sat down with him and we had a chat.

I even managed a small Winning Smile, which was lovely.

And then quickly back to “vanting to be alone”.

Poor Lamb-Lamb. He hates flies and really struggles.  When he eventually came home, he ran into the house so I sprayed him with a citronella mixture. He went back outside coughing and threatening to die.

I even thought about letting Lambie sleep in my shed – I have a camp bed so could keep an eye and could burn a few joss-sticks but the spray mixture seemed to work and he calmed down.  Today has been better. There is a breeze.

Last night was spent on Amazon buying anti-fly collars and a citronella dog tag as well.  I hope it comes quickly.  I hate it when he is so unhappy.  I worry.