These two are very close.  Best buddies, in fact.

And they have perfected the Art of Annoying each other.  It is a great sport.

It’s a two way thing.

No one horse starts it.

They take it in turns to annoy each other.  All is very fair.

(I love this picture with Dreki’s ears all pointy!)

To be honest I am surprised either of them have any fur left.

Efstur and Dreki are very similar in so many ways – tongues out for the camera when I shout “oi!” – I have just remembered they share the same Mum, Brá.  Nuff said then.

And suddenly butter wouldn’t melt.

And off they go again!

Life is seldom dull with these two around.

Outside hurt.  Serious owie.  This afternoon when Floss and I were on our way out to drive around feeding and checking on everyone outwith Thordale, we were caught in a barrage of hail being blown (Force 11) at us.

It was like being viciously attacked with many, many needles that were not giving up.  I have not known such horrid sharp evil pain. We couldn’t run anywhere because we were laden down with necessities and the wind was blowing us back with the hail/needles into us.

So forgive me if there are no photos of animals or weather or anything really.  The best I can manage is BeAnne in the sofa this evening.

I made her a nest for her with a lid.

And she has made it her home, while she wears her thundershirt which, although is doing good is really no match for what is going on outside.

Apparently the next two days are looking much better – a brief respite but, still, I will take what I can.  Lots to do then while the wind blows slightly less.

On the good side, however, all the animals are doing well and seem happy with our Storm routine.

I finally did it and I realise now (hindsight is such an accurate science) that I should’ve done this years ago.  I bought BeAnne Duvet a Thundershirt.

We are currently living through 3 days of storms (a feisty Force 11) and the house is shaking and rattling while outside buckets of water are being hurled at us.  It is also very noisy.

But life is good!  For the first time ever, BeAnne has not spent her day under the towel rail in the bathroom shaking.

Obviously Monster is intrigued at this new fashion and, having never suffered a day’s anxiety in his life (apart from when his battery-operated food bowl failed to open at 3am – WORST DAY EVER and yes he has five meals a day, so shoot me! You don’t have to live with him), he is not getting one.

BeAnne even managed to scrounge at lunchtime and that is how I know she is feeling fine while Hell continues to erupts outside.

After feeding horses, feeding horses again, checking ponies, feeding more horses and throwing horses out into fields where horses belong, I went to my she-shed/shudio to make a sheep and Her Maj happily came along too.

Meanwhile, Monster’s anxiety has reached fever-pitch.

So all is good.  I am glad we have this amazing invention and I just wish I had bought a Thundershirt sooner.

Just so you know, BeAnne is not wearing it 24/7, though to be honest in this weather I think she should but the instructions say she must have a break to see if it fits ok and there is no skin irritation.

Edit: The Thundershirt back on now!  She loves it. Monster is so jealous!

Another edit: A little known fact – a Thundershirt is a f***er to put on when you’ve had a gin, or two, or three……

So you know – here to help!

Floss and I are always up and out at first light which today was 08.35.

The horses are usually, though not always, waiting to come in.

BeAnne is told to go to her “bed” – her safe place.

Haakon, Iacs and Klaengur are fed first.  Haakon has calorific food and his supplements, while the other two have calorie-free fibre (just don’t tell them) to keep them occupied.

Haakon likes to eat his food peacefully and without hassle.  Hassle comes in the form of Klaengur and/or Iacs who are like vultures.  Haakon just fires filthy looks at them.

Once the hard food has been eaten, the buckets are taken away and three haynets of varying degrees of difficulty are hung in the smaller stable.  Klaengur and Iacs go and join Haakon and they then get on fine.

BeAnne of course has disregarded my order and has found herself a better bed.

A Patterdale terrier always knows best!

Then Floss and I go and call the other Icelandics – Taktur, Kappi, Dreki and Efstur – up to eat their hay in the bigger bit of the stable.

And so we leave them all to it for the morning so they can rest, dry off and generally regroup.

The sun was almost appearing as we left.

But actual daylight is more and I noticed the Boyzens had come home and were wanting in for their breakfast here at “Hotel Thordale”.

It really is a very beautiful time of year despite the three days worth of gales were are currently living through.

And this was the moment the sun actually arrived – 09.07.

Sunset tonight was at 15.16.  Again, stunning and magical. I had just come home from checking the horses! It never stops.