Poor, poor Hetja is covered in horrid flies, all having a go at her.  No one else is suffering like her.  I don’t what it is.  Maybe because she is nursing a foal she is more attractive to flies.  Yes, there are flies about the other horses but Hetja is the one being attacked constantly especially around her legs, eyes and udder.  I have been using a citronella spray on her but it doesn’t last long enough and I don’t want her udder to smell odd to Sóley the Foalie.  It is a tough one.

So today I dug out an old fly mask we had used on a horse many moons ago for uveitis. I am not sure about the three straps at the top but I tied them onto the headcollar for good measure.  The fly mask wasn’t perfect, but I reckoned it would do for the time being.

Lilja was babysitting her little sister (awww, **** sweet ****).

I went up to Hetja and put on her mask with a headcollar attached.  She didn’t mind, not even slightly.

I admit that it is a bit work-in-progress and I check Hetja regularly. I will swap the headcollar over for a quick-release one.

Little Miss woke up and had a good scratch.

Lilja and Sóley investigated their mother’s new headwear.  Lilja pulled Hetja’s ear out so I went back, returned the ear to its rightful place and had words with Lilja.

As long as the damn thing stays in place for a little while.  Hetja seems happier too, which is good.

When I got home, I hit Amazon and bought a better fly mask with a nose-shield (against sunburn) as well, plus many bottles of Avon Skin So Soft.  Let’s hope it all arrives soon.

I am currently deciding whether I have tonsillitis (I thought I definitely had it last night at 03:00), a “strep throat” (ditto at 03:00) or a summer cold. My next door passenger on the Shetland plane home sneezed which I now realise was ominous.

So I am feeling grotty and getting grottier.

OH and Floss went to Lerwick for messages and were instructed to get sore throat lozenges, Lemsip and balsam tissues while I mooched about at home putting sunscreen on noseys and fly spray for those that needed.

Obviously BeAnne was a sympathetic carer.  Just from a distance and in residence in my shed.

Lambie turned up in the afternoon by himself in search of a biccie.  He gave me his best Winning Smile and I duly supplied a McVitie’s Digestive.

Exercise is good for the soul so I went for a walk taking Lambie and Her Maj with me.

On the road, BeAnne is on a lead. It is only right (and safe).

Now we are all in my shed listening to our new favourite music…..

Takashi Yoshimatsu [吉松 隆]: White Landscapes, Op. 47a, No 2 – Stillness in Snow: Moderato

Possibly the most beautiful piece of music I have heard for a long time.  I stopped the car when I first heard it.  One of those.

** cough, sniff, cough, sniff (ad infinitum with possible death at the end) **

Sóley the Foalie is growing like Topsy.  She has changed hugely since I went away.

Her foalie fur is beginning to fall out too and her true colour, a darker chestnut with a white blaze like her mother, is appearing now.

I think she is going to be a very pretty Icelandic lady.  She definitely has her mother’s bottom!

Sóley the Foalie divides her time between her sister, Lilja, and her mother, Hetja.

They both share the responsibility of looking after her.

This is all very good experience for Lilja. It will serve her well if she ever has a foal.

Lilja is very much the bossy elder sister….

…. as she insists on telling little Sóley where to stand, how to behave and what to think.

They are a very happy little family – Mum and her two wonderful daughters.

Floss and I have tackled everyone and everything today, trying to do most of it before the torrential rain that appeared after lunch.

First, I got ‘Bert into the stable, caught him (twice) and pulled his errant horn off.  I could see he was very vexed with his head on the floor, slowly losing his mind with the aggravation and possible pain.  Anyway, he is much happier now. The leftover stump bled profusely and I sprayed it with purple spray (antibacterial spray).  We are all much relieved the horn has gone.

Next up were the Minions.  We wiped Sudocrem (a water-repellent, protective, antibacterial, antifungal emollient with a weak anesthetic) all over any sunburnt irritated noseys and kissed the rest. I had missed my wicked little boys.

Then off to catch Brá who had taken herself to live over the burn (stream) by herself.  She was a good girl, led nicely, jumped the burn and I put her into a small paddock as I needed to catch her later and take her to the farrier for an emergency hoof trim.  The farrier was excellent and said there was no sign of laminitis so that was another huge relief.

And I think Brá has lost weight.  I really do.  She still has a way to go but there is definitely less of her.

Back at home, I went and looked at the chaps.  Floss kindly caught Hjalti and I did his nosey with the Sudocrem as well as Hetja, his Mum (sorry, camera was left in the car by then). Sóley the Foalie has grown and clearly adores Flossie.  She has forgotten all about me so tomorrow we will renew our acquaintance.

And, good new.  My luggage might appear tonight!  Phew.  And breathe.

I am finally home having finally completed The Return Trip from Hell.

At every point of the journey, from British Airways delaying the flight, changing their minds, me running for the gate, being told my luggage remained in Gatwick, receiving different stories from BA re luggage, etc, I am now sitting in my shed with Lambie and BeAnne.

Luckily, and only because I had some kind of premonition, I packed my Sheeple in my hand luggage. Even if my luggage never appears, at least I haven’t lost my hard work.

As I write, Lambie is in a bit of a state and is now fast asleep at my feet. He hates flies and I think has been plagued by them today.  Poor Lamb is exhausted.  I shall find some soothing music for him and give him some TurmerAid to calm everything down.

BeAnne, on the other paw, is thrilled with my arrival and apparently has spent the week down a rabbit hole, coming home only for supper and a daily bath (though you can’t tell it by her greasy whiskers). I think everyone is a bit fed up with Her Maj by the way they talk about her exploits.

Anyway, it is a billion degrees cooller than in Englandshire and I am heartily grateful for that.  I do not do sun and extreme temperature very well. It has been a lovely week spent with my mother but after the Trip from Hell, I am very pleased to be home safely, even without my luggage.  However, I am optimistic it may appear at some stage.

And this is the last of my foxy films, which I took this morning – he had the last of the Chappie and Mum’s stinky Camembert!  I think he was waiting for me to arrive.

(I secretly wish I could’ve brought him home with me, though I think everyone else would be very unimpressed!)