Not my best day, to be perfectly honest.  Nothing health-wise, but two (separate) dear friends in total misery which makes me feel very helpless.

🐾 ☘️ 💐 🐾 ☘️ 💐 🐾 ☘️ 💐 🐾 ☘️ 💐 🐾 ☘️ 💐 🐾 ☘️ 💐 🐾 ☘️

Bjørn wanted to go out for a ride so I tacked up Haakon, and we went out.  Our role was as the steady accompanying horse – who also wants to be at the front and haul the reins out of my hands.  So much for an old boy.  He was on splendid form and it made my heart sing.

Riding was very good for my soul.  I needed to be out in minus temperatures, with a hint of icy sleet, trying to feel responsible.  I came home with a smile on my face. The mark of a good ride in my book.

Yesterday, the washing machine decided to die, never to go again.  OH tried his best to mend it but to no avail so I put feelers out and luckily we were offered a washing machine.  I would rather lose the tv than than washing machine.  This afternoon we went to collect it, via the Nesting Scrap Store.  Only open on a Sunday afternoon, this Aladdin’s cave was truly wondrous.

We wandered around and OH bought some wellies (his have just cracked and were letting in water) while I bough a huge picture (2′ 4″ x 3′) for £2.00!  I love it.  I shall rename it “Gormless Boyzenberries” as opposed to “A Spring Morning”.  The frame needs some work but it will be perfect for my studio.

My “new-to-me” washing machine is now humming happily – first wash on from the mountain – and I am enjoying a glass of something winery to get over the stress of my day.  So life is vaguely getting back on track but it has made me realise just how fragile everything actually is and I don’t mean the washing machine breaking.

Lambie is being “an erse” as they say in Shetland.  He hates his new field.  He stands on a tiny concrete step all day refusing to move while telling me how much he hates it.  He looks at me reproachfully.

So today, instead of luring the Boyzens to their new hated field (loved in the summer, by the way), I let them loaf around outside the house where the long grass is, so they sulked about that because it is like living in your bedroom all day.

There is another field the Boyzens can go into if they brave a small amount of mud.  So armed with a box of Animal Crackers (kindly gifted), I showed them where to duck under the fence, though their specially made and often-used sheep hole.

It’s not difficult.

That would be all except Lambie.  Erse.

Rattling and distributing the crackers between ‘Bert and ‘Ster had no effect except for attracting the attention of the horses in the next door field.

They then got out their Winning Smiles so I had to go back to the house for carrots because it’s only fair.

(Dad and son – aww)

Best Winning (with added frilled) Smile Award ever goes to Iacs!

Most Unhelpful Sheep Award goes to Lambie.  Erse.

So, I gave up trying to show the sheep better fields and tomorrow I will revert to Plan B and they can all go and perch on the concrete step if they feel they must.

After these efforts, I went for a walk and the Boyenberries all came too, which was nice.

And then they buggered off into the hill so I had to rush to the feed container and rattle a bucket to lure them home.  All erses now.

When I went out this morning, I could see that everyone was feeling a bit soggy.  The Icelandic herd of boys all looked a bit fed up, despite being in the last of the good fields, ie the only one with any grass which we have been saving for as long as we could.

This time of year grass is at a huge premium and we try to rotate fields so they don’t get churned up.  This is a new method for us.

BeAnne rushed up and down protecting the fences.  It is her important job.  She knows this.  A collie taught her.

Three of the boys had been brought in to eat their hard feed.  Currently, only Haakon (because he is old and lost weight last winter), Taktur (because he is a stallion in training and tends to drop weight at the slightest hint) and Efstur (because he has done some growing and appears to have lost weight) are fed and rugged if rain is forecast.  Today we rugged them up.  Rain will appear later.

So you know, Dreki remains a dear boy.  I ❤️ this little chap.  Him and his sister, Lilja – peas in a pod.

So, I have been pottering about all day, doing nothing strenuous and, as the weather brightened up this afternoon, I took BeAnne for a walk.

She went grudgingly and had to be put on a lead as she has a tendency to turn tail and go home if you are not noticing.

Upon my return home, I could see the boys had spread out and were now enjoying the grass.

Honestly you would think we were being cruel.

They are a fussy bunch.  Just because we refuse to open the silage or feed them hay yet does not mean anyone is starving.

Yes, Iacs.  Starving.

Well the Nursing Staff made it very clear that today would be spent in bed.  No excuses, no moving and no getting up (except for the obvious).

I was pinned to my bed by a small hairy, if rather smelly now she is an old lady, Patterdale terrier nurse who included a thorough washing up service as well.

I was not going to argue, mostly because I couldn’t move and had lost all feeling in my legs.

So I have mostly spent my day window shopping for my studio which now has interior walls, lights and stuff.  OH has been going along splendidly with it.  Full marks there. I am in a very Chinese mood as I have been watching a Chinese serial (Empresses in the Palace – I can’t rate it highly enough if only for the set, the costumes and the jewellery), playing Chinese iPad games and eating Floss’ wonderful Chinese food.

The view from my window this morning. I miss my boys.

Tomorrow, I will get up properly and see how I feel. I did manage a quick foray downstairs in my jimjams to mend the nursery gate at the front door –  ‘Ster jumped on it last night and brought down.  When the sheep came in late this afternoon, I fed them their ginger biscuits so it was good to see a change of faces even Lambie looked resentful that his Muzzah had been neglecting his every whim.

So here we were, up at the crack of sparrows, bright and early, leaving Daisy and Flossie in charge of all the animals as well as any chores they felt like doing.

OH kindly drove as I don’t trust my legs on long distances now.

There was a beautiful sunrise which we commented upon as it kept going.

We drove past the boat (the 14 hour trip overnight ferry from Lerwick to Aberdeen) which had berthed a few hours earlier.

And, quite frankly, if I hadn’t had to have these spinal injections, I would’ve been off with my camera trying to photo the incredible sky and sea.  This is the hospital carpark at 09:00.

There was a bit of waiting in my cubicle. I think they were running late.

After the agony, not enough intravenous gin (there never is these days) and once I was considered compos mentis enough, I was given a bottle of water with some Digestive biscuits.  Proper ones.  McVities ones. Perfect post-injection fodder.

OH drove me home and I went to bed with full nursing staff.

Staff Nurse Soufflé was supportive in every way but mostly because Daisy brought me a chicken sandwich as well as many cups of tea for lunch.  I was starving.

BeAnne is always supportive.  Perhaps overdoing it a bit. The sandwich called to her.

So that is that and I pray the injections work.  F&D held the fort admirably.  Cooking, cleaning and general animal slavery – even Lambie got his biccies!