We had a storm last night – wind, rain, the whole kit and kaboodle. BeAnne woke up terrified and miserable so I lugged her into my bed whereupon she shook and panted.  I sprayed my lavender pillow mist about, stuck on the radio and hugged her little shaking panting self until she went back to sleep.

I think BeAnne still remembers her night outside a few years back when she was lost and alone in a terrible storm.

The weather gradually cleared over the day and I needed some fresh air.  I had been fighting with Garageband all morning trying to learn how it works.

So….. does anyone want to come for a walk with me?

Ok, off we go.

BeAnne, you can lead the way.

Oh, hello ‘Ster.  No I don’t bring carrots on my walks.

Careful when we get to the road, chaps.  Let’s all remember to stay safe, listen and think.

Everyone following?

No, no, we don’t stop just because we’ve taken a left turn.

‘Bert – what are you doing?  No good will come of trying to follow the hill sheep.  You know it only leads to misery and starvation.

Say nothing.  There’s a rabbit very well camouflaged.  BeAnne didn’t see it and the rabbit was not going to say anything.

Aww, Lambie, you still love your little canine Mum, don’t you?

Ok, so we’ve reached our destination and we all touch the gate to prove we got there.

All except Lambie.

We admire the beautiful view and remember how lucky we are to live in such an amazing place.

And then we all turn around and go home again.

That’s how it is on my dog-sheep walks.  Back to my Garageband masterclasses after my fresh air. I am glad I got out for a while.

I had an early lunch as it gets dark so soon these days, leaving “Harry Potter” and his invisibility cloak happy in their work.

We reckon Monster’s Best Day Ever will be when it snows and then the world will finally be his ie, he will be invisible.   His biggest regret is that everyone can see him from over a mile away.

So it was my turn for the car and I set off to the opposite side of the island where I remembered from ages back a particularly good place to see spectacular waves if the wind is blowing from a southerly direction.

Although not the perfect rolling waves, I was not disappointed.

I had been here a few years’ back during a bad gale and the waves were wonderful and dramatic, rolling and crashing their way inshore.  Sadly I was with folk who definitely did not understand the shout of “stop the car, I need to take photos” so we drove away while I vowed to return another time.

Since then I have been waiting for the right day.

But the wind had to be in the right direction and today it almost was.

Anyway, I enjoyed my little drive out.

The “locals” were out too.

And then I drove back to the “sunny Westside” where I live.  It was much calmer, although the gale has not let up all day.

It makes a nice change to see other parts of the islands and I am very aware I don’t travel about much.  I ought to get out more.

It was a beautiful morning spent putting the four horses we used yesterday evening back to their proper field to join their friends.

By taking the four away to spend a night in a different field (because we didn’t want to walk over the hill in the pitch dark once we had finished), we realised that the boys are a very tight-knit little herd who can barely function without each other.  Iacs was lost without Haakon and Efstur spent his entire night waiting for his BFF, Dreki, to come home.  Dreki had his feet trimmed so had a sleepover with the ridden boys.

Now the clocks have gone back, it gets darker much quicker.

The sun hangs low in the sky too, never reaching any great heights.

On our way to work we passed the hill ponies.  As they looked so pretty in the Autumn light, I skidded the car to a halt and reversed frantically back to take these photos.

Whereupon what-felt-like the only other car in the whole of Shetland arrived behind me so I had to move on.

We checked the girls and the Minions.  All well there.  They are happy enough and pleased to see our carrots and perhaps even us.

On with to our job at Turrifield.  Although there are less vegetables to pack now, the banter and the laughter remain the same.

This was our view from the shed where we work when we had finished, packed up and leaving to go home.

And the loch we drive past on our way home.  The light was magical.

An afternoon of rain and wind so when Bjørn, our trainer, offered to give us all riding lessons on our respective Icelandic horses in the indoor school, we all jumped at the chance.

First up was Daisy on her Icelandic stallion, Taktur.

Taktur has just had his shoes put back on and returned to work after an extensive working holiday.  He was out with his mares all summer and then had a break from everything and everyone.

Obviously, there were spectators.

I bet the “experts” discussed what was going on.

So Daisy and Taktur worked hard and all was good.

Then it was Klængur and Flossie’s turn.

It was a fine lesson and one that helped both horse and rider.  Floss was a bit rusty and Klængur was unhelpful at the beginning.  By the end they were going beautifully, a good team.  Sometimes only a lesson can put everything right.

Lambie, again, gave his seal of approval for the pocket rockets.  I think he envied their speed.

And last up, it was my turn, riding Haakon and, after 20 minutes, we were probably the best we have ever been.

Who knew?

There was me about to give up and give Haakon his well-earned retirement.

But, I think there is life in the old boy yet.

Though, I really must learn how to ride with my mouth SHUT!  I may have swallowed a fly.

(A huge thank you to Bjørn Roar Larsen for our riding lessons.  You made everything right again. Big smiles all round.)

Haakon is getting old.  I see a change, a definite change and I am partly to blame for this.

Having had quite a lot of time off this year from riding due to my back, Haakon has lost any of the physical fitness he had.  It has done him no favours and getting back his stamina and strength is taking much longer than it used to.

I hate seeing him like this.  The usual rides and fun have all gone.  He is tired and struggling.

With the winter weather bearing down on us, I have even resorted to rugging, which is not something I do lightly.

But I don’t want Haakon to lose more muscle/weight from the weather and he wouldn’t thank me if I stabled him.  That would just make him very stiff and disgruntled so a rug is our compromise.

I am trying to ride Haakon three times a week for short periods (20 minutes maximum) with long reins practising our a long and low tölt in a long.  According to Bjørn, our trainer, this will greatly help Haakon’s muscle development.

After this training, Haakon gets a small reward for his efforts.

We will see how we go.  Haakon is 24 years old now and, according to an online horse age calculator, that is the equivalent of 75 years old in humans.

What to do for the best?  At the moment, we are keeping going.  I believe that by exercising Haakon regularly, it will keep his muscles strong, his joints flexible, and gut motility going.  Haakon, like BeAnne, has to live forever.  He is my rock but it is breaking me seeing him like this.  I never wanted him to grow old.