Every day Mum feeds a family of wild foxes.

And I want to see them too.

There are five known roe deer in the surrounding park and we sometimes see them when we walk Mum’s dog, Pip, first thing in the morning.

This visit, I have not been quick enough with my camera to actually take any photos but the deer are beautiful.

Our early morning walks are necessary because the original park that surrounds our house (once the stables) and the accompanying grand house (a new Victorian version – I will take a photo tomorrow) is now a municipal golf course!

Sad, but true.

A very popular golf course too so it can be a bit of a case of the early bird gets to walk the dog!

Anywho, back with the foxes.  Mum leaves all the suitable edible leftovers outside her back gate for the wildlife and then, while we walk around the garden, we hear a crunch of branches beyond the boundary and the food vanishes very quickly.

I have set up a fox watching place.  The chair is for putting my camera on.  I have left a piece of chicken outside in the sun all afternoon so it should be nice and smelly for this evening.

Yesterday, all I saw was two magpies!

I can’t wait to see what I “catch” this evening.

Meanwhile, the garden is still beautiful and it is bloody hot here.

(home on Monday).

From Daisy, who is manfully holding the fort and is invaluable.

He also decided to try and be a big boy and eat carrots.

The original Minions are the best of friends but they also do love Albie and Newt.

Albie and newt are very close but stick with the Minions.

They love Uncle Storm most.

Others like to annoy Newt.  They will pay the price later.”

They may regret their behaviour.  My money is on Newt.  He may be small but he can reach places no one else can get to!

Newt may also be part Yak too!

My dear little Minions. I miss them desperately.  I need my Minion hugs very much.

Apparently, the grass is growing well now.  While I have been away, there has been much rain.

Mum, Hetja is happily stuffing her face.  This is the one moment no one counts the calories.  She is nursing her foal.  She needs all the green grass she can eat.

Of course, Hetja is the best mother and spends many hours following her wayward daughter, Lilja, wherever she takes her.

Dreki, on the other hand, has a mother who would like him to go away – Brá is not a hooves-on kind of parent.

Never has been.

Not her style.

The little ones are now firmly together.  They spend many hours playing.

Looking at the photos and, as you know, I am not in Shetland, I can see that Dreki’s main aim is to annoy his sister, Lilja.

But I know that Hetja is keeping a firm eye on the whole situation.  She won’t let it turn into bullying.

And, anyway, Lilja will be the first to run to Mum and complain.

She is that type of little girl – that’s her style!

My parents loved to collect.  This was their passion.  In the kitchen, there are shelves of blue and white pearlware plates, platters and jugs that all have been collected over the last 40 years.

I think we could be described this kitchen as “shabby chic”.  Mum has always cooked amazing culinary creations.  At the moment, she is having a vegetarian diet, because that is what I eat.  She is coping well.

The mirror in the hall was bought for 10/6 (ten shillings and sixpence in “old money”) and in a million pieces from Swallowfield Park, Berkshire.  Mum, being Mum, restored it, put it back together again and painted it.  Now 55 years later, the mirror is apparently gently crumbling again, probably back to its original price of 10/6!

This little horse is calle “Pferd”- German for horse.  Made of calfskin and bought in a terrible state, this Victorian horse on wheels was lovingly restored by Mum.  She also made the tack as well as giving him a new mane and tail.

Yes, Mum collects rocking horses too.

Phar-lap is a modern rocking horse designed by Mum and Alec Kinane of Legends Rocking Horses.

Alec and Mum spent many hours sketching out Phar-lap on newspaper on the drawing room floor!

Pharlap is a handsome carved Arab horse on bow rockers.  Mum’s version has a side saddle with removable pommel depending on what side you ride (orginally rocking horses were used to teach children to ride – I did not know this).

This is the celing of my bedroom – we call it Gormenghast.

For obvious reasons.

The weather outside is lovely but the house is always cool.  The walls are 2 foot thick.

Meanwhile at home, Wussums has a new job.  Apparently, he is a stable cat.  Who knew?

Mum (that would be me on the phone to home): “So, Daisy how are you?  How is everyone doing?”

Daisy (my elder daughter, holding the fort with my OH while I am away south): “We’re all fine”.

Me:  “Are the foals meeting up and allowed to play properly, yet?”

Daisy: “Yes, they are playing nicely together now.”

Me:  “Define nicely”

Daisy:  “Well, more sort of annoying each other and then running back to their Mums!”

Me:  “Oh, ok, well at least they are talking now.  Perhaps proper playing will come later.”

Daisy:  “Hopefully.”

Me:  “And Lambie?  How are the Boyzenberries (my pet Shetland sheep) doing?”

Daisy:  “Since you said Lambie was fat, Lambie is on a biscuit ration of one biscuit a day and his hard feed has been stopped. In revenge, he has taken to head-butting the van trying to get the chicken food which is thrown underneath the chassis!”

Daisy:  “Oh yes, and Loki went a-visiting our neighbours.  We had a phone call asking us to collect him!”

This is a pretty normal and regular state of affairs.  Loki loves our neighbours very much (obviously reciprocated) and it is no great trial walking up our track to retrieve our dog!   It used to be Jack (part Patterdale, part honey badger) and the baton has been passed on to Loki now.  Luckily, our neighbours love Loki.

So, that’s what is going on at home.