We are so smart now.  So very, very smart or, as we say, like “other people”, whoever they are.

Our sitting room is now beautiful.  The walls are all the same colour and we have spent the day rearranging furniture, putting it back, rearranging it again, and then putting it back to almost the same as it ever was, with the only exception being we swapped the grandfather clock for a tallboy.

The pictures are rearranged, re-hung and we now have a theme.  This is the old side of the room – old pictures, old (ish) furniture and furnishings.

The rest, ie the more modern paintings, stuff, etc is in the other half of the room, which has yet to be painted and/or argued over.  It is also OH’s recording studio and home of 11 guitars.

Outside it has been raining nearly all day.  There was the odd interlude when Floss and I leapt outside with food and milk for the foals.  We also checked the herd 4 miles away.  All are fine.

BeAnne is nervous.  It could be the weather – Floss now has a headache and I think there may be a thunderstorm soon.

This or BeAnne is feeling superfluous to the new minimalistic look.

I wish Daisy was here.  She is our interior designer/artist and she would tell us where things should go.  She has good taste.

Daisy comes home on Satuday (hurrah, hurrah) so she can rearrange us all again and then help with the next project…..

I may not have mentioned this to her!

We spent the afternoon, some of us having painted the sitting room, others of us having had a flute lesson, but a few of us taking the dogs for walk while riding the horses and then sitting in the sun with the family.

Perfect bliss.

Apparently, it doesn’t get any better.

It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it.

These are the best afternoons.  My kind of heaven.  The animals are around and come up to talk just because they like folk and not because they want food – we don’t bring any.

Now, is this just me or can you see a similarity?

Nah. Just me.  Apparently I am “slightly odd”.

Recently, I have been neglecting Lambie and I feel bad.  He needs his Muzzah and what with orphan foals, dying chicks and painting the house, Lambie has been put on the back burner (not literally – don’t even think it).

Lambie does mind not being the centre of my attention.

But, he has always been a ‘Muzzah’s boys” – my speshul soldier.

We are imprinted on each other.  I mean, what is not to love?

So, after the painting, flute lesson, riding and dog walking, we had a hug-in.

You may not understand and I may have had gin, but all my animals are family and they all need to know they are loved – very much.

(Even ‘Ster looks like Nigel Farage – oh, the shame!)

I have finally put my foot down.  You may, or may not know, that I live with a very talented interior (and exterior) decorator – my Other Half or OH.   His work is legendary and some of the best homes (and the odd dodgy one) feature his unique decorating skills.

But living with a professional decorator, means that we are always last on the list.  Cobbler’s Children and all that.  I made a huge fuss and now we are at the top of the list. I want my house painted from “mould-cream” to “no-mould-cream”.  Is that too much to ask?

Floss and I are prepared to help and, apparently, it is all in the preparation.  Is it so wrong to paint over the dust/dirt.  Can’t we call it texture.  Apparently not.  Who knew?

So we have been cleaning, washing and vacuuming the walls, like you do.

Everything has been piled into boxes and dumped into any empty(ish) space.

I think this is called work-in-progress or mess, in my world.

The prep has been done and tomorrow is painting.  I don’t know if we are painting using brushes or rollers or terrier.

For time off today, Floss and I walked the dogs – we took them on a ride and then we had to do our statutory foal taming.

Such a chore.

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These two darling boys are beginning to find their own identities and independence, as well as a very strong bond.

A week on from their arrival at Thordale and I am so proud of the orphan foal, Brisk.  He is now part of a strange, but working, little family.

However, Camus is obsessed with ‘Ster. Now that is a bit odd.

With everyone being everywhere, I have very few ponies at home at present. I personally try to check on them everyday (I have friends who check on them all the time so please don’t worry that they are being ignored because they aren’t).

The Cough has finally been vanquished having gone selectively through the small herd.

Lyra caught it and I actually managed to catch and give her intra-muscular antibiotic injections on a daily basis, which was amazing.  Obviously, now I can’t get near her or ever will again, but she had her full course of treatment and that is all that matters.

Storm was very ill with this horrid infection.  As you may remember, he and Tiddles came home for their nursing care.

Storm did not take kindly to his jags but manned up by the end.  He had a five day course as well as cough medicine, which worked very well on him.

And then Hjalti caught The Cough and off we started with his course of different antibiotics because he is a youngster.  These went down like a lead balloon but through fair means (and foul), we managed.

Now, when we visit this field, we are all acutely listening out for any rogue coughing and then we pounce on the pony and start their antibiotic course.

It seems to have done the rounds of the littlest ones, but not Waffle and Silver, and not Delia.

Anywho, my little herd is all back to normal.  Phew.  For them, the best outcome is that we now have to always visit with food to say sorry if we ever want to be spoken to again!

“Simmer Dim” is the shortest night or the longest day, depending on your perspective.

We were invited by Houlls & Hounds on Burra (another island) to join them on their Simmer Dim ride.

As we were four, I transported over Klaengur and Haakon the day before and then Kappi and Iacs on the day.

We set off – at about 21:30, all wearing hi-viz and/or lights.

We were aiming to get to Bannamin Beach – about 2 1/2 miles away.

Bannamin is a tombolo and connects Burra Isle with, I think, the Isle of Banna Min (though I may be wrong – please tell me).

We started by walking in a a very controlled way up and down the beach, so the horses could become accustomed to their surroundings – for us, our horses had not been here before.

Then there was a tölt down and a canter back up.

Now, that I can do, I think.

Then we walked back down and cantered back up at a speed that was most acceptable to horse and rider, apparently!

It was brilliant.  The best fun I have had in years.  So nice to ride with folk who were happy and in control (because they had all been trained by Bjørn).  This was a relaxed ride with like-minded folk.

No one squealed, no one was out of control and all the horse and riders got on beautifully.

Even me, with my “bitchy resting-if terrified” face.  God alone knows why I look like this.  I can only think that I was realising that it was one of my last rides as my back was very unhappy in a give-me-painkillers-now way.

Darling Haakon.  I haven’t ridden him for months – I lost my  mojo .  But he is always the same and I am always very grateful.  My best friend forever.

We went home, having been endlessly photographed by various folk, including The Shetland Times.

It was a wonderful evening.  Nice people, beautifully behaved horses and much fun for us all. I would definitely do this again, if my spine let me.