The peat is being dried out, having been cut.  Once dried, it will be brought home to be stored and then burned.

The peat bank is allocated to the croft and the peat is cut out of the peat bank using a tushkar (special tool).  Once stacked, It is then left for a few months to dry by the Spring wind.  There are various stacking methods and this is one way. – a precisely built wall.

Another method is small pyramids – this is how I was taught by my neighbour.

And there is this another – larger pyramids.  New to me but, apparently,  used all over Shetland.

The hills and pastures appear to have a slight scattering of “snow” on them.

It is everywhere and very beautiful.

On closer inspection, it is not snow but bog cotton/cotton grass (Eriophorum) or “lukki-minnie’s oo” – and this summer seems to be a particularly good year for this strange plant. Apparently, in very early times, children did not wear nappies during the day but at night they had a wad of bog-cotton heads to help keep them dry.  Poor things!

On another note, Lambie is doing very well, now he has come to terms with being sheared, shorn or whatever.  Although underneath, he is a different shape, he will always be my little lamb. Some days he is more aloof than others but deep down he still a Muzzah’s boy and I will always love him.

I have never met such a sensitive animal.  Only a mother could love him.

It rained and rained yesterday.  We drove past the herd in Sandness, quickly counted legs, heads and tails and then drove home.  Not ideal but yesterday was not a day to be outside.

This morning, to make up for it, we went to visit everyone properly.

They were very pleased to see us – we did not bring food, just ourselves.

Lyra is the head of the herd.

She is not popular as she is so bossy and the boys do not appreciate this.

Hjalti is grow(ing) like Topsy and is a nice amenable chap. Not a mean bone in him.

He is still happy to try and see if he can fit a whole miniature Shetland pony into his mouth and Storm, of course, is happy to retaliate.

Darling Silver.  All growed up – calm and approachable.  A real dude who manages to keep away from the arguments.

I seem not to have taken any photos of Waffle.  He has a nasty cut/bite on his jaw and he is feeling sorry for himself.

Little Tiddles seems to have turned feral in the past few days.  I have no idea why.

He was very wary of people, which is not like him.

Luckily Floss’ magic worked its charm and Tiddles remembered that he liked us.

Delia is looking fabulous this summer.  Her weight is spot on.  Not too fat and not too thin.

She potters about and her legs are much less stiff, of course, in the summer, with the warmth. She still appreciates a cuddle.

So, I think, we are going to have move the Minions + Hjalti away from the two mares.  They don’t need the hassle and I don’t my little boys to be bullied by bossy women.

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.