damp,  soaked,  soaking,  dripping,  saturated,  drenched,  watery,  soggy,  sodden, waterlogged, dank,  sopping,  aqueous,  wringing wet

We have had a vile 24 hours of endless rain and wind with another 24 hours more rain to come.

I knew the storm was coming.  I put all the horses into the Fat Field so they would have food in their bellies and shelter if they wanted it.

Yesterday was spent mostly indoors except when there was a brief respite after lunch when I managed to get Taktur up to feed.

Today, the weather forecast said it would clear up at 10:00 and at exactly 10:00 the endless rain stopped and the wind died down.  Most odd but I wasn’t going to argue so I made the most of it and went out to check that everyone was ok.

Hjalti and his mother, Hetja, were in the middle of their field with the rest of their herd, oblivious of the weather.

At the top of the hill is a large dip where they often shelter.

Esja (greyer blob in the middle) was happy enough and I left her to it rather than interrupt the important task of eating.

She has enough fat on her anyway to keep her warm.

Raw Deal, Vitamin and Lyra were at the corner of their field near the road so I threw some carrots at them.

While soaked, they all seemed happy enough.

So I am not concerned anymore.  It always sounds far worse when you are lying in bed listening to the screaming wind and hammering rain in the wee small hours.

I worry someone might melt (and yes, Storm has a rug on because he must not melt – he wouldn’t like that)!

Lambie is still nervous of the ponies. He is better with the bigger horses as they are not remotely interested in him.  But he suspects that The Minions have evil thoughts!

As he is not the brightest star in our firmament, Lambie tends to run off the minute they look at him.

Lambert doesn’t care and is far more laid back about everyone.  I suppose he goes with the theory that by looking like a brown woolly maggot, no one will be interested.

After a small discussion together, ….

Lambie and Lambert decided to be The Masters of Disguise!

Storm can set everyone off (running) by fiddling about in the school, and creating trouble.

He creeps up on the sheep pretending he just happens to be in the area.

Having lulled them into a false sense of security, Silver will then swoop in from nowhere which is too much for Lambie and he rushes over to us for safety.

Flossie was offering Lambie therapy after his last Shetland pony “shock”.  As Joyce Grenfell said “It’s alright, Dolores, you weren’t hurt, just surprised”.

I am tempted to call Lambie “Dolores” from now on!

Storm does not give up his investigations easily.

He snuck up realising he would have to take things more gently if he wanted to get to know these woolly maggots!  BeAnne was prepared to give him a telling off if he over-stepped the mark.  Tis her job.

So Storm was on his best behaviour.

He even let Flossie lean against him while he pretended we are just one happy family!

We are all working very hard on our special skills!

(By the way, don’t you think Storm is looking absolutely fabulous and well?  A proper shaped pony this year.  I am very pleased.)

Introducing Taylor Tours – tailormade for you!
(see what I did there?  Geddit?)

This is the last clear day before Shetland is battered by endless wind and rain. It seemed, therefore, sense to take my visitors up to the North end of the island and show them the beautiful scenery.

This is Mavis Grind – where the distance between the North Sea (right side, 1st photo) and the Atlantic Ocean (left side, 2nd photo) is 33 metres wide.  This used to be a regular crossing point for boats – men would drag them over the road and onto the other bank rather than sail all the way round.

Although blustery, the light was spectacular and I drove my friends around showing them all the  special places.

This is Ronas Hill – Shetland’s highest hill (450 metres) and is made of pink granite.

On we drove northwards past the sea stacks.

The rock arch Dore Holm or “drinking horse” behind a field of Shetland ponies.  It is a small islet with an excellent natural arch.

Eshaness Lighthouse is situated on Northmavine peninsula.

Looking south back towards Sandness hill in the far distance.  Funny to think I live the other side of that hill on the horizon.

So we covered many miles and I took them on the scenic route a few times!  At one stage we missed Eshaness lighthouse completely because we were talking so much.

A perfect day with excellent company.  Home now and the hatches are well and truly battened down ready for the oncoming gale.

Our last day of calm for a while.

My friends came over to spend some time with me at Thordale and to hug the Minions. They are keen Minion huggers.

After lunch, I said that the dogs needed walking and so they joined me. We went the usual route and I took Waffle along for the ride, so to speak, as it is good for every little Minion to be independent and to see The Big Outdoors occasionally.

He was fine on the way out but a bit of a berk when we turned for home as he saw a pretty Welsh mare he fancied.

Afterwards, although not a sunny Sunday afternoon, we sat down outside and drank Crabbie’s ginger beer watching the Minions and sheep peacefully eating around us.

Lambie immediately plonked himself down beside me and chewed his cud in a noisy way directly into my right ear.

He still has the most beautiful and fascinating eyes of any sheep so I forgive him the smelly burps.

Taktur wanted to join us so I let him out of his field.  He came over to gently loom.

Waffle was intrigued by the ginger beer and had a few swigs.

And then he went to sleep!

Storm, on the other hand, was looking for things he could annoy with.  He managed to eat the corner of the tissue box, smiling sweetly!

A perfect Sunday afternoon.

I took my friends sightseeing today down the South end of the island.

My idea of sightseeing is to drive along happily chatting and then suddenly swerve off the road so my friends can get out and take a photo (or recover on solid ground, visibly shaken!)

This is the view of Bressay, another island opposite Lerwick, looking across Fladdabister.

Having terrified everyone, we then drove down to Sumburgh to look at the scenery.  We went up to the Lighthouse and then had a wander around.

There weren’t very many nesting seabirds left but there were lots of twitchers and we played a good game of camera-envy.

(I may be drinking gin while I am typing this!)

Fair Isle was on view, which was lovely to see.

A good lunch and then on to the Jarslhof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement – “one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever excavated in the British Isles”, so they say.

We trundled round it in the rain.  Pity they didn’t have roofs.

Onwards, everyone to one of my favourite museums – The Quendale Watermill – a beautifully restored 19th century overshot watermill.  It is stunning, interesting and in a beautiful setting.

On the way back, we had a Hitchcock moment.  All starlings.  All facing the same way.  All very creepy.

This is Spiggie beach.  A lovely sandy beach that I once galloped Haakon across.  It was brilliant and I will never forget that ride.  I wish I could repeat it.