I always say to folk “if you need help, here I am”, or “if you need photos, here I am” but few rarely take me up on the offer.  I can only do what my back allows me to do and sitting, lifting or bending down are not really possible.

So I was thrilled to get a request from Transition Turriefield – “Transition Turriefield was established as a Community Interest Company in January 2011. Turriefield is the name of the croft where we’re based and the Transition part is about doing what we can on a local scale to tackle the global problems of climate change, rising food prices and diminishing supplies of cheap fuel.”

As well as their weekly vegetable box schemes, Turriefield are having a stall at The Shetland Food Fair on Friday 30 October – Sunday 1 November 2015 at The Clickimin.

They needed help trimming, washing, bagging and labelling.  This I could do.

I was also in charge of gadgets – happy, happy.  I loved the machines and I have always wanted my own shop.  Those scales were fun.  My last bag-sealing was probably the only perfect one while the rest were purely functional.

I went yesterday afternoon and BeAnne refused to come too. I left her at home and she was found wandering down the road looking for me.

So today, I took her with me as I knew there would be vile weather this afternoon which would upset her.

BeAnne was happy to go (she likes the folk at Turriefield) and quickly settled into helping.

So we worked on our veggie production line and I enjoyed every minute of it.

At last, hurrah, Lambie and Lambert have moved into the field.  The Minions have given up chasing them and everyone is getting along fine.

Obviously, Lambie and Lambert come in at night. They go happily into our small old vegetable garden at the back of the house and have a lovely shed with lots of hay to sleep in if the weather gets particularly bad.

(and yes, there is a radio in there too – remember Lambie loves classical music!)

So my little “Boys-enberries”, as they are now known, are doing very well, perhaps a little too well.  Half rations of hard food now as Lambert wobbles when he walks!  Despite trying to live as normal sheep, they are still very loving, devoted and cuddly.  Sheep really are the easiest of pets.  Every home should have one!

The horses remain in their big field, as the weather has disintegrated drastically these past few weeks but they are happy.

The Minions are on the other side of the fence in another field.  They dot in and out endlessly from one field to another, crawling under fences and giggling at me.  I have given up trying to contain them.  It is a thankless task and they always appear if there is food.

BeAnne keeps guard at all times.  She loves being outside to repel all borders or at least tell them endlessly she would repel them – methinks that would be Yorkshire Terrier side of her family.

Over the scattald or hill, at Clothie, is Hetja and Hjalti.  Hetja, I think, knows there is a handsome prince not very far away but, at the moment, he has not cottoned on so there is no endless gazing and not eating.

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So this is my set-up at Thordale. They keep me as busy as I want to be or I can leave them knowing they all have food and shelter if they want it.   It is a good set-up.

I have been working very hard on the new Thordale website and I think it is now finally finished.

Please spread the word, tell your friends and if you find any howlers, let me know and if you want to re-write it, please feel free!

Yesterday, for the website, I took a photo of Hjalti “standing up” properly.  He was a very good boy.  So good, in fact, that I decided to take his headcollar off.  I am not a fan of horses wearing headcollars in fields.

Everyday, now, I go up to the field armed with carrot slices and two buckets with Mare & Foal mix and soaked sugar beet.

Hjalti and Hetja are both very happy to see me and to be fed.

And yes, I said TWO buckets!

Hetja is ever watchful and not a greedy get-off-my-food type of mother.

She loves her little boy so much.  Like Vitamin, a foal of her own was all she ever wanted.

Hjalti still nurses often and Hetja rarely says no.

Today, Hjalti decided to investigate the furry creation that always travels with me.  She told him off when over-stepped the mark.  He just took a step back and looked surprised!

Hjalti is much braver about me, which is good and considering I always come bearing gifts.

He likes to be scratched under his neck but not half as much as he likes to be nose-kisseyed!

He is definitely One of Us.  All my animals seem to understand this training method.

I continue to deliberate about putting The Minions in with Hjalti and Hetja.  My jury is still out.

I have this “problem”.

It manifests itself every time I go to the beach.

(which is quite often at the moment because I have to check on Delia’s rug).

I always take the dogs with me as they like the beach too.

Anywho, my problem.

Well, I am ashamed to talk about it really.

But……..

I like to collect interesting shaped or coloured beach stones and take them home with me in the hope that once home, they stay just as beautiful and can now adorn my house, only they don’t.

By the way, this problem also includes shells.

I do have some standards (no limpets or barnacles) but I also have piles of not-very-pretty-now-they-are-home shells and stones.

Even stones with potential messages look ugly and silent the minute they reach home.

It is a bit like going round Ikea with a shopping trolley, buying everything in sight because it looks fab in the store and then getting it all home, unpacking it and asking yourself why, just why.

When I was a child, we used to drag these rocks home, realise they were boring and then put them in a rotary rock-tumbling machine (it rumbled on and on in the garage for years).  The results were just as horrible but now had value, if only from the electric it cost.  I remember sticking them onto blank bracelets with araldite (remember the matches stirring the two types together) and distributed to family for Christmas!

Am I alone?  Do I need therapy?

Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.

A rug has been found for Delia.  One of Hammy’s old ones (I thought they had all gone with him when he escorted Indy to his new home).

Poor Delia is utterly fed up of me going into her field with yet another flappy bat thing.   I have tried on a different rug almost every day.  None of them fitted. I can almost hear her sigh when she sees me.  Anyway, this one almost fits – it will do until her bigger rug arrives. Her bottom sticks out a little.

Lyra was intrigued and very curious about Delia’s new fashion item.

She was trying to rest her teeth on the fabric until I shouted at her – that is her “Who? Me?” face.

Once the rug was on and fitted to her, Delia was snuggly, very snuggly indeed.  I hope it will make a huge difference to her this winter.

After the fitting, I went round taking silly photos of the ladies.

Lyra, as always, looked beautiful.  She is a very pretty mare.

Her mother, Vitamin, hogged the camera completely.  Bless her, she is such a character – she always wuffles when she sees me.  Indy was so like her (I miss him desperately).

So I shall sleep happier knowing Delia has a wearable rug for the oncoming foul winter weather.  The temperature is slowly dropping and the usual mud, that never really went away, is returning.  I will dig out my winter wardrobe soon.