Daisy graduated on Wednesday, 24th June with a BSc Hons in Biology.  Four years of hard work and we are all very proud of her.

The Graduation Ceremony was full of tradition.  The graduates are allegedly tapped over the head with a piece of very old cloth by the Vice Chancellor, thought to be from the breeks of John Knox but since proved otherwise (now the cap bought for the graduation of Sir John Arbuthnot in 1696. He went on to become private physician to Queen Anne).

Despite not being John Knox’s breeks, it was still a wonderful ceremony and I was full of pride.

I also sat next to a very nice assistant and we quickly made friends (yes, I did ask first).

Afterwards we all met up on the quad of St Salvator’s for photos, etc.  It took a while for us to find Daisy amongst all the other graduates and their families.

We found a suitable background for the “official photo” (one for the local newspaper).

We were with Daisy’s housemate and her mother and we had previously arranged our own celebration at home away from all the riff-raff. So we went back to “Sallies” (St Salvator’s) to return the gowns, but not before I asked for the girls to indulge me.

I was going for the academic bat look!  It was all a bit Harry Potter really!

And to think, when Daisy stayed at Sallies in her first year, she had Kate Middleton’s famous room – A34 (yes, go and look that up on Wikipedia, tis all true).

A good day full of success and a huge amount of relief for all that hard work over the last four years.  If you think university life is just party, party, party, then think again because it isn’t if you want to actually achieve something.

Daisy achieved and I am probably the proudest parent on this earth.

***** sniff *****

We came home to a surprise!

Hetja had her foal while no one was noticing.  A beautiful red dun colt foal.

He is utterly perfect and has his grandfather’s (Hugi frá Hafsteinsstöðum) face markings.

Hetja is, like I thought, the most perfect mum.  She adores her little boy and they have been moved to a separate field where they can be together with no hassle from the teenagers.

The night before the colt’s birth, three expert opinions reckoned she was not going to give birth as there was no sign of a good udder and there were some that even wondered if she was in foal at all!

So when OH received a phone call saying there was a foal in the field, there was a certain pause while we decided who it could belong to!

Anyway, this is a lovely colt foal who moves beautifully and has a lovely temperament too.  I can’t wait to meet him properly but will wait for Hetja to introduce him to us when she is ready.

There is so much to write about – the IHSGB 2015 British Championships with our results as well as Daisy’s graduation from St Snotters.

It has been one helluva week and it is great to be back home. BeAnne has sat outside every day in all weathers waiting for us to come home – I missed her desperately.

Lambie and Lambert are huge!

We are off south tomorrow on the boat for the IHSGB British Championships & Summer Festival 2015 in West Linton, Tarf, Scotland with Bjørn riding Taktur and Daisy riding Kappi.

So muchos packing, lists and organising to do.

Before we go on tomorrow’s boat, we went to check on the mares and collect the trailer.

Lyra, of course, came racing over to see her best friend.

I just stood there and took a few photos of the Mutual Appreciation Society, lest they never see each other again.

Vitamin and I looked on with disbelief at this ridiculous show of affection.

Very sweet, but really?  We will be back in a week.

A few things to do, including Daisy’s graduation from St Snotter’s to fit in as well.  Did I mention Daisy did good and achieved a 2:1 degree in Biology?  So now her name is Daisy Taylor-Bsc Hons (my clever girl, so proud, sniff).  Cameras at the ready.

I will try and keep you posted but I promise nothing.  OH is left full in charge of Lambie and Lambert, BeAnne and Loki and a field full of Minions and old Fogeys, plus his fan club of chickens.  He will be busy and I hope he spends time bonding with the woolly boys.  I secretly see him playing the guitar outside surrounded by adoring animals gazing up at him (I need more gin).

This has become our regular walk nowadays.

Everyone goes – Loki is around, out of shot, hoping no one will recognise him.

Poor little Lambert seems to have an eye infection, so we cleaned his eyes with cold tea and popped some Orbenin in to see if that will help.  Failing that, to the vet we will go.

While Lambert is very enthusiastic about participating in everything, Lambie has turned into a fluffy slug.

Lambert was paddling back and forth over the stream that runs through the fields but Lambie went on strike.

So Daisy, being the nice person that she is, went back to pick him up and carry him over.

On the way home, however, Lambie had to sort it out for himself.

And, after a bit of cajoling, he managed.

They are a funny little bunch but, still, they are my family and I love them all.

We were trying to show Lambert and Lambie that there was more land to explore than trying to get into the house all the time.

Lambert loves sucking Daisy’s hair. He doesn’t eat it, just likes the taste.  Most odd.

A quick stop for a photoshoot with Lambie. He does look lovely with the pink campion.  When there are more flowers, I will take some better photos.  I see Lambert with autumn colours.

This afternoon, we left the sheepie-boys in the garden to bask in the sun.  I looked out of the window to find them fast asleep together in my OH’s sheep head graveyard which is gruesome (he collects the skulls on the his dogwalks).  I think it makes us look very dodgy and they may have to accidentally-on-purpose disappear.

Anyway, the main thing is that Lambie and Lambert didn’t care at all.

Yup, my weird family!

This is my idea of the best fun!  Sometimes you just have to race and it is even better if I win!

(and I know you are not supposed to gallop your horse home)

Anywho, it is rare and we are usually very sedate on our rides – passengers, even.

Ok:  Change of topic and a true story.

When we were children, my sister and I were always told to kiss our grandfather goodnight when we were staying there.

To us, he was scary but we dutifully did as we were told.  My mother, later, told me that a friend of her’s used to have to kiss her grandfather goodnight but he was blind.  So instead of bringing herself to be kissed, she would pick up the family Pekinese dog and he would, unknowingly, kiss that goodnight on the top of its head!

This photo reminded me of that scenario.

I spent a lovely few hours at Bergli Stud taking photos of their foals as my computer has just died eating all the previous ones I took.

Here are some of the out-takes that made me smile (my definition of a good photo, by the way).

Such a perfect pose, but with all the potential to go horribly wrong!

The little foals were flying about being enchanting.

I could’ve watched them all for hours.  I loved the way they went off in gangs looking for trouble.

The more ponies, the more mischief!

At one stage four foals galloped at me, so I stood my ground and they all swerved at the last minute.

Foal Watching (and photographing) is probably my second best sport.