Well the happy helpers today are my OH, my daughter and her two friends who kindly offered (read asked, even guilt-tripped) into becoming a production line for my dvd compilation, Reflections of Shetland which needs to hit the shops soon.  I have orders already.

As they are intent (except for OH) on watching the Star Wars sixology back-to-back, there was a certain amount of space zooming going on in the background (I think this is the bit when Darth Vader’s mother dies – does anyone know who his father is btw?)

Anyway, I thrashed the whip, promised chocolate and they all worked very hard compiling the dvd’s ready for distribution in the summer months for the tourists. OH has offered to distribute them to the shops which in turn means fewer cardboard boxes outside the bathroom.  My Hobbit Hole is tiny.

Obviously, I was in the way, so I left to take photos of other members of the family, ie play with my new camera.

Jack is still not himself – he is now a professional old man. He likes to wander about aimlessly and ask to go out every 10 seconds all evening.  Deaf and blind, he can hear the opening of a packet of ham from two rooms away.

BeAnne, of course, is almost perfection.  After a slight discussion about some behaviour, ie she didn’t see things my way, she is now the model ciitizen.  So much temptation around and so many people shouting at her.  It is a bad time of year to be BeAnne.

And  then there is Wussums.

Well, Wuss has found his place in our family.  We are used to him now and he, us.  He likes what he likes and he is quick to say when something is not up to standard.  His preferred method of communication is to bite.

If you read the signs, then you are fine.  He will even tolerate a tummy tickle and offers the best nose-kisseys if asked.

Sad for some, I know, but it is Bunny Armageddon out out there in the fields – headless corpses everywhere so he is obviously doing his job.  He sleeps most of the day and eats very little, going out at night for a buffet from nature’s trolley.

I am quite fond of the little sod really, though.

Bjørn Roar Larsen, our Icelandic horse trainer, has had a bit of a riding accident on a training weekend south last weekend.  He returned to Shetland with broken ribs and a trodden on ankle (ouch, the bruises are worse than mine, not that we are having a competition).

Yesterday, he asked Daisy and Anna whether they would be interested in riding his two Icelandic horses – Kappi (a more experienced gelding version of Taktur) and Hekki (a newly backed and trained Icelandic gelding).  They happily agreed.

Both horses and riders went like the wind round and round the school with Bjørn perched on a stool instructing them.  I was so proud of them both. I know Anna is not mine but I just felt that here were two incredibly talented  and capable riders in my midst that were having fun riding Icelandic horses.

So, I took a billion photos trying to catch their hard-working faces and their horses’ unique actions.  Kappi knows it all and Daisy had to get used to learning how to ask the right question, to find the right answer and then remember how she achieved it.

This is Daisy’s concentration face!

The girls took it in turns as they seemed to be going at different speeds.  One would stand in the middle of the ring while the other one hurtled round.

And then it was Anna’s turn.  Her horse, Hekki, was a totally different type of Icelandic.  He is just beginning his journey and Anna had to work very hard.   Hekki had to find his tölt as an even four beat gait which he is only just discovering.

This is the face of someone who is loving these amazing little horses – The Icelandic Horse Cheesey Grin!

And this is Anna’s face of pure determination and focus.

Anyway, they both achieved hugely and I am very proud of the pair of them.  I think Bjørn was impressed too.  Hopefully this will be a regular thing, while Bjørn is out of action, so his horses will learn and so will Anna and Daisy.

Well I did it, though The Fates conspired against me.  

• The car didn’t start (jump started from the neighbour’s car),
• the Co-Op refused my credit card so I had to go to the Bank to sort that out,
• my cabin on the ferry had a broken DVD player – I have never even been in a cabin with a dvd player, let alone have one that broke
• the ferry then died and was delayed by 4 hours so I had to change the taxi time and worry all night whether we would get in for my appointment.

I realise all these things are small, but they began to build up, so bearing all this in mind, I arrived at Orthopaedic Out-Patients a gibbering wreck.  Just don’t ask.  I can’t talk about it but I was not myself and I never want a repeat of that again.

Anywho, after that, I phoned for a taxi and went to find some normality, ie John Lewis.  My childhood was spent at John Lewis so it seemed the obvious choice for me to go there.

I just pootled about, regaining some sense of sanity.

Then, I pottered through the two malls that are huge and saw this amazing cupcake Barbie dress, which brought a smile to my face.

I did some wafting to smell less of my previous sheer panic!

Aberdeen rushed past me at a million miles an hour, both materialistically and vehicularly (the blue boat is the ferry I was going to come home on).

It was hot so I sought my oasis at the Apple Store where I was met by a tall spotty yoof who asked me what I wanted.  When I requested to look at the iPhones, he just grunted in the direction and I could see him write me off as an old woman who knew nothing.  I was over-heating, cross and not my best but thoroughly tempted to go and zap straight off to their major data banks and reprogram them with a very large axe!

Instead, I picked up my bags and shuffled off to the boat.

I had a peaceful journey home accompanied by Floss and two of her friends.  They are all recovering from their Advanced Highers.  So far, they have been introduced to Fivla (Floss’ pony)…..

….and have also been thoroughly Zooted.

Gosh, I am glad to be home.  Yesterday, was unspeakable.  I need to think **** sigh ****.

Oh well, have some horses and ponies (pics by me and Anna).  This is my idea of normal.  Not Aberdeen.

After feeding Taktur, we decided to let him wander round the house for a while with Klaengur while we rode the other horses.

He made himself feel quite welcome.

I say! Would you like to stop by for some tea?

Will there be biscuits?

If you insist…

I forgot to mention that my friend is here too.

BeAnne is looking forward to Flossie coming home.  This is her excited face, in case you couldn’t tell.

Then we moved some fencing.  This was on our to-do list left by Frances.  (We also cleaned tack! Not that we’re hunting for brownie points…)

Flossie is bringing a few friends home tomorrow.  Jack is not prepared for this female onslaught.

Plus Frances is returning from hospital tomorrow!

I don’t know why, but I have got into a total state.

I have my first post-op six week appointment with my Consultant Surgeon tomorrow in Aberdeen.  On the boat tonight and I haven’t a clue what to pack.  I am full of the “what-ifs”, like what if I am admitted to hospital because I had that fall?  What do I need to pack?  I seem to have lost all my kaftan nighties which are brilliant for hospital/ferry.  Bugger.  They are in a blue rucksack that has vanished from the Hobbit Hole that is my house (according to Daisy!)

I am panicking and I need help.

Her Maj is trying to be supportive, but sulky, as she knows I am going away.  She is keeping my bed warm.

I have huge anxiety about this trip. I am not like this normally.  This is not me but I don’t want to go and I am scared I won’t cope on my own.  I am suffering also from regular hot flushes (yes, the obvious).  It is all adding up.

I can’t decide what to take.  Daisy kindly ironed a shirt so I don’t look like a country mouse (and yes, that is Wussums on the kitchen work surfaces which is shameful but you try telling him).  She has been my fashion consultant too.

I have made a list of things to say like how do I reduce my painkillers, admit my fall last week, ask what the future is…..

Do you think anyone would mind or notice if I took some moral support to keep me grounded?  BeAnne could be my Thinking Dog for the Stupid, have a little coat and look after me on the boat and in Aberdeen, though I would be barred from every shop after the appointment and/or taxi.

OH asked if I had any Rescue Remedy and then said “you don’t need a dropper of it, you need a St Bernard with a barrel following you!”

I am now getting a headache with the worry.  Oh FFS Frances, you have done this a million times.  How difficult is it to get on a boat and get on with it?  This is only something like the tenth time I’ve done it.  I am shaking.

(Can I take Whiffy with me?)