End of Week 4 ... all change

As we end our fourth week in Shetland - our third of working onsite - we take time out for an extra day off.

The pic below shows Fred with a new lamb he rescued earlier in the week - it had decided to make a run for it away from his mum, out of the field and down the lane towards us . Aw :-) ... he's a natural.

It's fair to say that Fred, Steve & Nige have worked their butts off over the last three weeks and we've now completed some of the dirtiest most difficult work and remain pretty much on track.

All change? well at the end of our day off together today Nigel - with his bags packed - boarded the MV Hrossey in Holmsgarth port in the first leg of his marathon 26 hour journey home to Portchester in Hampshire via boat and train.

Without his help we could not have achieved what we have in 3 weeks. He's sweated, he's got soaked through and bedraggled, he's been windswept and cold and knackered ... would he ever stop working? no. But we've had a riot, considering we've all worked and lived together 24/7 for a month I'm glad to say we're all still mates. My lovely bro who wanted to come and help us out, well, he did nothing by halves.He is a star. Always has been always will be. Luvs yer Ditchboy.

So ... a few days off now for the remaining three of us, time to recover from the pretty long days ( 12 hours Thursday ). We're off to a concert & supper in Mid-Yell hall tomorrow, then to a farmers market in Unst on Sunday followed by dinner with our neighbours Vera & Simon in the evening.

Come Monday we'll be fit and ready to go with the underpinning of  the old crofthouse. More concreting I fear :(  .... Don't know what underpinning is? don't worry ... there'll be pics !

Have a lovely bank holiday weekend all

Love from Sarah, Steve & Fred  xx

Hairclippers , Cement & Bustops

It went like this: Nige brought his hairclippers , Fred & Steve needed a haircut , Sarah was game to do it ... 

These three look like they should be in handcuffs

These two look like they need a carer

Sarah helps  make up 7 tonnes of concrete

Freds in a hole again ....

This ones for the Lee's Girls ...... Boy does he love his hat !

Team Dirty -  this after making concrete for a day !

Our day off ... and we visit the Isle of Unst and Brtains most northerly , fulled fitted bus stop !



a tougher week so far...

The suns still been out on and off today but we've had a bit more of the common Yell weather this week  - grey and overcast. We've dug out so many rocks over the last 2 weeks, we've been lucky not to have had problems until yesterday

Even Freds pneumatic rock breaker couldn't touch the 2 rocks firmly embedded  in the base of one of the main drainage holes (which still needed to go down 4 foot) so we've had to source one for the end of the 7 tonne digger.

As we're fast learning - you don't know how your groundworks & drainage will go until you actually dig and open it up. So, these aren't problems, just unexpected hurdles to cross.

I (Sarah) have been in Lerwick all day today visiting builders merchants, the JobCentre, a joiners regarding our windows and doors (the most wind/rain proof specimins you've ever seen). Then I spent over 2 hours with the Scottish Government Rural Payments Inspections Directorate to try and get to grips with the new forms we have to complete for the farm. My ears didn't bleed (mainly because the lady was very nice and helpful), however it was a bureaucratic government department which made me - very nearly - cry at one point with the overload of all the information.

Finally on a lighter note, I've just watched a march going through Lerwick of small number of Norwegian visitors;  today is Norways independance day and a number sailed over to Shetland arriving in harbour yesterday. http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2011/05/17/norwegian-visitors-pay-tribute-to-shetland-bus-operation . Brought a smile to my face

TTFN xx

Week 2 .... a busy week

An evening visitor ... never seen a pony with a Fro before !!

(This picture's for Wendy ... Shetland Outrider extrodinaire)

Aerial View - 500 tonnes of earth shifted and STILL not finished

Max Cheshire having his lunchtime break

"Dump it, don't ditch it !"

Suffice to say this shouldn't have happened

Following this mishap, Nigel has only been called Ditchboy by the builders =(

Thankfully, Diggerboy and his big toy came to the rescue to pull Nige

and the 10 tonnes out of the ditch

There were, enjoying our picnic lunch after another busy morning

and who should turn up with a sheeps skull in her mouth ? The terrier.

This is the Lamby Shed, so called as the crofter would use it to overwinter

the young lambs borne that year. This will be Sarah's shed/workshop.

For now - it's Freds tool store.



Sorry ... can't work out how to rotate on this! Picture of Steve stood in Fred's 5ft trench dug for
Scottish Water (late on Weds). They didn't even know there was a water mains across the croft
so they was diverted it away from the house and sunk it 5ft down .... to avoid future water mains bursts =)



Digger goes mountaineering

Realised you hadn't seen our temporary accommodation.

West Yell Schoolhouse - looking west over to mainland Shetland in the distance.

Beautiful spot.



more pictures ...

Nigel snuggles up with his two new best buddies, Max & Digger

 Freds toys arrive .... now we're really getting started

Sarah has a go ..... is there no end to her talents?!!!

Hmm. Who put that water main there?

Charlie (our new best friend from Scottish Water) & The Boys survey the gushing burst water main.

Freds shopping list at the builders merchants asked us to buy 4 buckets for water
 (to be used for making concrete)

So far , the only water they've seen is:
1) to cover the mains burst creating our unexpected water feature and
2) to test out the flat tyre on the wheelbarrow. (currently being used by Sarah to muck out a tonne of sheep poo from an outhouse).

An eventful day yesterday to say the least !

Then ... at the end of a long day, on a lovely sunny evening we watched the first newly borne spring lamb totter about up on Rumble Haa.

Pictures - week 1

Its coming to something when the dogs getting chilly ... Deputy Dawg =)

come on boys, we've got 4 months to go! This is at the end of day one shifting rocks

Did you you know you can buy Marmite in bulk in Shetland?

This poo recepticle is for TWO people ! They've obviously heard about Steve's reputation ....

We've Arrived

After much hard work, we made it. Sheep happy to get out grazing in their new home and dogs just fagging themselves out haring about the place. So much more to do before we left than we anticipated, however we are now here, finally, after many goodbyes. Perfect ferry crossing, but both utterly exhausted, although  nothing a few days eating,drinking, laughing and walking didn't cure and we're all smiles again!

Weather : Since our arrival at 7am Friday 29th April, Shetland has enjoyed 5 days of (almost) continuous sunshine, a fantastic welcome (although a very uncommon weather pattern it must be said).

Our temporary accommodation:  The Old Schoolhouse - has uninterrupted views across Yell Sound. It's basic, but once the fire gets going its cosy! It was once a boarding school, but has quite a small kitchen. Thankfully, this hasn't stopped Steve turning out some lovely grub already & tomorrow's cake making day!

Progress on Da Kitchen:  well, we spent Bank Holiday Monday clearing rocks ... and I mean huge ROCKS ... from the field that will be our access drive; Nigels a dab hand with a pick-axe thankfully, plus we also dismantled a dry stone wall for re-building elsewhere once the diggers and dumper trucks are gone (They're arrving in the next few days)

I'm writing this from Shetland Library on Wednesday morning as we have no internet access @ Schoolhouse until next week (thanks BT). Am visiting some window showrooms this morning (whehey!) to choose our doors and windows - hopefully manufactured to resist severe salt corrosion and force 9 gales on a regular basis =) !

Finally  ..... for those of you that met the rather pretty inflatable sheep who appeared at my Kellogg leaving lunch in Chorlton (Smanfar?) well we're happy to report that she's now "acquainted" with Fred, and the friendship's off to a good start =) She doesn't have a name yet though... so any ideas gratefully received ...

Photo's to follow at the weekend

Love Sarah & Steve xxx