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

End of an era .... Farewell to Kellogg's

Emotions ran high as I left work today after 6 years with Kellogg's. A genuinely happy time with the folk at this amazing company through which Steve & I have made many good friends. Farewell Mr.Kellogg, and I  promise that Special K Yoghurty really will always be my favourite !! And yes, I can get in on Yell, Yay !!! x

Less than 3 weeks to go ...

As we continue our packing up & sorting "stuff" hoarded over many years, we're also spending time visiting friends saying our last farewells; so the last couple of weeks have been busy and emotional. Last night Steve enjoyed his leaving do with his many many lovely lady workmates and bosses. Only a loving, patient, tolerent wife (with mug on her forehead!!) would be happy to pick him up at 01:15 along with 4 other rather merry ladies who piled in the back of the car.

I know he's going to miss working there with the banter and the laughs they share. Today we spent a gorgeously sunny and very happy afternoon at Waterloo Marina in Liverpool - a memorable lunch with the Fols one last time before we leave. What a totally lovely family.

Must go ... time to sort our kitchen cupboards and see what out of date tins are lurking at the back ... =(

Sarah 

Beared Seal on Unst (next island)

http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/naturelatest/pics11/Bearded-Seal-in-Baltaso2.jpg