Jane's side saddle has garnered a lot of interest. All the guards as well as my sambos have tried it, plus me, which made them smile and giggle even though I of course didn't use the saddle with a skirt. The overall verdict is that a side saddle is not for warriors to fight in, but it is good for ladies with a skirt. According to Ciara it is common for Alba ladies to sit on the side of a normal saddle and the horse is led by someone walking alongside or another rider at a slow pace, so Alba might be a good market for the new side saddle. That was apparently what Jane expected to be common here, instead of the 'plate' saddle they have, which is a type from across the sea to the south. We should tell those merchant women who sell underwear to also try selling side saddles, because only rich women will buy a special side saddle like that, and most rich people ride, and a decorated elegant side saddle might become popular. Jane's other saddles are also interesting, but I'm a bad judge when it comes to saddles. I've never really thought about how many different saddles there are depending on what the purpose and need is, and Jane is smug that saddles are something I have no idea about. Jane completely ignores Iselin's sarcastic comment that it really is something to be proud of, since Jane knew nothing about machines, electricity and radio.

I'm a little worried when Kari, Alith and more try to ride more aggressively with the side saddle and tries low jumps and steeper rougher terrain, but it goes surprisingly well. Jane explains that the side saddle should actually be used with a special riding skirt to reduce the risk of the skirt getting entangled and pulling the rider along if the rider falls off, and of course Jane has sketched pictures of it. I think Jane is trying to introduce a new fashion, because those skirts doesn't have to be Victorian style with riding whips and hats. Hats with feathers, veils and other decorations. Jane has done more sketches of hats and complete outfits than the riding skirt. But Jane understands her audience and has also made a cloak with a hood and lots of fur trim and decorations, plus Western style overcoats and boots.

In the end, everyone believes there is a market for side saddles, and her other improved saddles. I'm quite content and happy to leave everything riding related entirely to Jane and the others. If I didn't have to ride, and it's so damn practical in this world, I wouldn't have done it. The new carriages are more my style, and ideally I would have liked some type of motor vehicle. Of course the vehicle will make noise and smell and be a problem and require service etc, but apart from convenience and comfort, motor vehicles don't shit on the courtyard or the roads and have neither a mood or a mind of it own.

I've been dragging it out and it's unexpectedly embarrassing to give Jane her Ben Wa balls, so I just knock on the door and as she is painting, I just drop the small bag off on the shelf and leave before she can really respond with anything witty.

Kari feels easier. She is also in her bedroom, and when I've explained what it is and how to use them, Kari locks the door and with a fake innocent smile she pretends to not understand and wants my help to try them. Of course, it becomes more than just that, and as I lie beside Kari to catch my breath, I informed her that Jane as requested got her own set as payment for her information, which Kari as Jane's manager and friend thinks is good. When I mention the other things that I've gotten made in glass and ceramics, it becomes clear that Kari is going to help me test them tonight.

Sometimes I wish I was a horny teenager.

The guards love the upgraded interior security doors with their small panes of glass, but everyone likes the elegant look of the two diamond shaped windows, one above the other. The doors feel very luxurious and special. What they don't really like is the limited field of view, as there is still the issue of not being able to see if someone is hiding on the other side. So in the corridor crossing up against the ceiling above my workshop door, I install a small polished brass mirror to make it possible to see if someone is hiding along the sides or below the doors window, or in the corridor. It works like a mirror at intersections and hard to see exits. The guards likes it so much that similar mirrors are discreetly installed high on the posts outside the main entrance. It is possible to look through some of the stained glass on the security windows beside the doors, but the walls thickness and wide door means that there were hidden spots along the outside wall. The wings exterior door also gets a similar mirror solution. Cleaning and polishing the mirrors becomes another job for the guards, just like checking the safety things like fire extinguishers once a week. I should really try to make proper glass-silver mirrors.

Iselin may want to continue the the electricity lessons, but Kari and Asta appreciate that I will limit the daily lessons so they can digest the information. It's funny that Kari just casually asks Iselin about the telescope project which makes Iselin switch focus. Iselin have her own little optics workspace in my workshop, and Iselin have a lot of grinding ahead of her to make a flat enough surface before make a big nice long focal length lens, and it's going to be more than one lens. Kari's small smug smile means that she too know Iselin well enough, and as she remind me that we have things to test later tonight, means Kari knows me too.

Still, Asta has her own projects she is eager to focus on. She have completed her own globe, so now Asta will do her best to measure, record and create a celestial sphere during the long winter nights. By measuring the same angle several times, it should probably be reasonably accurate. I will definitely need to help her with the math, but so will Iselin and Alith. Iselin wants to help and learn that too, while Alith want to get good at using a sextant and learning the math needed. I have given Alith permission to use one of the sextants in the library, and she knows how to take solar heights and other angle measurements. The math is the iffy bit and she does not like the math part. But how many do actually enjoy that? It just needs to be done. Alith have 'helped' Asta quite a lot while were sailing to Borgarsandr, and although Alith says that life here is a dream, I believe that Alith hasn't given up on her dream of Viking raids and such, and being able to navigate like few others will certainly make her more valuable to bring along. Honestly, just being close to me for the last months have made Alith learn a lot in a wide range of subjects and skills. When Alith leaves my service or stops being my guard, I will miss her, but I want her to have a good life, and fulfill her dreams.

Ciara don't really want to be part of the radio and electrical lessons even though she likes making parts for radios, which I totally respect, but along with sewing, embroidery and knitting, she is making more games like Risk. Ciara likes to be useful and help, and she do good work, and we all help her when she request it or ask. I am thinking of giving Risk games to some of our wedding guests. Just like I am used to, there is no tradition of the wedding couple giving gifts for to the guests, and it is considered an honor to participate. It is after all a week long feast where the groom is responsible for food, drink and accommodation. But I still want to give some a gift as it is a way to spread the games.

Bodil and Hillevi have made twelve different miniatures for the table top miniature battle and cast many copies of each, so there can now be two large forces with about 50 miniatures on each side, each with four heroes and leaders, and also a small force with about 20. They have painted a simple scheme on clothes, shields and tabards, so it's easy to tell the miniatures apart. Blues or red for the large forces and yellow for the small, but all miniatures have touches of black, white, brown and green. It's hardly modern high end painting, but the miniatures are very simple with low detail, so the paint help give them detail and highlight weapons and armors. The guards have agreed that a miniature game would be a good gift for King Asbjörn, who already has Risk. They want him to have a game, and they have made quite a lot of terrain pieces and other things, so Bodil have made a pretty box and will line the inside with cloth so it is a self contained kit. They are painting one army with King Asbjörn's colours and markings, and the other will have Daes King Magnbjorn's colours. They're making separate boxes for our three forces, plus all the terrain. It's starting to take up a lot of shelf space.

Bodil is obviously starting to love making things more and more, and when she asked if I needed something carved, I replied that I could use more ear muffs and radio headsets. Considering what she said more than once, I think Bodil likes her life and work here; the freedom to technically be a guarding shieldmaiden with its comfortable life, but she still get to do crafting that she knows is needed and interesting or just fun. I guess she also sees it as a sort of payment for the gifts she received.

Gunhild and Hillevi really want to contribute something too, even though they don't need to and I'm happy with the extra combat training they give me and Jane. Gunhild also participate with music as she play the flute and simple drums, plus she helps with the canon projects. Hillevi just tries to be generally helpful, and she do like to help in the kitchen. She really like the kitchen, and there is no doubt that she want something similar in her future household.