It was quiet and still so I took my Big Camera for a walk to see if I want to keep it.  I have been thinking a lot about selling it as I don’t use it very much.

I decided on photographing the Ancients as they live in slightly less mud than the Shetland ponies.

I haven’t taken this camera out to play for a while as it weighs a lot around my neck and is not very portable.

But I will admit I do like the photos it takes and had rather forgotten this fact.

I am now beginning to think that it would be a mistake to sell this camera and all the lenses (although I only really use one of the three).

I had begun to take my iPhone camera for granted and that is a mistake.

I used to really enjoy photography until I found it difficult to walk and carry the camera at the same time.  I need to re-think my ideas about what I actually want.

So, a rather late New Year’s Resolution – I am going to use this camera more.

And this photo is when I thought I had finished with the photography “session” and was walking away from the horses.  I turned around to say just touch Haakon’s nose with your’s, Iacs. And he did and then Haakon bit him!

Kolka was standing well away from these two – I can’t blame her.

This could be Sleipnir – an eight-legged horse, the swiftest in the world, belonging to the chief of the gods, Odin.

Or probably not.

And this is the most heinous crime in the world.  Words fail.

I went indoors.

I was held hostage this morning while I was deciding on my day.

It was my turn again to walk the dogs.  OH was in town so off we went. It was a nice morning with some interesting skies – that’s my wee house on the right.

I found Lambie and everyone else at the far end of the field.

Lambie was looking particularly gorgeous and photo-worthy.

The handsome profile……

….with a hint of mystery.

It was these two I was really looking for – Dahlia and Gussie – they hadn’t turned up again for breakfast.  I knew the reason – there is most probably a very sexy Shetland ram in the hill who is trying to lure Dahlia with his charms and she is spending her days pressed up against the perimeter fence.   If there are lambs, then there are lambs.

Gussie isn’t quite brave enough to leave his mother to come and find me for his breakfast and he does love his food.  One day he will turn up without her.

Luckily for all, Lambie has never knowingly missed a meal and is quite *** cough *** well-covered.

I was intrigued watching Lambie with Dahlia. He seems to have given up his creepy relationship with her, which is good for everyone.

No, my bad….. still creepy.

After lunch, I went and did something stupid but necessary. Skippy and I mucked out the sheep shed – we managed three large loads and I am glad we did as it needed doing.  Skippy was invaluable. That would’ve been probably the equivalent of 6 normal wheelbarrow loads.

But now I am paying the price with painkillers, a lie-down and a heat pad so far.  An acupressure mat session tonight and tomorrow will be the turn of the Painpod.

Pepper, what do you think you are doing?

Pepper, are you hoovering up Haakon’s spilled food?

Pepper, Ahem!

(At this stage, I was shocked).

It is one thing to hoover around and clear up the spilled bits of food but to try for the bucket is another thing entirely.  She was lucky Haakon is so nice. Other’s might not have been.

And Pepper knew it, coming to sit beside me while I told her she couldn’t do that sort of thing.

After this, Pepper climbed onto my knee and then up my shoulder, with her tail wagging, telling me that I still loved her, apparently!

A wicked little girl but I have to love her. It’s The Law.

Today was less windy and, as I like to have the next bale of hay ready when we start the new one, I went to town to get supplies.

First, of course, was the normal routine of feeding everyone and making sure they were all outside and in the right place.

And then I took the horsevan off to Lerwick.  I needed to visit the two feed merchants.

The main reason for taking the horsevan – the big round bale of hay.  I also bought hard feed and salt licks for horses, ponies, sheep, old ladies, old sheep…..

I was meeting a friend on Commercial Street (the Street) for lunch too so I parked the van in the Victoria pier carpark and looked upwards to see it was actually a very nice day.  Blue sky.  Woohoo!  I hadn’t noticed.

And, if the Street was empty at Christmas, Lerwick was beyond empty in January but, having said that, everyone is gearing up for the cruise ship season which is when everything is manic.  First, of course, is Up Helly Aa – the Fire Festival on the last Tuesday of this month.  There will be visitors then too.  It is good to have a breather.

For lunch, my friend, her dog and I went to Pete’s Café & Takeaway, Lerwick and I don’t normally take photos of my food because I am not that person, but this is what I had….. OMG, it was incredible.

Original Photo – Pete’s Café & Takeaway from Living Lerwick’s Facebook Page

To have a day away from my usual life of mud, poo-picking, making a sheep, etc was utter bliss.  I know I had most of my chores to do when I got home but it was a lovely break from the norm.

I am still thinking about my lunch!

It was my turn to take the dogs out for their walk so I decided we would look at the grass situation in each field while looking out for the sheep.

The small orange dot is Pepper and we are in my biggest field – the hill park.  Parks are fields here in Shetland.

And the tiny hillock on the horizon is possibly a sheep…..

As we got nearer, my sheep/hillock theory was found to be correct.

Imagine my joy when I saw my beloved Lambie sitting in a heap of stones (possibly an old house site in the Bronze Age), chewing his cud.

Little sweetie.  So precious.

They were all about, bar Dahlia and Gussie who were close to the house looking for their breakfasts that they missed.

I wish the sheep would all be together but no one is very keen on the new arrivals.  The main culprits are actually all of this lot at various stages of the week.  Lambie has been very sexy odd/creepy with Dahlia and she hates it (she has a point!)  ‘Bert loathes Gussie who doesn’t care.  Barrel was not been kind at the beginning but is slightly nicer now.  Ditto Maggie.  Madge steers clear of everyone and Edna just wants feeding,

But we have enough land and places everyone can live without falling over each other.

Actually, I think the only one who isn’t mean to Dahlia and Gussie is ‘Ster.

He just doesn’t want to be left out and on his own.  He has separation anxiety issues.

So I left this lot and went back to the other faction to find two feed bowls of food to give to them.  My life is never simple.