I have had a headache all day.  I am not sure why but it has been annoying me and, considering the amount of analgesia I am taking for my spine, it has no business to exist.  Perhaps it is the weather.

I fell asleep after lunch, which didn’t make it go away, so I went for a little walk accompanied, as usual, by Staff Nurse Soufflé:

We trundled along the track. I stopped a few times to take a some arty-farty photos with my No 2 camera which is a small adequate thing but light.  The big camera is, by my reckoning, heavier than a kettle and that is the official weight limit that I can carry about. It has been put away for a while so I can’t be tempted, post-bollocking.

Tip: If you have a mediocre photo, try using black and white. It can sometimes give it a second chance to be a bit more interesting.

We got as far as our roadside egg-shop where we intend to make our millions – though, it may take some time. A very long time.

We went home arting and farting as we went (well, no, but I just wanted to type that!)

A few minutes later I saw Jo battling with the horses up in Clothie.  She had come over to feed Taktur for me.

There was Jo, a bucket of neaps and a bucket of grub for Taktur.  The neaps were for the others and the real food was for my beautiful stallion.

This method did not work.  A few expletives and an exchange of views, I think, were had plus the waving of arms and legs to make the point that the food was for Taktur and the neaps were for the others.  Apparently she will not be trying this method again.  I love the way Iacs’ face is ever-hopeful in all the pictures.

 

Anyway, for me, it was lovely to see my darling horses again.

I have missed them however, I don’t think Jo has.

My headache has gone, now, thank you for asking!

And suddenly I am thinking that I might treat myself to a nice newer lighter camera as my in-between camera.  A spot of shopping I think is required.

 

It’s that time of year again.  When we ask ourselves who is up the duff?

Jo and Fiona came over and I handed Jo a list on which I had written from the 2012 diary.  It said:-

6th June 2012 – Indy Out – Velvereta squirting, Melinda not interested, Raw Deal no interested
7th June 2012 – Pippa out with PingPong (Indy) – squirted, Melinda interested
16th June 2012 – Pippa bonked
18th June 2012 – Raw Deal bonked (poss Melinda)

For their first job, Jo and Fiona took my camera, left me watching Game of Thrones and went to give Taktur his daily grub.

Armed with a bucket of neeps kindly donated by Penny and Alan from Transition Turriefield, Fiona distracted any potential vultures.

  

When I asked Jo, later, how she managed this huge feat of ingenuity, she said she doubted they would get away with this method again!

Anyway, onwards and upwards.  They took the trailer and my camera off to their next job.  To move the pregnant mares, plus Fivla and Vitamin to a field nearer Jo’s house.

They strewed neeps on the grass and caught the ponies they wanted – I am assuming this from the photos as that is what I would’ve done.

I think they left Pippa behind with the yearling fillies plus some others as she didn’t look pregnant at all.  Such is the way.  It is no great loss especially in today’s Shetland pony market.

Our money is on Melinda first giving birth and then Velvereta.  We are not sure about Raw Deal. She could be but then again, she might not be…. but apparently she is an odd shape!  So they took the three potential preggie ladies plus Fivla and Vitamin too.  Fivla is going to be a riding pony again for a little girl this summer and, as Vitamin is her best friend, she had to come too.

We split the Shetland mares from Jo’s Icelandic horse herd.  They have been living there all winter. This was because we don’t want the pregnant mares galloping around when they should be stuffing their faces and concentrating on having live healthy little bebbies.

Meanwhile, Jo’s Icelandics looked very well. They had their share of the neeps too.

Ljosfaxi, the palomino, is looking particularly good for this time of year.  He is a very old man now and last winter we thought this would be it.  But I am happily surprised at his round bottom, although he has no topline or muscle.  Still bonkers, though.

Fiona, who brought my camera back to me, took a good photo of the impressive waves on her way home.  This just inspires me more to sit under my electric blanket, with BeAnne by my side and watch another episode of Game of Thrones. Do they not own a decent bra between them in this series?  There are wobbly bits everywhere.

I got a bollocking.  I think I deserved it, if I am honest.

Basically, my friend said stop doing anything.   Not even lifting a kettle.  Really nothing.  I have read her wise words and taken on board all that she wrote. She is right, though I am terrified I have now done more damage by not really listening before and doing stuff that I perhaps shouldn’t have in the past few days since I got home.

So for the next four weeks, nothing.  Zip diddly squat.  Poor OH is going to have to step up to the plate and take over, even the cooking.  Tonight is baked tatties.

Jo came over to feed Taktur for me and take away the trailer.  She brought Snati and Beeble and stayed for a cuppa.  BeAnne had great fun with Snati.  This film is worth watching with the volume on.

Romeo and Juliette

Since my return, I have been sent some very generous presents.  These arrived this morning.

The biscuits were accompanied by a lovely note too, except it mentioned something to do with sharing, which I tried to ignore, but, look, look, I am sharing (grudgingly).

Real handmade chocolate digestive biscuits that taste beyond wonderful.  The best kind of surprise and totally unexpected too.

They were made by my friends at The Handmade Dog Biscuit Company.  BeAnne and Beeble feature on the front page of their website.  I highly recommend this company and there is nothing any of my dogs won’t do for their products.   BeAnne can be a fussy little madam too.  We have used them successfully in that elusive search for terrier obedience!

But the rest of these choccie digestive biccies are mine, all mine, I tell you, although OH and Jo have had a couple each due to the Sharing Clause in the enclosed note. grumble, grumble. I hope they go into production with them, hint, hint.  They were amazing.

Another gift to arrive yesterday was some Hungarian chocolate (different!) accompanied by a beautiful handmade keyfob.  This was from my friends at Bespoke Browbands.

Karin spent many hours sourcing the semi-precious stones.  She wanted them to act as a back pain healing crystal mix and peridot (the green one) is my birthstone too.  So this is very special to me and I love it.

My friends from all over the world have been a huge source of help, inspiration and support in a variety of ways.

I don’t grudge the bollocking at all.  As I said, I needed to hear it.  I shan’t even use my big camera – so I apologise for the standard of photo in the future and you will be lucky if you ever see a horse or pony again, though I am going to use the time to go through approximately 10,000 photos on my laptop that need sorting,  I might find a pony or two in them that I might show you.

 

I need to rest.  It is official.  The more I do, the worse I feel.  So we are not going out and I am trying to delegate, ignore or just leave whatever alone.  I am not very good at this.  Jack is very good at this!

Celt is worrying me greatly.

I found him sitting very oddly when we went for a little potter this afternoon.  It was as if his back legs didn’t work.  He couldn’t get back up by himself but I managed to haul him up onto his legs and we went home after the dogs had done their business.  I pray to God he was blown over by the strong wind, or a one-off, or something that is never going to happen again but…….I am not hopeful tbh. He is so old and so rickety.

So I didn’t get over to Clothie to feed Taktur (there is no one I can delegate this task to). I feel bad about that.  Everyone is fine over there.

When I called the dogs to come home, the horses all heard and came running over, so I felt even more guilty.  The weather is vile – in fits and starts of huge wind and rain.  I just don’t have the strength today.  Maybe tomorrow.

Anyway, some are happy to keep me company with my enforced resting.

There is the odd look of disapproval at any visitors.

But the visitor is gorgeous.  Mootie – a Yorkshire terrier puppy.  I was terrified Wussums would eat her.  To Wuss, Mootie would be a light snack!

Her Maj took up sulking because Mootie was a hundred times cuter.

Mootie means tiny or very small in Shetland dialect 

I keep telling myself that we need rain.  The ground is too dry and can’t warm up.  The grass won’t grow without it either.

While the rest of the UK seems to be up to its oxters in mud, it hasn’t rained in Shetland properly for weeks now.  I can go and talk to the horses in my slippers, which is not right for this time of year.

Jo came over to help me move the lads.  The forecast is wind and rain now for the foreseeable so it makes sense to put them in to Clothie, my 5 acre field with shelter and some grass.  Indy went in to the school to make himself that bit more alluring.

(I think I feel sick)

Those that were considered untrustworthy had headcollars put on them.

So that would be Iacs (easily led and tends to bugger off if he can, taking others with him into the open hill), Klaengur, Indy, and Hammy.  Haakon and the bebbies were trusted to follow.

I stayed behind with Taktur who needed feeding.  Haakon grumbled past but went on his way.

BeAnne kept an eye and helped them too.

It is not very far to Clothie but there is much potential for buggering off and the scattald is big, very big, like miles big.

They all behaved, which was kind of them and went to Clothie with minimum fuss.

  

I fed Taktur his new food – looks like cornflakes with conditioning cubes. Jo had changed his diet while I was away and discovered he likes this mixture much better.

Obviously Chicken Wars is still on.

BeAnne was of absolutely no use. All her chicken training has gone to waste.  She had better things to hunt for.

  

Ever the lady!

Taktur was a gent.  I took him over to Clothie on his own.  He never pulled, barged or had an opinion about being without the herd. He just followed me, waited while I opened the field gate, did a lovely turn on the forehand so I could shut it and take his headcollar off.  The Gods smiled when they gave me Taktur.

    

I am sad in some ways about the oncoming gales and rain. The beautiful daffodils were making such a good effort.  They will probably all be flattened by tomorrow.

  

Never mind, I will keep telling myself that we need this rain.