Today, imagine if you will, that I took superb photos of Taktur loose lungeing with Storm around the school (oooh).

Then, onto Sandness to watch some stunning black Shetland mares in a very impressive Shetland landscape meet up with another mare.  They ran majestically together across the horizon, stood and faced us with their manes blowing beautifully in the wind (aaah).

Afterwards we went to see Hetja and Hjalti.  He was asleep and Hetja allowed me to approach him. This was the closest I have ever been to him.  Hjalti then got up trotted, tölted lightly, legs high and dance daround us like Nureyev.  I snapped away happily (cor).

And I think it was at this stage that I noticed I had no memory card in my camera…….

(I may have said a rude word or even two or three).

So imagine, if you will, because you aren’t going to ever see the ruddy photos.

To make up for this terrible situation (which will never happen again as I put a memory card in every car glove compartment just in case), here are some pathetic photos of the Northern Lights that I took a few nights back.  I would like you to know that I suffered for these photos.  The midges were out in force. I had also drunk copious amounts of Maotai that rendered me utterly useless – even with a memory card in this time, it was no use as I had forgotten how the ruddy camera worked.

Is that Mars in the sky (or is Venus)?

And the Plough (I always like to find it as it is the only star constellation I know!)

And so to bed as the Aurora vanished, the effects of the Maotai wore off and suddenly I remembered how to focus and set my camera.

Storm has a secret life.  He invented it all by himself – a regular Walter Mitty (obviously the Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff version and not the new one – there, I’ve said it!)

Everyday Storm waits patiently with Taktur and I let them both out of the field, feed them Handsome-Prince food (I remain deranged but optimistic for Storm), and they go into the Fat Field – the one with lots of grass.

Obviously, this is not enough for Storm.  No, he wants more.  So everyday, he crawls under the fence into a huge field full of thick lush green grass.  But being a pony of very little brain and, because he can, Storm crawls under another fence via the burn (stream to you) into this field.

I have no idea why he does it but he does.  He stays here, happily stuffing, until I call him and with that he comes trotting enthusiastically up.

This is his silly-billy face and hairdo.

And this is his concentrating face.  He will be using this one if he ever gets near a show ring (no chance).

And so I open the gate back into the field where there is less grass but more friends.  Being Storm, he takes provisions because you just never know.

Being Storm, though, he is easily distracted by a small piece of rope.  Like I said, a pony of very little brain.

Eventually, Storm remembers why the gate is open and goes through to the field with less grass but where the Fatties live.

Storm is such a darling little character, he doesn’t instantly bugger off and we have a nose kissey en route. I tell him he is very speshul every day.

Having established just how special he is, Storm then armed with confidence and derring-do, makes his way carefully to find the rest of his herd.

Everyday, it is the same routine.

When I was a-trippering a few days ago with my friends, we came across a small herd of Eriskay ponies on a hill.

They caught my eye and imagination and I wanted to find out more about them.  I phoned their owner and asked if I could go and take some photos.  Permission was given (I always ask, never assume) so I thought I would pop along this morning by myself and take a few pics.

I know nothing about Eriskay ponies apart from the fact that they are rare and now there are 2 mares, 2 foals and a stallion up here in Shetland.

Armed myself with my camera, I did the usual – climbed carefully over the fence, found a suitable dry flat rock and sat down.  I would not assume to go up to a herd – I like to wait for them to come to me first.

The stallion immediately clocked me but took his time before he wended his way down the hill to talk to me.  We exchanged the time of day and I noted he was a gentle soul and yes, I kissed his nosey.  He was that type of chap.

I will definitely go back, if I am allowed. I liked these gentle ponies.  They gave me the same feeling as Icelandic horses and Shetland ponies.

There was definitely a similarity in the way they thought.  I could see that.

Anyway, enjoy the photos – this is just a small selection. As always, I took a few.

Yesterday, after sitting outside with Lambie and Lambert, we went inside to escape the midges and make a cup of tea.

Then I thought, for some miracle reason, that the midges were not going to be as bad in the pony field so, taking our tea (Lapsang Souchong no milk no sugar, thank you for asking), we went and sat down on some flat rocks and waited.

Pretty quickly two of The Minions appeared – Waffle and Storm.

They took an inordinate interest in our tea.  Mandy offered some of her’s to Waffle.

And I offered some to Storm (I love his face).

Waffle liked tea and wanted the whole cup to himself.

While Storm went a bit silly because, well because he could! Caffeine Buzz?

Hard drugs, dontcha know!

So I sent him over to Mandy.

Meanwhile Silver wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

He drank most of my tea very happily and finished it off just as Storm returned to annoy.

So I gave Storm the empty cup to play with.

I suppose that is where the phrase “Storm in a Teacup” comes from!

We all went for a lovely ride and afterwards, as it was such a gorgeous afternoon, we sat on a hill in one of my fields and thought what a wonderful place Shetland is.

As always, the dogs and Lambie and Lambert came too.

We found a nice spot (not difficult) and sat down to admire the scenery, let the dogs/sheep potter while I took close-up photos of Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), one of my favourite Shetland wild flowers.

This was our view.  How we suffered.

Fairly soon, Lambie decided he wanted to talk to us.

As did Lambert, who sat down behind Flossie – she said he was surprisingly comfortable.

Lambert has been quite aloof since his operation so it was lovely that he wanted to spend time with us.

When you think about it, however, who sits on a picnic rug with two sheep?

Do you think Lambie was perhaps jealous of Lambert moving in on the pet-sheep relationship?

So while Loki had fun investigating the five acre field…..

And Her Maj kept an eye on everything, in case it needed to die ….

…… Lambie and Lambert nodded off on the picnic blanket.

Lambert slept in very funny (funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha) positions.

I think you know you are loved when two sheep nod off beside you.   And you know you are an idiot when you shove up on your coat/blanket so that Lambie can have a dry place to rest as he doesn’t like wet grass very much!

And then the midges got us just that bit too much and we went home quickly.  I HATE MIDGES!