I haven’t been to the Shetland Museum at Hay’s Dock, Lerwick for ages but they had recently been loaned a beautiful painting as part of The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour.

We started our visit upstairs where the Shetland knitwear and textiles were exhibited.

I love the old-style Fair Isle all-over pattern. Stunning.

I think I need to go back on my own for a day and just take it all in properly.

There is so much to learn.

I want this hat (both).

Going downstairs we were greeted with this incredible view.

Hanging like they were floating in the air, were the historical stunning Shetland wooden boats.

I need to go with my better camera.

Downstairs was more agricultural, history and geography.

There was an original Skekler’s outfit – “Skekling is an old Shetland folk tradition. A Skekler is the name for a type of disguised person dressed in a distinctive straw costume; it is a variant of the term ‘guiser’. Skeklers would go round the houses at Halloween, New Year, and turn up at weddings in small groups performing fiddle music in return for food and drink.”  Museum of Witchcraft & Magic

(Personally, I think I would shit myself if someone turned up on my doorstep wearing that!)

Shetland ponies didn’t feature as much as I wanted them too, though. I feel they are just as an important part of Shetland’s history as the knitwear and weaving – though I may be very slightly biased.

This is a pack saddle, “klibber” with the woven net “meshie”.

The ponies wore them like this (Icelandic look about them).

This carving depicts Shetland ponies walking “The Nill Road”.  They have woven baskets, “kishies” full of peat, on their klibbers.

The St Ninian’s Isle Treasure was on display.  Found in 1958 by a local schoolboy under a cross-marked slab in the floor of the early St. Ninian’s church, it is dated c.750-825 AD.  These are replicas.  The originals are kept in Edinburgh at the National Museum of Scotland (harrumph).

Can we have the originals back, please?

Stone Age implements – the knife blades in the box below were found in Stourbrough Hill (the large hill behind my croft).

An oval house, similar to the one that would’ve existed in Leradale.

From henceforth, I will be looking out for stones shaped like this.

And at last we found the picture – A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling, (Anne Lovell?), about 1526-8, oil on oak by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Amazing and thank you to the gentleman who put me right about “The Flanders Mare” story.  I was floundering in inaccuracy!

I need to go back.

Over breakfast Daisy, Flossie and I discussed our Cunning Plan.

Then armed with buckets and headcollars, we went over to Leradale and executed it.

It was basically catching the Icelandic mares, Hetja and Brá plus Fivla (old beloved Shetland pony mare) and leading them into the small fenced haypark so Lilja would follow.  Then turning around, taking Hetja and Brá out leaving Lilja with Fivla for company.

Hetja and Brá walked into the horsevan without looking back (with the help of two feedbuckets strategically placed) so they too busy stuffing their faces to shout for Lilja and off we drove to their new field, 4 miles away.

Then Daisy went back to check on Lilja who had been let out of her haypark and was in with the Minions.

Apparently Waffle (and Silver) were being bossy.

Tiddles was ever the gentleman.  Darling Tids – never nasty.

The sun came out after lunch and I went to work.  En route, I checked Lilja again.  She was with Fivla.  Perfect.

Fivla will always look after her new charge and teach her everything she knows about being the nicest horse ever.

As I was leaving, Lilja followed me to see the others who were grazing nearby.  Silver had got over himself.

Note on the left Fivla is following to take charge of her “daughter”.

Lilja wants to make friends.  Vitamin and Waffle were sulking elsewhere.

I left them all grazing happily and peacefully.

Meanwhile, en route to Sandness to pack veg, I went via the mare’s field.  I doubt they’ve lifted their heads or moved.

So, we’ve done it – successfully weaned Lilja.  It was a day I was dreading.  Thank the Gods for Fivla –  still one of the most useful ponies we have.

Monster is very happy outside.

He loves it and follows us happily around the croft chatting all the way.  In fact he is rarely silent.

He has an “enquiring mind”.

This time of year we have lots of birds (mostly starlings) nesting in the drystone walls and old sheds.

They are clever and know the buildings and their set-up well.  They have always nested carefully.

Monster is very unsuccessful on the bird-front.  It is not for the lack of trying, though.

The downside of Monster is that he still wants to Rule the World or at least BeAnne.  She is enjoying the helpless victim role and playing it to the Gods.  Monster sits and waits for her sometimes springing out in pretend rage.  Then BeAnne quivers and has to be rescued from the savage beast and promptly given love, attention and a possible bravery treat.

I sort of feel we are all being played here.

But outside is a huge success and has helped WW3.  I have explained that apart from loving us, Monster has to make BeAnne his friend.  Liittle steps.

Monster says he will work on this special skill….. later, one day.  He’s a bit busy now.

Btw, we are thinking of changing Monster’s name to Vlad!

 

Waffle and Taktur were not the BFF’s I thought they would be.  This morning, we found Waffle in another field and Kappi had lost a shoe.  All not good.

Watching Taktur with Waffle, made us realise that Taktur could not go back out with Efstur (a colt he had spent the winter with) or Dreki (his gelded son).

So we put the old boys into their field instead – Klængur, Iacs and Haakon.

We moved them there because Waffle was being a right royal pain-in-the-arse annoying anyone he could find.

We needed a diversion.

Efstur (lovely trot) went bouncing up to see his old friends.

More beautiful trotting from Hjalti.

Even Dreki was doing it and he is never supposed to trot, if he wants to stay here and be my next horse.  I am depressed muchly.

I fear he may be up for sale – *** sigh *** – it is a beautiful trot too.

So the re-introductions began again, because they hadn’t seen each other for a month or so.

None of them had met Dreki, either.

On the whole, it went well.

Iacs is very good with youngsters.

Things were going swimmingly until Efstur remembered his Uncle Haakon liked a game.

Haakon told him to bugger off.

He told him quite a lot actually.

There was muchos galloping about trying to decide whether to talk to Waffle, who had now dragged Albie and Newt along for the ride.  The electric fence was on and zapping away freely.

Decisions, decisions….

The Three Amigos.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Taktur stood trying to look like a Handsome Prince in pigtails!

So much for my great idea.  Waffle has gone home now to Leradale after his injections and peace vaguely reigneths.

This morning, bright and early, Daisy, Flossie and I went to Leradale to move some hurdles that we had been using as gates.  We need them for another field.

There was help.

Much help.

*** sigh *** – there’s always help.

Tiddles and Waffle were happily playing.

They are happy little boys.

And then, having checked everyone was fine, we walked up the hill with our hurdles (well, the girls did – my back was having none of it).

Having put the hurdles into the van, we then decided to take Waffle with us as he needs his ‘flu jags to go south as Kappi’s travel companion for the British Championships later in June.

The others were sad to see Waffle leave on his Big Adventure.

We drove Waffle to Thordale where he was very enthusiastically greeted.

Taktur was thrilled that Waffle smelled of Lady-Girls.

He even had a stallion moment to himself.

Waffle was very pleased to see Albie and Newt and they have been playing ever since.

Waffle didn’t give Taktur much attention – secretly I think it is the girlie hair.  You can’t take a stallion seriously who wears plaits!

Anyway, it is good to have Waffle home, if briefly.  He will go back to his herd tomorrow.  As I type, they are all happily settled down the bottom field grazing.  Friends don’t forget friends.