Home chores done and off we (my friend and I) drove to Laxo – the pier for the ferry to Whalsay.

We hadn’t booked the car on and had decided to risk it.  Luckily there was room for us – though I am always nervous sitting in the “unbooked car” lane wondering if there will be space.

And so to Whalsay – a 30 minute sea journey.  It was calm.

My friend had to pop into “the office” and once the job was done, the rest of the day was our’s.

As this was her first trip, I decided to drive around and show her Whalsay.

Whalsay is Shetland’s sixth largest island.

It is also known as “The Bonnie Isle” and we could see why. The heather was sumptious and the smell….. like honey.

The drive was not arduous as the island is only 7.6 square miles.

No ferry so we sat for two hours again in the unbooked car lane (must book next time). This merited a quick trip for pies and other chocolatey-cakey-type provisions from the one and only shop. The ferry appeared and then they squished the cars in to take us back to what we call “the mainland”, leaving two large lorries behind.  No space.

Today the Minions had visitors.

And jolly nice it was too.

I have been holding off from letting the public, ie tourists and visitors to the Islands, meet the ponies, mostly due to Covid reasons.  I can’t get my head around seeing strangers yet.  Family friends, however, are different.  I am happy to introduce them to the ponies.

There was lots of love, hugs and kisses for eight happy little Minions.

Vitamin was keeping an eye on the proceedings.

She is not really the huggy type but wanted to be around in case large amounts of cake was dropped on the floor!  There wasn’t so she had a carrot and her mouth rinsed out instead.

Newt was very “newty”.

As was Tiddles.  He, of course, gave the best kisses.

I took this photo a few days ago.  Can you guess who it is from the shape?

So, it was nice to see folk and even better, the ponies behaved beautifully, though Storm did have a secret “zip” moment!

Yesterday evening, while the rain chucked down, led by Mother-Duck, all the duckies made a bid for freedom so we rushed out, caught them and shoved them quickly into the duck-house (along with food and water) closing the door quickly behind them.  There may have been swearing.

So much for duck participation, gratitude and helpfulness.  Meh!

Today was a new day and luckily slightly drier.  OH has now gone again working off-island (poor, poor Monster!), and it was down to Daisy and I to solve the duck problem.  We decided to fit wide boards along the side of the run because last night, the ducks had managed to squeeze between the net and the hurdles and then firmly stuck.

We “borrowed” OH’s tools and various bits and pieces from his shed.

And while Daisy drilled, I tied the boards firmly together with bale string.  We even did sawing (well, Daisy did. I looked on in wonder!)

Then into OH’s shed to make a proper duck staircase so everyone can go in and out a bit easier.  The plank I had originally supplied was slippy in the rain and they were reluctant to use it.

Ta dah!

We also supplied two swimming pools and a breakfast tray.

The ducks have spent the rest of the day pottering up and down their little staircase, going in and out of their house, swimming and eating.  Mother-Duck is still looking for an escape route but I think it is all a bit more secure now and hopefully she won’t succeed.

If she does, at this stage, I give up!

Today our neighbour sold me this very useful henhouse so we went over with the van and collected it.

With a little bit of titivation (thank you OH), it became perfectly functional – and much needed. I wanted to move the ducklings outside.

So we lugged hurdles and salmon net and then, between us, created our new duck-run-and-house.

The salmon net was cut to size.

Then came the duck catching.  Armed with a tadpole net (from someone’s childhood), I got Mother-Duck and carried her over.

And then easily caught the ducklings – all 11 of them (we popped them in a pet carrier and made a few journeys).

Everyone was a bit surprised at the sudden relocation.

So, here is their new abode – nice and, hopefully, safe.

And yes, Mother-Duck remains ungrateful and resentful.  There is no pleasing some ducks.

The best bit is that I can now see them from the kitchen window!

In other news, Vitamin was more than happy to be caught today!

Today I hate my ponies.

They had “the wind up their tails” and I couldn’t get near them. I did try. Having distributed my carrots (two each), I wanted to catch Fivla first to clean her eyes. She thought long and hard about evading me but, having known me all of her life, she realised that was a bad idea.

Vitamin, on the other hoof, was a different matter. I needed to catch her to flush her teeth/gums with water.  Usually this is a small, simple and uncomplicated job but no, today, Vitamin was having none of it and I have to admit that, after trying for a while to catch her, I could see the job was a bad ‘un and I was going to fail.  I hate failure especially with Shetland ponies.  They remember and exploit.

So I gave my catching-Vitamin carrot to Fivla while Vitamin watched on, looking petulant. I told Fivla to munch loudly and enthusiastically so that Vitamin would know that I hadn’t given up (which I had) and that she most definitely hadn’t won this battle.

For an old lady, Vitamin can move when she wants to.  She had a mad look in her eyes and there was no point going on trying. I told them all just how ungrateful they were, packed up my things and went home.  They neither looked back or cared!