“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” is one of the oldest proverbs in the English language (apparently it was first recorded in Old English Homilies, written sometime around 1175.)

Anyway, I hadn’t seen the Shetland ponies all day as they were happily munching the grass at the furthest part of the track, which I had opened up yesterday (t’was Sunday when they get a bit more to eat).

And, although the ponies can see water, they can’t get to it because there is an electric fence in situ. I wondered if they had drunk anything all day as there was no evidence that they had even left this spot since finding it yesterday.

So I filled the bucket in the stream, clambered over the fence and offered it to them.

It was deemed acceptable.

And I went round each pony offering him the bucket, refilling it when necessary.

I have no idea why Albie was doing the flehmen response. Perhaps he got water up his nosey.

It was good to see the ponies all drink and I was glad I had bothered or else I doubt they would’ve gone to get water which is a good walk away – they are a lazy bunch at best.

I also had Pepperpot with me and she mingled.

God alone knows what Albie Potatoes was on!

I really can’t think of much to say except that since everyone left to go south at Christmas time, Monster has become my best friend.

For many years, he has kept me at paw’s length favouring OH and Daisy over everyone else including me.  Apparently paying his bills is not enough.

Luckily this left a gap in the market which was happily filled by Pepper.  She has never left my side, except for when she goes a-visiting our neighbours.  I know she luffs me.  She never stops telling me.

So, it is lovely to have Monster deciding that I must be annoyed at every available moment of the day.  It is not because I have the ability to open cat food tins/sachets.  He would not be that obvious.

Usually our special time together is at my breakfast when I have my bowl of porridge.

He does a lot of draping.  Today, apparently I sent a message to some random person on Facebook which I had to grovingly apologise for.  Of course, I blamed the cat!

I am toying with using this photo as wallpaper on my phone.

I found everyone asleep when I went outside to poo-pick the track after breakfast.  Of course, they all got up when they heard me trying to quietly climb over the fence to take a photo of three “dead” ponies.  They were all fast asleep in a heap.

But up and down the track I went, armed with my rubber gloves and bucket getting rid of the all the last 24 hours’ poo.  I met Waffle who was looking distinctly handsome.  They are used to me doing this so have stopped offering to “help”.

Tiddles was chatting to Pepper – who was on a very short and totally supervised walk as she still limping.

In my pocket, I had a jar of Sudocrem – antiseptic healing barrier cream – which I applied liberally all over Tiddles’ little pink nosey.

The sun has finally made an appearance, which is lovely.

Putting on the Sudocrem made me think so much of Storm. Usually he would be on my list to have sunscreen as he had a very pink nosey that would quickly burn.

But Tiddles’ nose is important now and hopefully not burning.

I will carry my pot of barrier cream in my pocket from now on.

This morning, I found the little old ladies asleep in the sunshine together.

When they lived together, this was something they never could do as one pony had to stay awake to alert for potential tigers.

I love seeing Fivla and Vitamin asleep together.  It makes me realise that I made the right choice by putting them in with the other old folk because they don’t have to look after each other anymore and can relax in the sunshine together, which is lovely to see.

Vitamin is 31 years old, while Fivla is 29.

The other thing I like is that Dahlia and Gussie spend a lot of time around the Old Ladies.  They like them and they trust them.

Lambie and his friends do not like Shetland ponies but that is because of there is history of ponies chasing Lambie when he was a wee lamb. He does not forgive or forget.  Ever.

Anywho, Dahlia does not know this and she wants to be around Fivla and Vitamin.

As does Gussie.  He learns from his mother who is very accepting and trusting, which is surprising for a wild hill sheep.

Dear little sheeps.

And that makes my heart smile too despite what Lambie says.  Lambie is an idiot, though.

It was a lovely day.  Blue sky and the sun shining. I needed to go to town for an appointment anyway but I also did some messages first.

I filled up my field at Jamieson’s Knitwear, which was looking a bit empty.  They took everything I had made so that was good but now the rush is on to try and keep up with potential buyers.

Lerwick was full.  The MS Nieuw Statendam was in port bringing 2,666 visitors.

I admired the huge ship and then wandered along the harbour to see the also newly arrived “Liberation Convoy” consisting of four fishing boats and a submarine chaser – these beautiful vessels had all taken part in the “Shetland Bus” – an incredible rescue operation during the Second World War.

From Wikipedia –

The Shetland Bus (Norwegian Bokmål: Shetlandsbussene) was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Mainland Shetland in Scotland and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the surrender of Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945. This link transferred agents in and out of Norway and provided them with weapons, radios and other supplies. From mid-1942, the group’s official name was the Norwegian Naval Independent Unit (NNIU). In October 1943, it became an official part of the Royal Norwegian Navy and was renamed the Royal Norwegian Naval Special Unit (RNNSU). The unit was operated initially by a large number of small fishing boats and later augmented by three fast and well-armed submarine chasers – Vigra, Hessa and Hitra.

Crossings were mostly made during the winter under the cover of darkness. This meant the crews and passengers had to endure very heavy North Sea conditions, with no lights and constant risk of discovery by German aircraft or patrol boats. There was also the possibility of being captured whilst carrying out the mission on the Norwegian coast

It was amazing to see this amazing flotilla that had come over to Shetland to commemorate VE Day as well as their special link with Shetland.

(And suddenly the cruise ship looked very out of place.)