Another storm is on its way and this one is going to last for days *** sigh *** but it remains relatively warm so that’s a plus.

After all our breakfasts and armed with a bucket of useful things including 12 pieces of carrot and my essential list of individual weights (thank you to Sandness Equine Services), I went out to catch each and every horse and pony.

Once caught, I cut tails short so they don’t drag or touch the ground (I may have been a bit over-enthusiastic with one or two, sorry), brushed everyone’s backs to make them floofy again for better rain protection and then gave each pony the required amount of wormer according to their weight.  The old ones also got a dose of probiotic.  Then they were released only to stand around and annoy each other or me.  Storm and Cousin Newt had designs on my bucket.

There was a lot of “help”, possibly a bit too much at times.

As well as getting in the way.

But I achieved everything fairly successsfully, though I am not convinced I wormed Waffle but as I couldn’t see any evidence of wormer on the ground, I remain hopeful.

Waffle was the last one to be done, so once I had finished, I led him out of the wee paddock. The others all followed and they went on their merry little way.

Then it was time to do the same with the Ancients.

That also went pretty smoothly except Haakon refused to be caught. Once I wormed him, etc, he refused to eat anything ever again, refusing even his piece of carrot.

So now I spent the day convinced he has colic.  I went down later and gave him a horse treat which he managed to swallow down.  Phew!

It’s been an ambient (read ferocious) Force 8, gusting 10 all day.  When the F10 (55–63 mph) hit, it really hit hard but I was beginning to get cabin fever so I needed out.  I drove to our village  to get some local messages and then went to find some good waves to photograph.

This is at our local beach – Dale.

“Very high waves with long overhanging crests; resulting foam in great patches is blown in dense white streaks along the direction of the wind; on the whole the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance; rolling of the sea becomes heavy; visibility affected.” – Wikipedia

And then I drove home feeling glad I had been out but even gladder I was going home.

Well, I think we can all guess what I said to myself when OH shouted up the stairs this morning “There’s a really good sunrise happening now”.

Well this shepherd is well and truly warned.

Tomorrow’s feeding routine is going to be fun – Force 7 gusting 10.  Ick.

Anyway, the skies have been good this morning – this was on the dog walk.  OH had managed to get to town for supplies and the Eggbox is now safely back home.  Huzzah.

I did some mucking out of the sheep’s stable which was hard work and very hard on my back too.

And then, armed with my metal comb, I gave the horses and ponies a quick back brush to make their fur fluffy and more efficient in the endless rain to come.

Newt is very floofy.

In fact everyone is and they all stood there, on best behaviour, no headcollars or anything needed, while I brushed.  Lots of little smiley faces.

Then I went to the Icelandic horse field and did the same with the ancients.

Feeling very virtuous, I walked up the hill, back into the house and had my lunch.  Now the storm is hammering away outside.  I think I deserve a gin and tonic as my reward for all my hard work.  It might help my back too……

This morning was interesting, to say the least, trying to feed horses and ponies in a Force 12 – around 60 mph wind.  I was doing quite well, walking round the outside of the shed, using it as a windbreak, thinking “this is doable”, and then the wind hit me hard and all the buckets I was carrying too.  It was tough and I felt very battered afterwards.  I ended up tipping the food on the ground for each pony.

The Eggbox remains stuck too and just before you all think I am a wuss, my neighbour got his all-singing all-dancing mother-fupper 4WD stuck there yesterday afternoon too!  I think Egg (new name) was glad of the company!

So a morning of cooking leftovers into soup and cake depending on food type and an afternoon in the shed with this little one.

We watched telly together.

And looked out at the world.

And I added to this little flock.

Feeling like stretching my legs and with the wind now dying down a bit, I went outside to give everyone a wee horse-treat.

The little ones like being near the big ones – they are in the next door field – and everyone seems to be fine despite the storms.

A brief lull and another storm is heading our way shortly and then another and then another. I might be slightly obsessed with weather charts!

The thaw continues and so the field mud is back with a vengeance.

The Minions are not using their usual buckets for breakfast as we had to leave them behind in the move.  These coloured buckets are not ideal as they are light and tend to blow away so, after breakfast, OH and I walked up the track with a view to getting the Eggbox home.  We could also collect the heavy buckets too.

And the words “not a prayer” came to mind.  The Eggbox can just be seen just below the horizon looking a bit forlorn.

Yes, it’s a 4WD but the thaw makes everything under the snow unreliable and easy to vanish into.

This drifting happens when a northwest wind plus a good pile of snow = four foot drifting on my track in two places making it impassable.

So OH and I went and fetched the flat heavy feed buckets from the Minions’ old field and brought them home, ready for tomorrow’s storm – Force 11 at feeding time. That’ll be fun.

It would be good to get out especially to town as we are running out of supplies like fresh fruit and veg.