We have a digger digging here at the moment.  Poor digger-driver has a long list on my to-do list.

In case the digger-driver turned up today to dig, I kept the old folk in their field bringing them haynets to hang on the gate.

One of the digging jobs is to scrape all the mud/poo off the hard standing where the horses usually eat and I don’t think the combination of 4 eating Icelandic horses and one digger is a good one, though I am sure the horses would be helpful, possibly too helpful and I also don’t think Iacs should be allowed near machinery. He’s not qualified.

It has been hailing or snowing on and off today.

I arrived early to feed the Minions as we were going out for lunch today, off island.  The clocks also went forward so I guess I was a nice surprise.

And it started hailing again.

So I took a few piccies of hailstones on Shetland ponies, which I think will make great screen-savers.

If anyone wants one, two ….., all, let me know and I can Dropbox them to you.

I think this might be my next screen saver – Newt’s vast bottoooom!

The Minions have started a new régime.  Having talked to someone who has thoroughly researched this science, we decided the ponies need extra vitamins and minerals in their diet.  Rough grass plus a Himalayan salt lick, is not enough.

As the majority (well, I can’t find one) of mineral/vitamin licks are molasses based which turns them into sugar-junkies, I am feeding the Minions a daily small bucket of chaff/fibrebeet with half a cup of the required amount of pony minerals and vitamins.

This should help their feet, especially the laminitic ones.

So yesterday my friend kindly helped me lug six rubber feed skips, as well as Vitamin and Fivla’s buckets of fattening food plus the large bucket of food with minerals/vitamins to be divided roughly between the rest.

We put the rubber feed skips in a row by the fence with a nice but essential gap between each.

Then I went down the line on the safe side of the fence dishing out feed, like a school dinner lady!

Of course Storm had to share with Tiddles, who got more and more annoyed, so I gave him the bucket to finish instead.

Meanwhile, Vitamin and Fivla ate their own weight-maintaining version.

It was all going fairly smoothly…..

…. until Albie was bullied off his bucket.

So, he came and talked to me instead.

And I commiserated with him about the others.  He is always the one.

Once finished, and there was really very little arguing, I put the now-empty and very, very clean feed skips back over the fence ready for tomorrow.

So that’s what I am now doing in my canteen and restaurant.  More ruddy buckets!

On Facebook last night, folk were raving about the incredible Northern Light display in their part of Shetland so I popped outside in my dressing-gown on my way to bed just to see if we had anything going on.  The aurora was dancing in the south end of the island so not necessarily going be near me.  There was also a lot of cloud about.

But I saw a little wafty cloud and took a photo not sure what it was.

It turns out it was the Northern Lights, or Merrie Dancers or Aurora Borealis, revving up.

The strange bit was that it was in the north-north-east which is not somewhere I have ever seen them before but I kept on snapping.

A tiny bit of colour appeared but it was brief.

Something creepy brushed against my legs…..

For a change, he was silent.

I stayed outside for a while. It was definitely worth it, if cold. I am not sure about tonight. Lots of low cloud, but high (plus) activity on the charts and the wind has turned north-easterly so it is getting colder.

Looking at the Minions today, I realised just how revolting they are.

They all need a jolly good brush and the fault is all mine as I confess I have not been very diligent with my brushing routine.  Ok, I haven’t been near them with any form of grooming tool all winter.  Dirt keeps you warm, I tell them!

But I did notice, when Vitamin took a chunk out of Storm for trying to steal her bucket, she got a whole mouthful of white fur so someone thinks Spring is on the way.

Fivla is possibly not her most beautiful either.  What I need is for everyone to dry off completely so I can get myself covered in pony hair while I brush them.

Newt is in his full-on Yak stage at the moment.

So, after the snow – this weekend, if the sun ever shines, I will go to the Minion field armed with a brush and some conditioner/detangling spray.

But it was nice to see the sun shine and some blue sky today. That cheered me up immensely.

It has rained a lot today and I am feeling very down in the dumps so, having fed every animal I own, I spent the day indoors catching up on other stuff feeling sorry for myself.

The animals were very unimpressed with my decision but they, like me, were also fed up of being constantly wet.

One unimpressed Monster.

Oh, yes!

The rain cleared up later in the afternoon so, after tea (dogs + cat), we went outside for the last day of carrot distribution. I’ve run out now.

At least I was popular with someone.

Kolka had met me at the gate for her ration – which meant there was no Klaengur/Kolka bicker.

Though she did look back at the boys and wondered whether she should leave her carrot supply to see what they had got.

I told her not to bother.

On my way home, I picked up our mail from the post box at the end of our track (a necessity because Ted has bitten the local courier – twice).  In a gin-encrusted moment, I had ordered a pile of dog/cat toys and they had arrived.

So now I am popular again and, a point of interest, Ted can remove the squeak of any “indestructible” toy in under 30 seconds.  Quite an achievement.  Monster was enjoying a crackly, and possibly drug-infused, butterfly.