Monday was vile. Everyone was up around the house either in stables, sheds or wandering about poo’ing everywhere (my thanks to Iacs, Haakon and Klængur who took this job very seriously).

And then the power went off in the afternoon and that was that.

As it got dark (3 p.m.), I ran around hanging up haynets while praying everyone was keeping safe.  It was all I could do.  That, and spend the whole night awake worrying.

Tuesday morning and I put the boys out into their field as they had not really used their stable overnight. My theory was that they might as well poo everywhere in a field intsead of the mess around the house.

No power meant the nights were long and very cold. We are better off than most, we have a Rayburn (poor-man’s Aga) for hot water and cooking, as well as a bottle-gas cooker in the kitchen. Our bedroom is directly above the kitchen too.  The sitting room has a mult-fuel stove and OH dragged the gas heater in too so we had two warm rooms – the kitchen and the sitting room.

One of my huge worries was Waffle. We managed to drive over daily (somehow with many prayers – it was very scary) to see the ponies taking food to warm them up. Waffle was always shaking and soaked to the skin so I took a rug with me and that helped hugely.

On Wednesday, I threw my little ones out together with the Old Men. They sniffed, pulled a few faces and then just got on with it.

So, we’ve managed to keep our heads above water.

OH even managed to get to town for provisions and bought me a present – five yellow buckets!

A huge thank you to my “helper(s)”.  Everyone was brilliant.

We had a 6 day power cut but the electricity is finally back on and I will write more this evening.

We managed, everyone is fine and we’re all still here, safe and well.

The Old Men came up this morning to see if there was anything better going than their field of lovely uneaten grass.  How they suffer.

Iacs and Haakon hung around looking hopeful so I caved and went and found an ancient equine lick bucket that could do with being finished.

Haakon instantly made it his own but occasionally let Iacs have a shot too.

To start with, there was a bit of arguing ……

But nothing huge ….

….. and, eventually, they both got used to take it in turns.

Klængur was in the other field – he hadn’t see the lick bucket – and I encouraged him to stay there as he does not need any sugary calories. Not now, not never. Luckily, he couldn’t be bothered to go back up the hill to join in.  That would’ve involved effort and he couldn’t be arsed.

Three little Shetland ponies have been busy.

Oh, yes. I found this terrible example of their nibblings when I opened up in this morning.  I was not happy.

So OH and I put up some sheep hurdles in front of the wooden bars and sprayed some crib stop which I swear Storm actually likes (little sod!) I was playing nice but if they go on like this, I will cook up my chilli/fairy liquid (washing up liquid) concoction which is guaranteed to stop the nibblings.

But, for now, I hope the hurdles will keep them away from trying to gnaw their way out to freedom.

Bloody chipmunks.  They never stop and they are not sorry!

OH announced that he wanted to touch-up his car ready for selling. So he brought it into the indoor school to spray….. (the only dry place).

And instantly I could hear the plotting and scheming from three wicked little Shetland ponies who were intrigued by their new visitor.

Lots of looking at the car.

And so very much wanting to help.

I said words like “don’t you dare” and “stay away” and I guess they knew they couldn’t reach the car (believe me, they tried) so Storm revenge rubbed his butt at me as if to say “I hear you, but I am not happy”.

Later on, after lunch, with the car now gone, I went to check on my little boys who were still hanging around in the last of the winter sunshine.

Nose kisseys all round for not eating the car.  Well done boys.

So far, Albie, Storm and Tiddles are doing ok in their indoor field.  They seem happy and I check all the time on the food-in and food-out situation.  And everything is soaked too so hopefully, no colic. Please, no colic.