My typical afternoon consists of me going into my shed with the dogs and sometimes the cat.  It is not the warmest place so I usually have the fire going and my oil lamp gives out heat too.  I love the oil lamp and warm my hands on the shade.

I stab away at the latest sheep while watching something too – I’ve just finished the entire Benidorm series and now have started Motherland, which is hysterical and reminds me of the London life I left behind over 20 years ago to live in Shetland.

The dogs are quickly bored in my shed so we reached a deal and I let them out.

The deal is as long as I can see them every so often, then that’s fine.

I could see Pepper – she was trying to get under the shed.

Someone lives under there and she wants to meet them.

Obviously having the door open in late November means I get cold but I recently invested in a stoneware bed “pig” which I fill with boiling water, Problem solved. Happy feet.

I love this little pig.

After I have created a sheepie creation, I go out with Pepper to check everyone. I was given a huge pile of odd carrots so I take a good pile with me and distribute.

And then, as the sun has set (15.11), I go into the house to write this blog!

“I used to be indecisive but now I am not quite sure” – Tommy Cooper

This morning I brought Albie back to this stable because his gait is slightly pottery.  Newt came too as a companion but once he was indoors, he then persecuted Albie, getting him a corner and kicking the shit out of him. I was furious and quickly split them up.

Newt went back to the field. While I left Albie with food and painkillers to eat, I went and got Waffle instead.

Waffle said he would be kind.  Newt obviously had the devil in him.

I could see that no one was really eating anything – soaked hay and soaked fibre block.

So I spent time brushing and chatting to them.

It was easy to see they weren’t happy inside.

This afternoon, I spoke to Daisy and we decided to go for the middle ground – put them both back out in the field but Albie should have daily painkillers. Obviously, I am obsessed with colic and not eating is the quickest route to this.  The field is not rich in grass – more old fibrous stuff – so we will see how Albie gets on. He desperately needs his hooves trimming and I am hoping his bad gait is due to this more than anything else.  I noticed when I led him over that he was not slow or refusing to walk, which makes me think that a trim will sort him out.

So that’s what I did as the sun was setting.  Led them back to the field.

Instantly Waffle and Albie cheered up and started eating.

And I am still not talking to Newt.

There’s a bright, golden haze on the meadow

There’s a bright, golden haze on the meadow

The corn (read mud)  is as high as an elephant’s eye

And it looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky

Oh, what a beautiful mornin’

Oh, what a beautiful day

I’ve got a beautiful feelin’

Everything’s goin’ my way…..

Everyone else was out in the field but Lambie ran back as I was shutting the gate and spent the morning following me around asking for treats as he was all on his own and he was lonely Lambie!

Well played, Lambie, well played.

Another beautiful sunrise this morning. I am a bit obsessed. You can possibly tell.

First glimpse.

Meanwhile, while I was watching this beautiful sight, Storm and Silver were arguing about what was left in Storm’s breakfast bucket. Storm had eaten most of it before Silver waded in.

They lightheartedly bickered over the bucket, taking turns to get some.

Storm would bite Silver’s ear, Silver would lift his head out and Storm would go back in.

And then they both just shared together.

Tiddles was keeping well out of it. Albie and Waffle were staring at their neighbours – cows.  They’ve only always lived in the next door field but the cows’ field is made up of many fields so it is rare to see them come down.

All the boys, except Tiddles, rushed over to stare.  They looked like a boy band fan club who had spied their hearthrobs.

Tiddles galloped off to join the fan club.

And then a cow, who had been ignoring all the ponies, moo’ed and with that every Shetland pony turned and galloped off to the other end of the field! I laughed and laughed.  The old ladies were not impressed by cows but the Minions were hypnotised and turned around to just stand and watch them, possibly with their mouths open.  It was very funny.

And behind me, the sunrise kept going.

Storm is now happily placed himself in the routine of a breakfast bucket.  He gets a handful of chaff, a mention of soaked beet and pink powder – a probiotic for a healthy gut.  I think he looks pretty much back to normal now. Well, Storm’s “normal” and no one really knows what that is.

Vultures were busy circling poor Fivla who was doing her best not to take her head out of the bucket.  One sign of weakness, and Newt would be in.  Fivla knows this and doesn’t even come up for air.

Pepper was on hoovering duty. I love how the ponies don’t mind her at all and she is totally relaxed amongst them too. I don’t think any other dog has ever managed this.

We had a good sunrise this morning too, which makes up the recent heinous weather.

Once I’ve fed everyone, I usually stand outside the feed shed and watch the sun rise and how the light changes.  It is special.

And this is the view of Foula on my way home from packing vegetables at Turriefield.  I had missed the sunset, but even so it was all very dramatic. Shetland is a beautiful place.