This morning got off to a difficult start – tons of admin stuff to do and it couldn’t wait so I had to put off Chapter 2 of camera tuition for another day. These days, I find that I learn more in the morning and by the evening am fit for nothing that involves an actual brain.

But, after firing off some fairly hefty emails, I went outside for a breath of fresh air with my camera telling myself practice, practice, practice.

Daisy was just finishing up with Taktur.  Ears pricked for his bucket of grub!

And the sheeple were mooching around too.

Lambie was particularly keen on my new camera.

He offered himself as a test subject everywhere I went.

I call this montage “His Winning Smiles”.

The Minions were checked after lunch, before we started work on packing vegetables.

It is still very cold – Spring seems to have given up, and the grass is barely growing, so Daisy opened the gate for them into the next field. They didn’t need asking twice.

The camera is very different to what I am used to but I like the results very much.  So much to learn, though.

This morning I have been learning all about my new camera.  This was all I could achieve yesterday evening.

I am trying hard not to tell myself that I am punching well above my weight, but I will admit I googled “an Idiot’s Guide” to my camera!  Luckily, there is one and I watched Chapter 1 this morning.  I learn best in bite-sized chunks.  After lunch, I stuck the camera on Manual (no Auto for me until I know everything this bad-boy can do) and went out for a very windy walk.

Daisy and I also did a little work with Sóley and Lilja.

Sóley is going through her gangly-giraffe growing phase at the moment.

Lilja was introduced to “Mr Saddle-Cloth”. Her first time of anything.  She is the same age as Dreki but not as far along as he is.

On and off it went and Lilja was totally unphased by this.

Both sides because you never know.

And that was that.  All good, all very calm and boring (as it should be).

We kept it short and put the girls back out in their field.

Sóley took everything in.

And now I am off to learn Chapter 2.  Her Maj is not very enthusiastic about my new camera. She keeps looking away.  Still, you can see I brushed her for her photographic debut.

Daisy had gone to work this morning. Later, we had a phone call asking if the vet could come earlier than booked (when Daisy would’ve been back) to give Efstur his booster injection (equine flu) and would we be around for this? I said yes and Floss, who wanted a break from her work, came out to help me get Efstur, and his friends, into the closest field ready for the vet.

After some not-very-strenuous gate opening and closing, a headcollar on Efstur, the rope put somewhere close at hand, and water buckets filled (note small black lamb “helping”), we waited.

As the sun was out, and it was a nice day all round, we decided to wait with our woolly friends.

They do love it when we sit down with them.

They were all especially huggy.

Edna sat down next to me.  She just wanted to have her nose kissed and to be stroked.  She is a very affectionate lady.

Even Madge was almost part of the family.  She does try so hard but…… run away!

And little Harry pitched up too.

Maggie was not sure about this sort of thing and called him away.

But he ignored his Mum and quickly returned.

Apart from being with horses, I honestly think sheep are the best therapy.

You know where you are with a sheep – very loved and surrounded by a faint smell of pee!

I took Fivla her daily turmeric supplement (TurmerAid) – 25 this year and she still looks exactly the same but these days she has slowed up a little.

Fivla quickly scoffed her turmeric supplement down (I have yet to meet an animal who refuses it) and once finished, walked away, leaving the non-existent clearing up to the Shetland vultures who had been hanging purposefully around.

I think Storm won this battle.

While they argued about nothing being left in the bowl, I went around everyone else with their carrot ration and took a few snaps as well.

Silver becoming whiter and whiter

Tiddles

The Incorrigible Newt (possibly a small gastro-pub in the heart of Englandshire, where they go in for that sort of thing).

Storm, Newt and Tiddles

For once not bickering!

And dear old Vitamin, who is 26 this year.  She is 2 years older than Fivla. I always forget this.

The Minions are very pleased to be in their “Summer” field.  All we need now is for some warmer temperatures and the grass will start growing and we will all be happy.

Home, and I found Harry had taken up residence in an old fishbox.

I asked him what he was doing there and he said he had “gone to bed”.  Fair enough.

This afternoon was all mine, so I left these two lovebirds to go for a drive.

I wanted to see (and photograph) the newly arrived hill lambs.

This little cutie patootie made me smile.

I love everyone’s different colouring.

I was being thoroughly investigated too!

This is the Shetland hill, which is common grazing for crofters.  It is also known as the scattald.

Foula in the distance – about 20 miles west. Somewhere in that sea is the remains of R.M.S. Oceanic, a transatlantic ocean liner built for the White Star Line (same as the Titanic) in 1899.  She ran aground in 1914 on the Shaalds (3 miles east of Foula) when patrolling the waters from the North Scottish mainland to the Faroes on behalf of the Royal Navy (WW1). Wrecked in flat calm and clear weather but, one month later, she vanished altogether in a huge storm.  The Oceanic’s history is fascinating.

Apart from little lambs appearing, this is also the time of year when folk are casting their peats.

Peat is cut, or cast, with a special Shetland spade called a tushkar and laid on the heather to dry.  Once hardened a little, it is “raised” into small pyramids or walls (depending on the cutter) so that the wind can dry them better.

Then the peats are bagged up and taken home to burn to keep the house warm or for cooking on.  It has a lovely and very special smell when it is burning.

In the far distance, I saw this enormous bird on a rock. I think it is a cormorant.  It was too far away to get a clear photo.

Spring in Shetland is lovely – so much going on after the harsh winter, and the days are getting lighter and longer too.

When I arrived home, I popped in for a quick chat with Harry. He ate my camera!  The wee fatty eats everything these days.