This is who greets me most mornings (‘Bert was behind the house – don’t worry, he gets his fair share of everything. He is just too cool to look as desperate as this lot).

Edna has certainly perfected The Look.

While Lambie uses his Winning Smile.

This afternoon, when I went into my She-shed, I was followed.

I said he could come in, if he wanted, if he could behave himself and if he would be nice.  Some days this is rather a big deal for Lambie.

So he mooched about a bit.

Had a small altercation with the tablecloth.

He said he thought he could agree to my Terms and we had a few precious Muzzah/Lambie speshul moments, which was lovely.

And then he nodded off while enjoying Classic FM’s animal playlist.

Lambie’s a funny boy. He has issues, which he thoroughly enjoys. Me less so when he is a mood and this time of year there is a funny smell of pee standing beside me!

While Iacs and Klængur were busily not playing with the squeaky rubber chicken yesterday, Monster came running over to investigate.

He liked being outside with us (an Abba moment with Lambie).

As usual, he was slightly visible.

Ever the keen hunter.

He said hello to second Best Friend.

Though walked off when ‘Ster came up for a chat.

Monster – “mud, mud, mud – ew, ew, ew. I shouldn’t have to walk on this”

That is not a happy Monster.  Ears back and muttering to himself.

He did that waving his front paws thing that cats do when they have dirty feet.

Now please avert your gaze if you have a weak stomach.

This is what I found last night when we were trying to go to sleep.  Monster had been outside and came in wet from the rain. He wanted his First Best Friend (OH) to know this so there was immense purring – the sort when you wish cats came with a volume knob.

Just so you know, OH is under his duvet while Monster was on his pillow. OH signalled he was still alive!

And this is where Monster decided to spend the night.  Fer crying out loud – get a room, you two!

It was very funny and I was laughing. However, OH was not.  Monster was very persistent and loud.

So I thought to myself, I did, what would happen if I gave the squeaky rubber chickens to Iacs and Klængur?  Wouldn’t they be thrilled and play with them, thinking that squeaky rubber chucks were probably the most exciting toy ever….?  After all, Klængur likes to play with his bucket and the cones in the arena.  He is always picking them up. Hours of endless fun.

So I put the squeaky toys in their trough (an old fish box) nicely out of the mud. They were given a perfunctory sniff.

I placed one on the rim for easier access to the excitement.

And it was politely ignored.

So that was that. Why bother?

Monster went a bit weird over them previously.  No suprise there then.

So I returned the squeaky rubber chickens to their rightful place – hung up in our porch inside Shetland pony collars with a promise to Daisy that I wouldn’t give them to Efstur and Dreki as she didn’t want Efstur to possibly spontaneously combust with the excitement!

(and yes, that’s Iacs’ crown for his more “Regal” moments.)

This is what happens when you have time on your hands and a very handsome horse!

Today, I have run out of steam so here are the last of the photos from the rubber-chicken-day in black and white.

Fivla

Tiddles

Sóley

Sóley

Newt

Vitamin

Vitamin

Waffle

Waffle

Lilja

Tomorrow I will try harder, I promise.  Like I said, I ran out of steam!  It happens occasionally.

The Shetland winter sunlight is perfect for me.

We get just under 6 hours of daylight (on 1st January we get exactly 6 hours, minus 1 minute!)

Sunrise – 09:11
Sunset – 15:05

I love the yellow-pinkiness of the colours.  It suits the Old Men, especially Klængur. Perhaps its an orange thing.

Today I wanted to take a photo of Iacs and Haakon together.  They are cousins and there is definitely a “family resemblance”.

Haakon is 26 years old.

While Iacs is 25 years old which means Haakon gets to boss him about, which he does!

(that is a goofy face, Iacs!)

Haakon has the best colouring. I adore his black tipped ears, his two-tone mane and white crescent on his forehead. Utter perfection.

The Old Men are doing well this winter and are maintaining their body weight.  They’ve had many years perfecting this skill.

A few more photos taken in the Shetland winter sunlight.

BeAnne trying to entice me into the house to feed her wafer thin ham (in which I put her lunchtime pills).  She is unaware of my trickery and thinks I just like feeding her ham!

You can read her mind.

She is saying “feed me, Mummy, feed me!”

And so is this one.  Lambie et al have been scrounging ginger biccies all morning!  “The ration is 2” is all I seem to have said today to everyone woolly!

A perfect day for photographs.