‘Ster was separated from the Boyzenberries so was shouting loudly and complaining.  Feeling kind, I went into his field and tried to show him how to join ‘Bert and Lambie – an easy maneuver – but he said he couldn’t so I left him to his misery.

He wasn’t exactly on his own, anyway. The Girlzenberries were very close by in the same field.

Madge has suddenly grown. She is much bigger than her mother, Edna, now and you can really see her cross-breeding coming through.  There is no doubt she is not a pure Shetland sheep.  Part tank, part sheep.

And not-so-little Missy is huge.  A leg in each corner type of sheep, I think.

Here she is next to her Mother.  Yup, huge.

I like to think Edna is living her best life with us.

She is such a kind old lady.  Why anyone would dump her on the open hill is a complete mystery to me.  Madge is less of a mystery. She is prone to thinking, which is never wise.

Missy is still a character.  She comes up and chats, nibbling anyone and anything as she goes.

She not the shy type at all.

Missy’s theory of life is if it stops moving, eat it which might explain her size!

The Icelandic boys were nearby too.  So I can’t honestly see why ‘Ster was complaining about being all alone in the world.  He followed me out of the field and I opened the gate for him to join the Boyzens.

And then we had peace and quiet.

Little Festus (my neighbour’s Shetland pony) was on his own today as his best friend is visiting the vet down south for a few days.

No horse or pony should ever be on their own so we offered the services of a Minion or two.

We chose carefully and decided on Newt and Tiddles.

Our reasoning being was that Newt was reliable and Tiddles non-confrontational (ie, Storm = Pol Pot reincarnated, Waffle = stallion tendancies, Silver = aloof and uncatchable, Albie = OCD, hates change and becomes hysterical in a weird sort of way).

We stood and watched for a while just to check there would be no Pol Pottery or anything nasty.  If there was bullying, the perpetrator would be removed quickly.

They all had a good sniff.

Tiddles was intrigued by the mud control mats and Hackney-Horse walked over them which was very funny.

It was all very civilised.

Just as we were about to walk away, the fun and games started.

I think Newt was thrilled to have someone to play with who is his own size.

Sniff….

Bite….!

And keep hold.

So that’s Newt and Tiddles away from the others for a few days.  They are just over the road from Thordale so we can visit often or watch their shenanigans as we drive past.

So this afternoon I am walking along in the field, perfectly happily snapping merrily away at various Icelandic horses, proferring the occasional broccoli stalk as I go and hoping that my wee dug, BeAnne Duvet, is coming with me because she said she would.

(I am a fool and she is very good at being invisible)

And here she is…. eventually after I called and called.  Note the lovely dark pink orchid. So pretty.

I am pleased and relieved to say that BeAnne is having a bit of a rally – the latest addition to her diet is lactulose and steroids which seem to have given her back the joy of life, which is truly wonderful.  Today she stole a rabbit off Monster who is now sulking.  She sat on the front doorstep and chomped the lot.  Monster walked around the indoor manège howling to himself.

So, BeAnne and I are walking along together (I think)…..

…. and then I realise I am on my own again!

She’s drifted off.

She is very easily diverted.

My Boyzenberries were around too. The girls were somewhere up a hill.  They made up for Her Maj’s absence.

They all followed me back up the hill.  At least someone did. BeAnne appeared later.

Here’s to Silver.  A dear chap.

One my original Minions (‘scuse Lilja’s ears behind – most odd).

Never one to push himself to the front. Silver is just not that kind of me-me-me chap – unlike others.

But when does come up for a chat, it is because he genuinely wants it.

Silver was much darker when he first arrived but, according to his breeder, he will grey-out like his Sire, Zeal of Houlland, who was totally white (grey technically).  What a handsome boy.

Silver has a bit to go then but turns a little bit whiter every year.

Silver is the quiet one, prone to thinking …

…and can be elusive if the mood takes him.

But then suddenly he is one of the most affectionate.  It is all on his terms and we understand this.

Silver is a special boy.  One of the Minions who was not, at the beginning, meant to stay with me as he had a home to go to, but in the end he did and I am glad of this.

Sometimes things are just meant to be and that’s how I feel about Silver. He was definitely meant to be with us.

I received a message on my phone this morning – “Sorry for being a pest so early on a Sunday morning. But they are a large number of White sided dolphins just at Bixter“. So Daisy and I hopped into the car and drove off to have a look.

After spotting a van with some dolphin-spotting looking folk, they told us where the best place was to park and off we went again a bit further down the road.

And we found them!

It was not easy – but we got our “eye in” looking for waves that appeared different from other waves with the occasional black triangle on top and then following the line.

And then there were lots of dolphins and they circled the voe and we all watched.

I know very little (ok, nothing) about dolphins but, by asking questions to other watchers, I found out they were a large group (about 40) of Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus).

Folk had parked up and down the voe and everyone was enjoying the show.  We even saw friends and relatives too.  Quite the social-distancing event really.

When the pod finally swam past us, to a man, everyone just said “Wow” over and over again.  It was breathtaking. Apologies for the total overload of photos of dots on the horizon but I was utterly mesmerized.  There’s something very special about seeing dolphins in their natural habitat.  They are truly beautiful.