Leradale consists of two fields – the nice green bit around the derelict house (I promise you it was green once) and the fenced in hill over on the other side of the wire fence that runs down the middle.  Usually the Minions spend their winter in the hill park but we opened it all up so they could live together when we weaned Sóley-the-Foalie.

Yesterday, they were mostly living in opposite fields.

It was a calm afternoon so I accompanied Floss down to see the chaps.

Tiddles looking so very gorgeous.

Waffle – as wide as he is not very tall

“What do you mean wide?”

Sóley-the-Foalie and Lilja were together and actually Vitamin was nearby too, which was good to see.  They are integrating.

Everyone was given their daily carrot.

And Fivla had her daily dose of TurmerAid which she loves. It has helped her hugely this winter.

She even whiffles when she sees Flossie and knows the bowl is especially for her.

Leradale is a big enough croft so that everyone can have the space they want.

Or not, if you’re Newt who is still determined to come home with me.

Though Albie might miss his best friend.

The boys (ie Storm) had a thorough search of Floss’ pocketses.  She was thoroughly frisked before leaving the field.

They are such funny little ponios and seldom fail to make me smile.  Good therapy.

We are trying to give BeAnne her normal daily life so that she can get her head and hopefully body back to her “normal” (a nebulous state at the best of times).

So today, as it was so nice and I had conveniently forgotten we had 16 bales of hay to shift, we went for a walk.

BeAnne has lost weight – yes, she has a lovely figure but it is a little bit too trim for my liking.

We didn’t go at any speed, preferring to let BeAnne have a good time sniffing and looking for pesky wabbits.

The view was good.

Lambie trailed along at the back.  He likes to do that. He thinks it makes him interesting.

He does, however, come running if I call him.

The Boyzens are very good with BeAnne.

Today, she was “one of the team” and they all happily went off together.

As you can see I took lots of photos.

I even found the last of the melting ice.

Higher and higher we climbed up the hill and the view got better.  The furthest point is Fitful Head, down the south end of the island.

Once we were at the “top of the hill”, the Boyzens left me to go on and BeAnne and I turned for home.

Her Maj is asleep on the sofa now behind a cushion.  She has eaten some tea – the eating is much improved but still has her pills syringed into her twice a day.  On Tuesday, we have a vet appointment – bloods and possible ultrasound scan.  Even if we are just buying a little time, we are doing our best to enjoy it together.

I needed to go to town to get some more hay. We are getting through it very quickly this time of year.  One day when the grass grows, we can stop but until then everyone just eats and eats and eats……

It was a lovely day in town and the place was empty – could be the threat of Coronavirus (6 people so far with it) or the norm.  Floss and I went in our usual animal-mucking-out clothes looking fairly filthy with the theory that no one would come near us as we probably smelled of horses!  We were given a wide berth which was good.  Mission achieved.

We did, however, pop into Jamieson’s of Shetland to see if my field of sheeple needed refreshing.  There is a cruise ship in tomorrow.

Their lovely wall of colour. I could almost knit.  Almost – actually let’s be honest, that’s never going to happen.

Beautiful Fair Isle sweaters and cardigans.

Their rugs are lovely too.

Then off to “the chocolate shop” (Mirrie Dancers) – where displayed was an amazing chocolate Viking longship in the window left over from Up Helly Aa.

We had lunch in our usual spot looking at a pretty good view.

Lerwick in winter is very atmospheric – it was just about to pour with rain.

And lastly on our list, we went to Tesco to be greeted with empty shelves though the staff were absolutely trying their very best and stocking up the loo roll as fast as it left the shelves.  We stocked up on gin, tonic, lemon – really the essentials!

Here is the latest duckie-wuckie update.

Well, we still have the original 7 so that’s good – we are prone to polecat and otter attacks here despite our best efforts and deterrents.

So that’s the six girls (hens) and one boy (drake).   No names yet – they are still just known as the duckie-wuckies and no, I have no intention of growing up any time soon!

They are all fairly similar in colour and markings….

All except one.  She is very special and very pretty and a little bit different.

They still don’t tend to explore or move around much.  But they do judge; oh how they judge.  Six ways to Hell and back.  I am convinced of this.

All of them have had their wings clipped so there is no flying.  They are mostly silent – Muscovies are not known for quacking.  They tend to hiss a little but it is not out of aggression like geese.  It is how they communicate.

Flossie kindly cleaned out their “pond” and so they refused to go near it for a week out of ingratitude!

Of course they were judging her cleaning skills and the resulting gleaming beautiful clean pond!

Anyway, I adore my ducks.  They are a constant source of amusement to me as they waddle not very far in one direction, sit there (judging obviously) and waddle back again.  No eggs yet but our they-might-as-well-be-ornaments hens are only just starting up again so we might find an egg one day! Exciting times ahead.

And they are now very proficient at using their hurdle pen to get their food.  It is the best deterrent against certain (nah, all) sheep!  Clever duckies.  I hope they’re judging the sheep too and not just me.

I took these photos a few days ago.  A happy little herd of Shetland ponies and Icelandic horses, I think….. and hope.

Lilja and Sóley are learning a few more new skills.  Lilja has learned she is not going to be Boss-Queen-Baggage/Ruler-of-the-World – that job is Vitamin’s and she ain’t abdicating soon.   Lilja had high hopes for this position once her mother had left the field.

Sóley has learned that Lilja does not produce milk.  She is rather surprised by this fact but there is nothing she can do that will change this and Lilja, I think, has told her in no uncertain terms to give it up!  However, she still dips under Lilja more out of habit than anything else and Lilja quietly side-steps away.

As I walked away, happy they are now content, I noticed a small brown yak following me.

Of course Newt would’ve come home with me. I only had to say and he would’ve popped himself into the car.  No one would ever notice.

As I type, the weather is descending into Hell again.  I have no concentration, limited attention span, a very short fuse and have totally lost my riding mojo. I am running on empty (or gin). I feed and kiss noses and that is about my equine limit these days.