It all went like clockwork for us this morning.  We swooped, we caught, we loaded (darling, darling Albie went up the ramp on his knees because I had parked in a terrible place and the ramp was far too steep – but up he went because I asked him – what a trier ❤️).

The big ones were all safe in their little haypark with their eyes out on stalks.  Lilja was saying to Sóley “look, look, I told you there were little ponies. You didn’t believe me!”

The first load was Vitamin and Fivla in one van with Albie and Newt in the other.  We had help. It was wonderful.

There was much showing off and prancing.

The second load was Storm and Tiddles in one van and Silver and Waffle in the other.

They rushed up and down their respective fields in happiness.

Hetja was appalled that the little ponies had come back and determinedly tried to keep Sóley away.

But Lilja was thrilled to see them all back.  She adores the Minions and is a fully paid up member of their little gang.

Newt was like a baked bean shot out of a cannon.

and then he was all handsome.

More running up and down – Lilja showed she can really move.  She has a beautiful trot and a natural tölt too.

And this is the face of someone who has absolutely no intention of listening to her mother.  Good luck Hetja keeping Sóley and Lilja away from the Minions.

So, there we are.  It was easy because we had helpers and I can’t thank them enough.  It is nice to have the little ones home.

Tomorrow, the weather forecast promises, is going to be slightly better – less windy – which will be perfect for moving everyone around. I hate driving my horsevan in high winds. It is scary.

As I went on my horse-checking rounds, I told everyone involved.

So basically, this lot will stay here.

And the Minions are arriving!

Brá is staying where she is, for the time being.  She is fine.

The next few days will be “interesting”.

With the Minions in the next door field, it should keep Sóley entertained!

While we move the Minions across their field into their new habitat, I shall also put these guys into the little fenced”hay-park” for ease of access.

So that’s the plan and it will be executed tomorrow with military precision and prayers!

It will also be good to have the Minions “home”, or at least slightly nearer.

Today was not a day for going out in unless you absolutely had to. So, armed with the gallant and helpful Floss, we got all the horses inside for the morning, fed and Haakon’s rug changed. They were pleased to come in and didn’t need asking twice.  It was also good to get them onto hard standing for a few hours and to let them have a break from the filthy day.

After a quick flit around the others – whole carrots given as a neighbour kindly bought me some bags of carrots for me as an equine Christmas present!  The Minions had two bags between them, Brá and her two friends shared another bag and Les Icelandic Girls had a bag as well.  Today’s training for little Sóley-the-Foalie was to eat small bits of carefully bitten off foal-mouth-sized carrot from the ground before her mother and sister snaffled them and all in a howling gale too!

There are no photos.  Only an idiot would take a camera out in this weather.

This afternoon I have spent with Aunt Kate’s diaries and am now transcribing 1897 – so going along well. I am getting used to Kate’s style of writing and choice of words.  She is 18 now and with the arrival of the bicycle, she has more freedom.  She is not attending lessons as much but continues to draw and is now taking an interest in the household day-to-day accounts.

Of course, I need help! I always need help.  Please do your best. Any suggestion gratefully received. I am stumped.

“Doz and all of us to Dr Neales. I had my nose burnt and Doz had her cheek burnt. The other to ? ; Ex in evening.”

Ok, so what is having your cheek burnt (nose might be sinuses cauterised – they have three appointments for this in as many days). And the next line? The others to ? : Ex (3h?) in evening.  I don’t know.  The others to Second: Exhibition in evening.

Ok, next problem…..

Alys and Paul sang “Mutter**** after supper. Anyone recognise this song?

And lastly, “Played croquet in afternoon. I octy came up again. I rested.”  What is I octy or Locty or Jocty……

Anywho, if you like that sort of thing, go and read the diaries. She goes to London and watches a cricket match and to Cambridge to watch the university rowing.

“Then I went with Doz to St John’s Wood and to Lord’s Cricket Ground. Saw part of match. M. C. C. and Ground v. Australians. First got 219, second all out for 18 runs. Saw W.G.G. and Stoddart and Rankit Singhi (Ranjitsinhji), etc. Had front seats.”

Little Efstur (means Number 1, the highest) is growing up fast now.

By Álfur frá Selfossi IS2002187662 and out of Brá frá Reykjavík IS2002287901 – he travelled from Norway in utero all those years back.

Efstur was born in May 2016 (I remember it well – here is the blog entry including a film of his birth) and so will be 4 next year.

And somewhere along the line, someone has turned Efstur into a sensible boy.

A while back, seeing Efstur’s potential (five-gaited with a jaw-dropping trot and a BLUP of 114), I gave him to Daisy, my eldest daughter.

The next few years are going to be an exciting time for Efstur as he begins his training with Daisy.

So that’s another little boy nearly all growed up.

These past few months Efstur has done some growing upwards (and outwards) too. He is now taller than Taktur.  They were standing together this morning before having their food and I suddenly noticed!  I was taken by surprise.

Efstur is a nice boy. His future is exciting.  Let’s hope he lives up to his name.  He is also very orange *** sigh *** – another ginger ninja.

We’ve had a lovely few days but the weather is revving up again, wind and rain-wise, though temperatures are high for us.

Hey-ho, as the horses are all on hay (the silage this year is very wet; too wet for us), I find it very frustrating watching it all blow away so the daily routine changed again.

First in were Haakon and his field friends.

Haakon is fed separately because he has TurmerAid and Devil’s Claw in his fibre feed.

Iacs and Klængur had their buckets together and finished first. Now you can see why Haakon has to be fed separately. He gets very annoyed if hassled.

Iacs is No 1 Hassler.  He enjoys this title and is proud of it!

After all feeds are finished, buckets are inspected (just in case and you never know someone might’ve left a bar of chocolate in them) and washed up.  I put out three haynets/bags – one in each corner  – and Klængur and Iacs were moved in.

Then the remainder of the boys were called up and they all went straight into their stable. All excpet for Dreki who missed the door, and then proceeded to go round and round outside trying to find his friends.  Perhaps not the brightest star in our firmament.

And so we left them to it for the morning to eat their hay.  Afterwards, hard feed for Taktur and Efstur, rugs on and out into their respective fields.

It is a hassle but at least no gold-encrusted diamond bathed hay (cut from the fields of Valhalla by virgin unicorns) is blown away.  It can be shat and pee’d on but not blown away!