Today is the shortest day or the longest night, depending on your perspective.  The Winter Solstice. Apparently, and I did not know this, today is when the North pole has its maximum tilt away from the Sun.

I am cheered to think that we are now on our way to longer days. Currently the sunrises at 09.10 and sets at 14.58 and there is not nearly enough daylight to achieve anything much.  This time of year, I am chasing my tail as I hate trudging about trying to feed animals in the dark.

Though, this is probably the last time we will see the sun in all its glory for a while.  Winter is seriously on its way.  From January to March or April or even May (it has been known to snow) it can get a bit full-on weather-wise so here’s hoping for a peaceful Winter.

Anywho, bring it on because I have my family home for Christmas and all is good.

And I also have seven packets of ginger biccies in the porch!  The Boyzenberry ration is two each per day.  Anything more and ‘Bert gets a gippy tummy though I do sometimes give Lambie extra when no one is looking.

So that’s us.  Bring on Summer then! Quickly please.

I went out a few days back with my big camera to snap away at the Minions.  They can be very photogenic when they want to be.

Little Newt – he has a Russian accent – he just does.  When you meet him, it fits.

He also has a very distinguished profile.

Special Silver – always standing a little bit away but never forgotten. To be loved by Silver, means you need him and he understands this.

All-Grown-Up Albie – he is my special boy.  I am his Mum (and so is Flossie). He follows us everywhere asking if we could hug him, please.

Wonderful Vitamin – a grande dame and the matriarch mare of the herd.  They follow and listen to her wisdom.

And that is one beautiful beard for an old lady!

She has a lovely glint in her eyes too.

Storm has his Suspicious-Aloysius face today!  Who knows what goes on in that pea-sized brain of his. Very little probably or world domination plans. You guess.

Flossie’s darling Fivla, also known as Fivvie Chicken, who is also an old lady now.  She has been practising to be an old lady ever since she was young.  She has one speed – slow or stop.

And lastly our Tiddles – who is the best kisser ever.  His nosey is very sweet.  Actually all of Tiddles is incredibly sweet.

Waffle had his own page a few blogs back.

When you’re orange and a bit of a tit.

But luckily someone comes to talk you down off Tit Mountain.

So you stare at a fence post instead.

And then suddenly, with your butterfly mind, you see a distraction.

And so you eat it.

But you get shouted at by your “Mum” and instantly look miserable and sorry for yourself.

So you just go back to being a bit of a tit.  But a lovely orange tit.

Oh Efstur.  Stop being silly and stop being a tit!

While Taktur eats his “Handsome Prince” food and Efstur also has his “Potential-Athlete-(watch-this-space)” food, the other two, that would be Dreki Dragon and Kappi, are carefully distracted by Flossie.

To be fair on these two starvlings, they are jolly nice about their friends getting food while they don’t.  They try very hard not to hassle but it is wearing a bit thin with both of them, I can see that, so they share a bag of carrots to say thank you for being nice.

After his carrots, Dreki still needs to be constantly occupied or his brain automatically switches to looking for his best friend, Efstur, who still has his head in a bucket and is eating.

Flossie and Dreki have developed a sweet relationship.  They both genuinely like each other.

Some days, I can really see Taktur in his son.

And then some days, I just see a giraffe going through his gawky 2 year old phase.

They all look like this at that age.  There is an old horse “rule” that you only look at a horse/pony at 3 days, 3 months, and then 3 years. 

Dreki has a very kind face. I think, once he grows up, he is going to make a very kind and conscientous family horse.  Just the type I wanted to breed. I am very pleased with this lad.  Well-built with a good brain.

And while we do all this to-ing and fro-ing with buckets and carrots, Her Maj waits paitently watching, always watching.

I don’t waffle on nearly enough about Waffle.  Out of them all, Waffle is my sensible little chap who I can rely on in any crisis.

He has always had a very grown-up (and beautiful) head on his shoulders.

When the first three arrived as depressed starved foals (Storm, Silver and Waffle) all those years ago (back in January 2014), it was Waffle who was easy to catch and work with so the other two followed his lead. He made life much easier and in turn taught the other two how to behave and trust me.

Now five years on, everyone is doing well.  The only permanent damage, apart from obvious lack of height, is that Waffle’s the type of chap who puts on weight by just looking at food (a bit like me then). As a weaned foal, his metabolism had been forced to get the most out of every calorie.  So he looks like a bit of a table now despite my best efforts.

Today Storm was being annoying.  He had that look about him.  You can see it.  Pure wicked.

So Waffle told him.

But Storm was not giving up.  It is not his nature.

And Storm probably thinks it is his job – Chief Annoyer to Waffle.

(Storm has very short legs – just sayin’)