And so to town for my absolute last (but it might not be) Christmas shop.  En route, I fed the ladies (OH kindly taking the Sandness route for me to check on Brá and Minions).

There are actually three buckets – one each but they always insist on bucket-hopping.

But as long there are no arguments and everyone shares nicely, I don’t mind.

The girls didn’t get much (don’t stick your tongue out at me, Hetja because you think you were hard done by) – just a token gesture to tell them I love them – and then I changed my wellies for my posh (just read clean, really) town shoes and went on my merry way to “buy local”.

Town was, well, not very busy though I did struggle to find a parking place.

I checked on my little flock. They were all doing fine and I noted I must make some more black curly ones.

The Christmas windows (for those that made the effort) were very good.

These knitted baubles have all been made and donated by knitters around the world – they will be auctioned online at the end of January and all proceeds of sale will go to the MRI scanner appeal. I would look at their @mrimaakers Facebook page if you want more information nearer the time of the auction.

Lerwick was, as ever, looking beautiful in the calm winter afternoon.  Light is very precious, if brief. There aren’t enough daylight hours for me in the day at the moment.

A nice time pottering around by myself but the Christmas songs were everywhere. I rocked around a Christmas tree after I had driven home for Christmas!  Agh!  Too much. It was a constant tinsel earworm.

This is my lunchtime view – not bad. Fish and chips from the Fort.

And, once done, home via the garage for some petrol.  I love this!  Very Shetland.

There was this bright thing shining up in the sky this morning.  Very strange but I made the most of it and went out to take photos of my old men (and Her Maj)  in their field.

Klængur has joined them as I think he missed “grown-up” conversation.  I led him over with a haynet around his neck as I forgot to bring a headcollar!

This morning also saw Haakon cantering towards me (and perhaps my bucket of food).  It is something I haven’t seen for a few years now. The last 5 years immediately vanished and Haakon was all enthusiastic and happy.  I could’ve cried with happiness.

In his bucket he has daily roughage/fibre with TurmerAid and Devil’s Claw, mixed in, which seem so have really helped his stiffness and general “old age” attitude.

I am so pleased. It is lovely to see. Long may it last.

Meanwhile, Iacs was thrilled to have a new person to share his hay with.

Iacs has always been very sociable and this enforced confinement with Haakon has its limits.

So now the three boys are together.

We will see how they all get on together.

And then later Klængur and we went for a lovely ride together.  My new riding companion laughs when Klængur spooks, which makes me laugh and that has done a whole lot of good as we bomb up the road.  I am less nervous and we are both much more relaxed.

So all is good.

I thought I would go black and white today. Something different.

There was a brief lull in the rain so I went out with my big camera to capture the magic. Shetland is always beautiful, I remind myself.

Monster was squozing himself from under my car. Knowing his feelings for me (or lack thereof), I suspect he has cut the brakes!

What me?  No! Never, of course not. I’m innocent, I am. Drive it and see. Go on!

These days, everyone is outside again and I am trying not go down the always-in-a-stable-and-feeding-hay route.  Fresh air is better for horses.

But, for me, it is a very easy trap to fall into and theoretically we are not really into a full-on proper Shetland winter yet (though it feels like it).

I am also trying hard to keep the Boyzenberries at home despite their constant attempts to escape.  I put them in a field every day and then they spend it looking at me malevolently and trying to catch my eye to ask if I will let them out because apparently sheep don’t live in fields. I gave in today and let them out early.

Lambie is in a very odd mood. He goes round just looking, well…..odd!

He appears to be cross-eyed. Like I said, odd.

(I quite like this black and white – better than filters)

Anyway, the rain is giving up now for a few days and hopefully we will all dry out, eventually.

Though, I am still not convinced that my car has not been tampered with!

Everyone has been moved to Clothie, 5 acres of field that hasn’t been touched since Haakon and Iacs left it over a month ago.  After the storm, I thought it would be a good place for the youngsters to be for a bit.  We lug hay over daily.

Efstur and Taktur are still being fed their smigeon of hard-feed.  With five horses in the field, I took some headcollars to fend off any circling vultures.

But I didn’t need them.

We put the two buckets out and Efstur and Taktur instantly knew they were for them.

As the others didn’t bother, Floss went and gave them each a carrot to say “thank you chaps”.  Dear boys.

Dreki came over for a little chat but he knew better than to ask his father for his food.

So once Floss had distributed evenly and fairly her carrots, she kept Dreki occupied pratisicing a very important Thordale training technique – the Nose Kissey.

As you can see, Dreki has mastered and loves this method of training (he is a very good kisser or perhaps that is too much information!)

Yesterday, on my very wet travels, I found Sóley-the-Foalie with a swollen and streaming left eye but, at the time, I could do nothing because there was no way I was going to be able to catch her in a Force 11 Storm. I didn’t even try.

So, today, armed with Flossie, eye-cleaning equipment, eye wash (cold tea), eye ointment, a headcollar and rope, plus a good pile of food, we prepared to do battle.

Floss was my best weapon.  She was brilliant.  Having spent most of her summer talking to Sóley when she first arrived, Flossie easily caught our Little Buttercup.  With Floss hanging on for grim death, I tried to clean the eye but Sóley was having none of it – there was rearing and she is quite big now.  So we tied our unhelpful foal up to the gate whereupon she broke the rope.  Floss caught Madam again (I was nicely surprised by that), I retied the rope and this time I mean she was really tied her to the gate.  We also distributed the food in large quantities with Floss shovelling it down Sóley while I cleaned away and then, somehow (the Gods must’ve been smiling) I got in a good dab of eye ointment.

Little Sóley did settle down and we let her eat her food peacefully.

And she even came to talk to me afterwards, which was good.

So I am feeling relieved. We managed. The eye is clean and already looking better and at least she has had one good dose of eye ointment.

Meanwhile, back at camp, guess who turned up off the hill having been missing since Sunday asking for their breakfast?

I am very relieved to see them. I had been worrying.