Gosh, it is cold out there.  I mean seriously cold and I am totally to blame.

The reason?  I put away my winter jerseys and with that the North wind swiftly arrived bring freezing weather.  My excuse is that I had been lulled into a false sense of security with a couple of weeks of temperatures rising, the mud finally drying up and the grass starting to grow.

I admit it. I was stupid.  I should’ve known better.

(my view from my shed this morning)

And what fell out of the sky at frequent intervals.  It was miserable out there.

Proper hail.  Large lumps and it ruddy well stings.

The struggle is real.

Yesterday, we were given a fishbox full of pasta la besta carrots by Turriefield so we put them in buckets to fairly distribute amongst the needy and starving.

We also put rugs back on Haakon, Efstur and Taktur.  I have asked for another bale of silage to be delivered too to see the horses through this cold spell.

Meanwhile the carrots will have to fill them up.

Floss and I dished out some to the Minions.

They were also enthusiastically received.

And this is the view now from my window (17:00).  Yes, the sun is shining again but it is -2º Celsius going down to minus 6 tonight.

I am glad Haakon has his thick winter rug on.  I worry.

Now off to unpack my winter sweaters. Thermal vest on.  Check.

Those that are fed hard feed get fed in the garden because it is easy to lead them through the little garden gate and let them stand there to eat. I say OH does not mind as long as we don’t do it all the time.

We are lazy and it is easy.  BeAnne is also on duty to stop marauders.

Monster watched us to check we were doing everything right.

These two have a very good relationship (mostly).

BeAnne also found time to grub around while Haakon was eating. Not much gets past Haakon but if it does, Her Maj is on paw to quickly snaffle it up.

There is a chilly mean north wind blowing today and Monster didn’t stay around long choosing to watch us from the warmth of indoors like a ghost cat.

When everyone had finished their food, we put them back into their field, took the empty bowls back to wash and return to the shed.  The sheeple were about having come home early from the fields.

I laughed when I saw ‘Bert.  He does this occasionally.

I love the way he looks so relaxed and at home.

Surprisingly no one has ever tried to join him or get him off the table.  It’s his spot.

Floss and I often have the conversation of “who in our household is actually normal?”  We rack our brains but really there is no point, because the answer is “no one”, as you can see and I love them all for it.  Who wants normal?  So dull.  Normal is for other people, not us.

We’ve had a lovely day spent with friends from Norway.  Lunch and then onwards to meet and greet.

Our visitors wanted to meet everyone.  They definitely said so and that is obviously why they came all the way from Norway.

Lambie was enchanted and enchanting.  He really does work the room, or in his case field.

First up were the are-they-pregnant(?) mares.  The general consensus is that Hetja is pregnant just not really showing and possibly not about to give birth any day soon.  We’re in for the long haul then.

Everywhere we went around the croft, Monster came too.

Watching a very visible white cat running and shouting across the hills wearing what he thought was his Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak (patent pending) made us all laugh.

Then onwards to meet the Icelandic boys.

Everyone was personally introduced.

They all behaved impeccably….

….and the horses too!

Into the car and a quick drive over to Leradale for a good Minion mugging.

It is always nice to make new friends and to proudly introduce my little herd of Shetland ponies.

What a nice day! ❤️

Over the next few days my family and I will be scouring the roadside picking up rubbish as it is Shetland’s Da Voar Redd Up (the Spring clean up) again.

We have volunteered and been registered for cleaning up our road which goes for miles.  We did it last year and try to register every year as part of the island clean-up.

I have noticed there is less litter because I cleared it all so thoroughly last year.  But I still walk either side of the single track roads mostly in the ditches, as that is where the rubbish tends to fall, and manage a bag or so as I go along.  We leave the green bags on the side of the road and someone collects them all, takes them to the dump and sorts them.

I take it as a personal slight when I see a ditch I have “redded up” has litter again.  Don’t people care?  Who honestly throws their rubbish out.  I mean why, just why?

Anyway, I plug a good audiobook in my ears, don my noticeable tabard (this year a yellow plastic bag with arms cut out), grabby hand in one hand, green bin bag in the other and pick up litter cursing humanity as I go for their disgusting habits.  There really is no excuse.

Meanwhile, I also met Daisy riding Kappi out to the canter track and back.

Before we had just been out with me riding Iacs and Daisy on Hjalti.  This was Hjalti’s first ridden canter ever and he was perfect.  He loved it very much.  Happy ears pricked and a spring in his step.  What a good boy.

This is Kappi showing how it’s done.

To Lerwick for another long dentist appointment.  Needs must for one poor member of my family but I am a willing taxi driver.

To make up for the dental agonies, this was our lunchtime view.  We were parked on Victoria Pier over looking Bressay slip, the little harbour surrounded by the Lodberries where Jimmy Perez of the TV series “Shetland” lived.

The other way looking northerly is Albert Dock – the blue boat is the Bressay ro-ro (roll on, roll off) ferry which nips across Bressay Sound many times every day carrying cars and passengers.

The green vessel is “The Swan”.  Launched in Shetland in 1900 The Fifie Swan LK 243  was considered as “one of the finest fishing boats afloat in the North of Scotland”.  Fully restored and working as a charter, sail training or weekend sailing boat.  The Swan is magnificent and very special.

Now looking towards the northerly approach to Bressay Sound.

Lunch finished, all evidence destroyed, we went walked up Commercial Street.  I popped into the Tourist Office to see if they needed more leaflets. It was nice to see Fivla in pride of place.  She really stands out.

On the desk are the official Visit Scotland postcards – please do say if you want me to get some and send them to you.  Happy to do it.  No bother at all.

And then the magnificent teatowel.  Again, happy to purchase and post – I cant remember how much they were but I can easily find out.

So I am pleased we are increasing our presence on the Street.  The girls’ fame lives on.  I just hope no one is too disappointed that Fivla is not a glowing white these days and Vitamin is a bit greyer around her face.  Old age catches up with us all.