I was on my usual walk when I spied some signs saying they were filming the tv series “Shetland” in my area.

So I thought I would walk on and see where they were filming.

There were lorries and lighting equipment surrounding an empty large house at Watsness about 2 miles down the road from where we live.

Watsness is a fabulous location.  There is a beautiful view over the Shetland coastline to the island of Foula that lies 20 miles to the west in the Atlantic Ocean.

(I took this beautiful photo on one of my many walks, but not today)

But it looked like this today.

I turned around and walked home meeting my neighbour.  We both said to each other “There’s been a murder” in our best TV-Scottish accents and laughed.  According to the TV series “Shetland”, we live in a hotbed of murder and mystery.  Real life seems sadly disappointing.

Later Daisy drove us to our vegetable packing job and en route, I mentioned I wanted to go to Watsness with my better camera to take some photos for the blog.  The sea fog – haar – was coming and going.  I expect that will play havoc with continuity.

I guess we will now have to watch “Shetland” to see where we live on the telly!

These days I don’t get out much as I can’t drive so friends have to come and see me.

When they arrive, I give them a choice – go for a walk with a variety of sheeple/dogs/ponies or we drive over for a Minion mugging.

Today this friend chose a Minion mugging.

Well you would, wouldn’t you? Newt’s little face is enchanting.

I introduced my friend to everyone, or rather the Minions introduced themselves.

I haven’t been over for a while.  My daughters have been checking daily on this herd for me as well as rigorously de-ragworting the field. I ❤️ Daisy and Flossie.  They are truly wonderful and at the moment I couldn’t do any of this without them.

So I was amazed to see the change in Lilja.

There has been a very sudden transformation.

She is growing up quickly, turning into a beautiful lady with lovely conformation and temperament.

Being with this herd is very good for Lilja.  She is very settled.

The famous ladies are looking good.

Waffle came over with his lunch (as if he needs anything).

Handsome boy, though.

Then my friend went to get some apples that she had brought especially for the boys.  The little faces were greedily hopeful and begging.

It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon – introducing my Minions to my friends.

Everyone is always welcome.  I love going to see them.

Do you remember Tor, the little Shetland mare who we borrowed for 9 months in 2016?  She adopted Albie while nursing her son, Camus.

We saw her yesterday when we were visiting Bergli Stud with her new foal, Brus (pronounced Bruce).

Brus is wonderful.

He is a huge character with wow, pizzaz and hutzpah.

I was taking photos of him for the Stud’s website and Brus was not going to co-operate.

Oh no, Brus was going to wave his legs around like the little stallion he wants to be.

So Bjørn swiftly gave up and took off his headcollar so he could run around.

And boy, could Brus move. He trotted about the field dancing.  We all just stood there and laughed and then said wow!  He was such a happy confident little lad.

And he has the beginnings of a silly-frilly or silly-spikey, depending on your angle.

This tiny little pony (and believe me, he is small) has a huge amount of look-at-me and a wow trot.  He floats effortlessly.

Brus is enchanting.  There is something about him that is very special.

But he is still a Mummy’s boy.  He luffs his wonderful Mum, Tor.

I can never thank her enough for all she did for our Albie.  Without Tor, Albie would not be the happy little chappie he is.

Today I went over to Bergli Stud to take photos of this year’s foals.

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

The little ones had all just been microchipped by the vet.  Then the paperwork has to be completed and the foals will be registered with the Shetland Stud-Book Society.  The each get their official red passport.

Only a vet can microchip a pony.  It is injected into the nuchal ligament just below the mane.

No one seemed any the worse for this procedure.

After the vet had gone, I just did what I like to do best – wander round taking lots of photos.

I miss our standard blacks but having this stud at the end of my road means I see these beautiful ponies all the time.

And we are lucky to have such lovely little foals nearby too.

Remember Rose Blossom?  The mare who nearly died from hyperlipaemia.  Well here she is looking amazing.  I don’t know if she still remembers me.  As her nurse, we did not part the best of friends.

More photos soon.  There were so many delicious little foalios!

Some of you may remember that in October 2017 the last of our homebred Thordale foals, Lyra, left us to go to her new home on the mainland.  It was a hard decision for us to make but Lyra needed to travel and see the world rather than stay at home with a pile of Minions listening to them plan their world domination.  Lyra has always been destined for great things.

So she went on the boat to Scotland to join the Drumnagair Shetland Pony Stud in North Aberdeenshire.

(Lyra’s arrival in Aberdeen back in October)

Since leaving, she has been through a hard Scottish winter.

She has seen some serious snow – we don’t really have snow in Shetland so this must’ve come as a bit of a surprise to her.

She has run with a Shetland pony stallion, Westpark Three Star.

Now confirmed pregnant, Lyra is now out and about at various Scottish agricultural shows.

Her results so far are:-

Yes, that would be Reserve Champion.

(so proud *** sniff *** our little girl is all growed up)

This is Lyra’s first year in the show ring.  It is exhausting work for a mum-to-be!  All that hard work being adored and looking beautiful.

So Lyra is doing very well with her new owners.  They adore her and she is obviously happy doing what she does best – being beautiful and she’s going to have a foal too (oof, the excitement is almost too much!)