Some days, and they are rare, I can’t think of anything to write.  This is one of them but here are today’s photos ….

Iacs eating his extra-special with added barley rings breakfast as I am worried about his weight.

Haakon eating his, complete with a small vacuum attachment.

I am not worried about Haakon one bit.

Today is the Spring Equinox.  My most favourite day in the calendar when I tell myself that things can only get better, i.e. warmer and lighter.  Roll on Spring and possibly even Summer, please.

Breakfast (theirs and mine) done and I went back into the field to poo-pick, which I hope is making a difference to the field.

Waffle had to investigate my poo-bucket.  Of course, he did.  That’s what Waffles do.

And then I found a duck on the outside table because that is what happens in my life.

A place where ducks live on tables.

And then indoors to see Monster doing that stretching toe thing.  Ooof.

I told you I had run out of words.

Today was Ted’s three monthly hair appointment but I had to go to Turriefield to pack vegetables so I asked OH if he minded taking Ted to Scalloway.

OH felt Ted needed a brush before he had his hair-do while I felt it was a bit like washing the dishes before you put them in the dish-washer.

But Pepper was very upset without Ted and desperately wanted to come too when I was leaving for Turriefield so I decided to take her, thinking it would be good practice for her to learn to stay quietly in the car by herself.

Before I started work, we went for a lovely walk on Sandness beach.

We had it completely to ourselves, which was perfect.

Pepper ran up and down exploring everything.

And I took photos.

And then I drove up to Turriefield, cracked the windows and told Pepper to stay quietly and be a good girl.  She also had her car harness on so couldn’t go anywhere.

I packed vegetables for two hours, constantly popping outside to check on Pepper.

She was ok, enjoying looking out, sometimes resting, mostly not but safe.

And once we had finished, I asked if anyone minded if I let Pepper out of the car. She had a quick mooch around and then we went home.

Ted was already home complete with his new “do”.  Ever so smart.

And Pepper spent her afternoon spark out while I stabbed away at felting a sheep for the shops.  I must say that I was very impressed with Pepper.  She behaved beautifully all day and I am really glad I took her with me.  My perfect companion.

Wherever I am, I can see Fivla and Vitamin.  They are always close by and they travel in pairs.

I don’t really mind because they tend to keep themselves to themselves except when they don’t and then we have words about stealing food.

Vitamin has decided on her routine – she and Fivla go out in the morning after a huge breakfast, mooch around for the day eating grass and then at around 4 p.m. I give them a huger tea.  More mooching and then they go inside at 6 p.m. for another big supper bucket and half a soaked fibre block each.   I don’t know how much grass they manage to eat (there is quidding) but something must be going in.

According to Vitamin, I am very well trained.

Fivla is kinder to me.  She just whiffles her nosey whenever she sees me and looks hopeful.

Today they got celery, as did the other ponies.  Everyone loves celery.

But Vitamin was around when I fed Edna (sheep) her supper, watching, always watching.

And Fivla swiftly arrived too.

Like I said, I don’t mind as long as they don’t steal anyone else’s food. I have rules and they must stick to them.   With the evenings getting longer, I am eventually aiming for Fivla and Vitamin to stay outside during the summer/warmer months, though I will have to negotiate this with Vitamin who does like her bedroom.

As does Fivla.  They can’t go to bed fast enough at the moment. I am convincing them to stay outside longer.

So, yesterday, I said I thought I would put the Shetland ponies back on the track again, but only giving them a very small section.

I think they heard me and were waiting, all ready to go.

So I opened the gate and off they went.

To start with they thought this was great.

And then they walked the boundaries, the rather tight boundaries.

It didn’t take very long.

They walked backwards and forwards and then they realised. I am sure I heard words like “is this it?”  I replied that indeed this was it and they should count themselves very lucky that I had even thought they could return after what happened last year (they broke out for two days and resulting in tragedy).

Fivla and Vitamin then said they wanted to join the herd too so I let them into the field.  Fivla sensibly walked down to the track while Vitamin galloped off into the old field, losing everyone and then wondering where a) they were and b) where she went wrong!

I led her back to join the herd on the track system so she could enjoy the general mood of being very unimpressed.

And then I left them all to it, possibly so I couldn’t hear the complaints, and went to town for lunch with a friend.

Funnily enough when I got home, I found all the ponies were standing by their container paddock at 14.30 looking fed up and bored, which is exactly what I wanted.

A calm morning (apparently this is known as a “false spring”, but I’ll take it) so I went, armed with my bucket of electric fence stuff along with wee dug down to the track to sort out the electric fence.

It was in quite a mess. I think all those storms did it no good but I straightened, tightened, sorted adding more wire to varous spots.

I also noticed that very little grass had grown back, which is exactly what I want.  I am thinking I might put the Icelandic horses into the middle too to eat down that grass.

While I was working, I saw my first celandine which made me instantly smile.  My favourite flower (one of many) but this was confirmation that Spring was finally arriving after a very long winter.

On the other side of the wire fence, everyone watched me, getting excited at the thought of returning to the track.

Waffle, desperate to be back on the track, pawed the fence, got stuck and I had to unwiggle his hoof/leg back through the wire, cursing that he was destroying a perfectly good fence.  He did this twice, at me.

No one else did this – just Waffle, though to be fair, he never panics, standing there waiting for me to come and sort out the mess only he created.

So tomorrow I am going to drag the energiser down to the track, put it on max zap, and let the Minions have access to a very small top part of the track and we will see.  Please tell me this is not a big mistake but it is between Waffle’s ability to destroy every fence and my sanity.  They will only be there for 6 hours a day too and go back to the container paddock for their weighed and measured soaked hay.