Well, the first day of the year means it is all change again for the horses and ponies at Thordale.

We moved them to one of our last slightly-less-muddy fields.  I led Haakon and all the rest followed.  They were very pleased to go and didn’t need any encouragement.

The mud is pretty bad everywhere now but there is nothing we can do.  It is always like this for just about everyone.  Luckily, our ground is on boulder clay/rock so the mud can only be so-deep but it can suck your wellies off leaving you hopping about in socks. The ultimate misery that can ruin your day!

Newt struggled to get through the mud.  He is so much smaller than everyone else and it is getting him down.   With the horses in this field, they still have to wade through a deep bit through the gate to get to their feed troughs of silage every morning.  If it gets too bad, I will just keep the little ones up round the house or over at Clothie.   Ankle-deep for Iacs means belly-deep for Newt.  I can see his point.

The boys had a quick run around, which was lovely to watch.

Albie and Newt had a great time trotting about chasing each other.

There is mud up by the house too.  Mud and sheep poo.  Note the broom that lives permanently by the door, as does Lambie. Some folk have those posh “stable” type doors. I have a nursery stair gate!

Still, the nights are getting shorter by about one minute a day.  Anyone remember summer?

We went for a ride this morning.  Our last for 2017.

For me, this is one of the best sights in the world.  My old friend and Icelandic horse, Haakon.

We did the usual route.

Taktur, Daisy’s stallion, is back in training again after his winter holidays.

Taktur has taken a while to mature – he is now nearly ten years old.  He is, I think, one of the nicest stallions I have ever met.

There was the usual canter up the hill track.

We saw some sheep when we got to the top.  Note the large puddle.

Haakon decided he was very thirsty and stopped to have a long drink.

Many folk have asked over the year if Haakon is a Fjord horse.  The answer is a big fat NO!  He just has gorgeous highlights.  Many are jealous.

So we went to the top of the hill and then made our way home again as it started to drizzle.  I put my camera inside my jacket.

BeAnne greeted us when we got back.  She doesn’t come along any more. She just can’t keep up and I am more than a bit relieved as it could be such a bore to look behind and see a small baked bean waddling behind. Someone would have to stop and wait for her all the time, pushing her along to keep up.

The horses went back out into their field and we we were followed indoors by three sheeple looking like a troika scene on a Palekh laquer box!

As a family – animal and people – we tend to all get on fairly well.  There are various truces that get broken occasionally but mostly, I think, we all do our best to be tolerant of each other’s “little ways”.

That was until yesterday when I very unexpectedly met Wussums outside.  This is unsual for The Wu since he lives in fear of meeting Loki outdoors (he chases him – not our best moment) and so seldom ventures out during daylight hours.  Apparently Loki and Wussums can live in peace and perfect harmony indoors but in the garden, all bets are off.

Anywho, recently, we have all been a bit worried about Wu as he seems to have gone off his food.

And then I discovered why.  Wu’s latest pastime is to sit outside the shed door waiting for the little birds (who live there) to fly out straight into his mouth!

Lambie passed by to photobomb.

And then Lambie saw his “friend” (in the loosest possible terms), Wussums, who turned round and growled at him like Gollum and His Precious.  I was ashamed of that cat and had to quickly move Lambie because I think Wussums would’ve probably put him on the menu next.

Once back inside, I went to sit at my desk where my laptop is but I can’t. That cat is one quick usurper!

Six hours later and Wussums has managed to get up and leave my chair because it is nearly his tea-time.

Meanwhile, Loki is trying to be good.  He finds it nearly impossible but he does spend many hours thinking about past behaviour and wanting to change.

He has done some pretty terrible things this year – Wussums related.

Wussums on the other hand, has no intention of changing anything.

This is the sunrise this morning at 09.09 (140º SE)

The family were outside doing the daily chores.  Flossie fills the haynets, Richard takes them to the field where Daisy, who is in the field, distributes the silage into piles on the ground out of the mud for the horses and ponies.

Meanwhile, my job is to feed the hens and put all the sheep into their little field.  All except Lambie, who hates eating with the others as they jostle and argue.  He hates being hassled and runs out behind me.  He has his food in his bowl separately.

All the horses had come up to eat their silage ration.

All except for two small Shetland ponies who said they couldn’t get over the burn (stream) despite it being flat calm and low.

Albie and Newt shuffled about making no effort at all so, after an hour of watching them, we relented.

I went down with a haynet of silage.  Daisy shut the adjoining gate to stop the gannets from returning to the field and stealing all the silage.  They had eaten two extra portions anyway.

I walked over the stream and caught Newt, who was the cause of all the bother.

I led him through the burn while Albie followed – it was all very simple, really.

The boys were both very pleased to see the silage.

We gave them three hours on their own to eat it before the gate was opened again for the others to return.

After that we drove to Leradale to feed Delia and distribute a few carrots and parsnips to the others.

The sun was setting (at 15:04, 220º SW) as we drove carefully home.

This is the view at the end of my track.  It was one of those rare but magical Shetland winter days.

Meanwhile, Wussums has found his spot – under the Christmas tree.

It is still cold but now there is some snow on the hills but nothing very visible around here.

We go outside just to do the chores but we do them as quickly as possible.

Today consisted of stinging hail with occasional snow flurries.  It is not settling, though.

Everyone knows the pack drill.  We have it down to a fine art.

The original Minions are looking very good (read, fat) and I am very pleased.

I hope you will agree that Fivla is beginning to find her slimmer figure in the unforgiving Shetland winter.

The Icelandic horse mares look superb.

I adore this silhoette of Brá. Perhaps not the easiest of horses, Brá and I have an understanding.  Basically, if she wants the carrot, she has to be friendly on my terms.  It is not rocket science, it works for us and that is all that matters.

Hetja is rockin’ her 1970’s hair style à la Farrah Fawcett-Majors only Hetja is much, much prettier.

And then back home to feed the boys and I changed the drinking water in the outside trough.

Puzzah is always offers his help.  Such a gentle ex-ram.  He knows his name and he understands The Rules – no butting, no shoving, no pushing, no argument and if I want to kiss his nosey, he will let me!

He has also made best friends with the lick bucket!

So….. like Father…..

…. like Son (not)!

BeAnne is always on look-out duty.

In this weather, there is some riding – Daisy was feeling energetic and rode her Icelandic horse stallion, Taktur.  I was lazy and didn’t.

Talking of lazy, when we got back into the house, Wu was still under the tree.  I don’t think he has actually moved all day.