I have an offer.

Would anyone like a dvd I made about Shetland in Autumn?

The dvd contains 3 short films that I made a few years back, based on a poem by John J. Graham, containing Shetland dialect and traditional Shetland music set to my photographs

The three films are:-

Whaar’ll I in Hairst Fair – a 3.75 minute film showing photos of the Shetland landscape in the Autumn (one of my favourites and the music is lovely) – yes, there are Shetland ponies!

Scalloway Castle and Scallowa’ – a little film (nearly 5 minutes) around and about Scalloway and its Castle.  The music is very evocative and beautiful.  The photos aren’t bad either!  Scalloway is Shetland’s original capital.

Whin Lizzie pat da coo tae Culswick – Lastly, a film (7:44 mins) of a story told by my neighbour about her sister-in-law, who walked a cow 12 1/2 miles down the road to its new owner.  A beautiful story that illustrates Shetland crofting (farming) life.

All I ask for is a donation plus your address to cover postage plus whatever you feel like giving to The Minions.  The dvd can be played on any computer – it is Region 0.

Please send your donation via Paypal to deftaylor1@gmail.com – and I will post a dvd to you.

The bills for the Minions are arriving.  Newt needs to be gelded.  Winter is coming.

Any donation is wonderful. Nothing huge, please.  Just let me send you, in return, a piece of Shetland life in Autumn.

Like I said previously, everyone has now been moved to their Autumn fields.

The mares and their foals are “taking the top off” Clothie, my 5 acre croft that is a 50 yards across the hill from home.

They seem to have quickly settled there.  The pregnant mothers were in Clothie when they came home this Spring before they were moved down to the Antenatal Unit where they remained because it suited everyone fine.

We easily caught the Brá and Hetja, and their foals Dreki and Lilja followed happily along too.  We walked quietly over the hill with no distractions, waiting for the little ones to catch up and not drift off, and through wide open gates into the field.

Yesterday afternoon, I did my usual thing of sitting on a rock and waiting.  Dreki came and stood behind me.

Of the two foals, he is slightly blacker in colour.

It didn’t take long before Lilja brought herself over for a chat.  She is the nosiest foal alive.

They are two very funny little friends.

They make me smile whenever I spend time with them.  I always wonder if Taktur was like this as a foal.  Did he have the same silly-billy idiotic but vaguely optimistic face?  I hope so.

The foals will both be staying with their Mums this winter.  They are both growing their thick winter woollies.

This is Lilja’s lady chest!

And this is me trying to take a selfie with Dreki.

So, I sat on my rock (a dry if cold bottom, please) admiring my view.

Best view there is, in my opinion.

We have moved everyone to a new place.

The boys are now in a field and I remain hopeful that the late Autumn sunshine will help the grass in the more eaten fields start growing again.  It will be useful for later on in Winter.

This afternoon, I went down with my camera for a little sit and waited to see who came up to talk.

The Shetlands may be small but they are very very cute and much loved. I think they know this.

Newt has grown into a slight bigger Newt.  Perhaps not enormous in stature, he is huge in his head.

There is the same determination.

Suddenly, I was surrounded by small orange little peoples.  A plethora.

Despite this, Newt was trying hard to get through to talk to me.

He really put everything into it and shoved.

Darling Newt.  Every home should have one.

After a huge “orange” cuddle (that would be Klaengur, Newt, Albie (part orange), Efstur and Hjalti), the boys all went to have a drink at the stream.

And then they were back for more gorgeous orange-ness.

Can one person have too much orange?  I think not.

No such thing.

We drove to Lyradale to show some friends our Prehistoric site.

(please feel free to play Spot The BeAnne – just look for a small and sulky bottom!)

While OH was showing my visitors around Lyradale, I stayed behind for a spot of hugging and nose-kisseying.

Once I had told everyone how much I loved them, etc, I walked off to join the walkers in the far distance.

(spot the BeAnne)

Then I looked behind me to find that a certain someone had decided to leave the herd and to follow.

And, suddenly, almost everyone was following me.

I walked over two streams (burns) and kept going, determined to join the humans.

There was a rush of hooves behind me and I was overtaken.

Little fat galloping bottoms!

With Tiddles bringing up the rear.  He is not the fastest.

I stopped with our visitors to take a few prehistoric Shetland pony snaps.  Like you do!

Silver was looking magnificent.

Shetland ponies in their natural environment.  There is nothing better.

And then there was BeAnne!

And Loki!

My visitors and OH walked to the top of the hill.

They admired the view – you can see Delia (ancient Shetland pony mare) in the far distance having been left behind.  She was shouting her head off.

So, now what to do?  I took off my coat, for a headcollar, and wrapped it around Delia’s neck and lead her across the two streams so she could see the others and make her way over to them.

It was quite a schlep for her (poor thing, she was puffing at the long walk) but she successfully found them.

Phew!  Because I would’ve gone back later to make sure they all met up.  I hate ponies being distressed because they have lost each other.  I can’t sleep.

BeAnne went for her usual swim.

And then grumbled about having to come home in the car.

There is something very magical about Lyradale.

Lyra is going on a Big Adventure.

We have known for a while about her journey.  For the last few days, Vitamin (mother) and Waffle (boyfriend) have been living together with Lyra.

Once Daisy had caught Lyra, Waffle followed them down to the gate.  Vitamin was not giving up her grub for anyone.

Eventually she followed Waffle and Lyra.

We are hoping Vitamin won’t miss her daughter.

They have been parted before.

I know I said that Vitamin and Lyra would always stay together but, if I am perfectly honest, neither pony actually need each other.

In my head this makes sense.

We took Lyra into the school, brushed and cleaned her ready for her trip south to the mainland.

She loaded fine and for 15 minutes she was on her own. She didn’t care at all.

En route, we stopped and collected another Shetland pony mare destined for the ferry.

We drove to the ferry in Lerwick.

The two mares were unloaded and put into separate livestock pens.

We said our goodbyes to Lyra.  We were upset, I won’t lie, but for Lyra, she is ready to spread her equine wings and to take on the world.  She is a lovely mare with incredible bloodlines, who is wasted sitting in a field with her mother and a selection of old ladies and Minions.  We don’t do the showing or the breeding thing anymore.

When we got home, we went and caught Waffle and Vitamin who were waiting by the gate.  Now they needed their friends.

We immediately took them over to Lyradale.

They were so happy to see their friends.

I hope we have done the right thing by Lyra.  In my heart, I know we have.

We wish Lyra the best and a future that she deserves.