Every day, I go down the bottom field to visit my pregnant Icelandic mare ladies.

Firstly, to keep Brá in her routine of being used to having a headcollar put on every day….

(she would like to be feral if she could – I am generously putting this down to her hormones)

… Secondly, to see how the ladies are feeling (and I clean their eyes with cottonwool pads soaked in cold tea as they tend to be gooby as their winter facial fur falls out) ….

… and thirdly, for the daily bewb-check.

The top ones are Brá‘s and seem a bit more advanced than Hetja’s (bottom pic), which is strange as Hetja is due a week earlier than Brá.

The Icelandic girls are nearing their time and now it is becoming a reality.

They are not due quite yet but today, I put my hand on Hetja’s flank and felt a little foal kick!  My first time ever.

My heart melted.  It was a magical moment and one I have never experienced.

Obviously, the midwives are on hand, ready and waiting.

And, obviously, as the time gets nearer, Daisy and I will be on hand too.  We are just not quite at that point yet and no one needs us.

Ooooh, exciting times ahead.

The grass is growing now (huzzah) and the Lyradale lot are very happy.

Someone visits them every day to top up the water buckets, count legs and kiss noseys.   Although the gate is open back to their old adjoining field where the loch is plus many watery ditches, the ponies haven’t returned – hence the dragging of the water as their field’s supply has dried up.

I moved the little ones up to the big ones’ field, when the pregnant ladies vacated, so they could have a shot at the spring grass having been “starved” all winter.

The weather comes and goes still and so I haven’t done any more brushing. That’s my excuse!  It is not fair to have them all in their summer uniform yet.

Yes, the ponies look scruffy, but the wind will blow their hair out when it is ready to go.  Having said that, I might take a brush to them this week as they do look revolting!

I still miss my little boys and I still want them home but there realistically needs to be more grass.

So,not yet.

When the boys return, Lyra and Delia will go to their summer field and we can give Lyradale a rest.

Everyone is flourishing.

Lyradale really has been the perfect winter habitat for Minions and mothers and, God-willing, the healthy bebbies who will arrive soon.

The bewbs are a-changing!

When Shetland is hit by fog, Shetland is hit by fog.  Serious fog.  None of yer “it may clear soon” fog, but a real pea-souper.

I went down to the south end – Sumburgh – to collect a friend from the airport who is coming to stay for a week.  In my defence, on the westside, where I live, there was no fog – that arrived later.

As I was early, I decided to pop up to Sumburgh lighthouse to see if I could see a puffin or two.

So, you know, and I won’t keep you in suspense…..

…. I briefly saw a puffin land and then scuttle into his nest. I didn’t have time to take a photo.

But, hey ho, the sea pinks were pretty.

I also saw a bird fly – back view!

It was very spooky up at Sumburgh.  The wind whistled and it sounded like the scary part of a computer game – you know, the bit where you creep about outside and something is hiding waiting to pounce on you!

There were birds.

Yay.

But no puffins.

Un-yay.

After my friend’s flight circled for 30 minutes overhead, it returned from whence it came – Edinburgh – so I drove back up to Sumburgh Head to see if the puffins had put in an appearance.  They tend to appear in the late afternoon.

Visibility was even worse.

And yup, I saw absolutely nuffin.

No puffin.

The wind circled around making low whistling noises.

It was even more spooky. I didn’t like it at all.

I went home.

(Tonight is Eurovision.  Tomorrow, OH goes to Sumburgh airport to collect friend.  Tomorrow, I may be nursing my annual Eurovision hangover!)

Little Precious and her mother have been returned to their breeder.  We have achieved what we set out to do – mother/daughter bonded, antibiotics given to mum while bebbie has mastered nursing and is growing well.  She has filled out and they love each other.  Perfect.

So there is no need for them to stay here.  I am sad to see them go but they both need equine company, not the canine version.

And please note, OH’s garden is still intact.  They never touched his tulips!

Meanwhile, the boy-herd is doing very well.  I had private reservations about putting them all together, but I was determined to make my life, this spring/summer, easier.  They can’t all just live in separate fields.  That is not right.

So, Taktur is living with 3 colts and 5 geldings and he is absolutely fine with them all.

Little Albie and, even littler, Newt are in their element.

Albie is probably the weakest link but he is doing well and plays the “I am a foal, don’t eat me” card, while Newt goes in for the kill!  They work as a team.

Newt is depute with his eyes on the prize and will soon be ruling The World.

He is Haakon’s No 2.

He enjoys telling everyone and sadly, they believe him!  So sweet.  Apparently he is 16h.  Who knew?

Taktur is ever hopeful the gate will open again.

So he can visit his beloved lady-girls.  Fat chance and over my dead body.

He likes to lean on the fence and I am liking to put an electric fence along it shortly if he continues with this thought.

That will learn him!

He has plenty of little admirers.  He doesn’t need the pregnant ladies.

Bewb Watch Update – both mares’ bewbs are now facing downwards and starting to fill up.

Exciting times ahead…….

Here at Thordale, some days are weirder than others.

Daisy called me over to say we were now the official Shetland branch of KFC!  Here in Shetland, we don’t have any of the fast food chain franchises.  It is wonderful.

A Chicken-on-the-bone bucket!

Or, in our world, Elvis nesting on baler twine and straw.

(I dread to think what the “sides” are or the special recipe is – don’t go there. Just don’t.)

Officially odd.

Next up, I made the executive decision to move the pregnant ladies.

They need more grass and Clothie (the croft where they are) needs a break because, once they have foaled, the girls will come into their foal-heat within 20 days of foaling.

Our predominant wind is a south-westerly (through the front door!) so foal-heat girl smell will be blown straight to the boys’ field where three colts and one stallion live.  Perhaps not the best idea.

While the girls are pregnant, they are not giving off any come-hither hormones so it makes sense to keep them in this new field letting Clothie have a break and grow some more.  Clothie lies northerly of where the boys are.

Ok, in my head this all makes sense and I could draw you a map.  Once we took them over, they galloped and bucked happily around the field (noooooo, don’t do that, just walk).

This afternoon, however, one stallion managed to find an open gate (fer crying out loud – and all my fault) and stood by their fence shouting.  The ladies ignored him and Daisy caught him easily and led him away. The gate is now shut properly.

The two fatty ladies are very upset. In their minds, they are the much needed midwives.

Daisy brought Klængur into the indoor school to train.  He nodded off while she tacked up!  Bless him – I loved the bottom lip of snooziness.

And that’s how we roll in this Shire!