Today, we’ve had some visitors over for filming and photographing.

First up was Bergli Dreamwatcher – a standard Shetland pony colt yearling (2016 – so the same age as Albie and Newt).

We filmed Dreamwatcher in the school, walking and trotting around both in-hand and free-schooled.  Wow.  He can move.

Dreamwatcher is Waffle’s half brother.

Afterwards, Dreamwatcher was allowed to meet the lurkers, ie Gina and Gypsy.

At present, these two ladies are currently living around the house (outside, thank you very much).

Dreamwatcher was enchanting.

He took this new environment and the ladies totally in his stride.

I must say that I love Dreamwatcher’s hair-do – wonderful.

Bless him – Dreamwatcher just got on with his job without being diverted.

Then up, was Rum – a miniature Shetland pony stallion.

Now Rum’s job was to trot.

So, of course, he wouldn’t.  Eventually after expending all surplus energy by bucking his way around the school, he trotted round the school while we filmed and photographed.

Dear Rum.  He is a classy boy.

When Rum went outside, my lot watched, with interest, from the privacy of their field.

After the filming, Rum was permitted a short chat.

Well, everyone was up for that!

In fact, it was Albie who was most interested.

He thought Rum was fascinating.

I wonder if Albie thinks that one day he will be like Rum.

Meanwhile, Newt didn’t give Rum a second thought!

I hardly dare mention that come the Spring and once we return from Norway, certain bits are coming off.

Say nothing!

Tuesday, so into town after our weekly flute lesson (or an annihilation of Mozart, if I am being truthful).

During our wanderings, we found this wonderful Valentine’s day window display at the Jamieson’s of Shetland shop.

Oh, wow.  Someone has made a huge effort.  It was clever and well thought out.

I loved it.

And today was a good day in town.  The sun was shining, the sky was blue and there was even a hint of Spring in the air.

We did our messages – the usual – basically food for people and feed for animals, plus a few odds and bobs for our travels.

Yes, our travels. A holiday!  Next week, Daisy and I are going to Norway.  I am very excited so we were getting some holiday stuff too.

Can’t wait.  Seriously I can’t wait.

Once done with the shopping thing, we drove home to the poor starving wee beasties!

Some get fed an evening snack and some don’t.  This lot get nothing after their huge breakfast.

The SSPCA ladies have a snack just because.

Daisy called in her two – they are stabled overnight and have endless food and silage but they are her responsibility.  Nothing to do with me.

There is a huge difference between our life in town (we wear clean(ish) clothes) and home (we change into clothes that don’t matter).

I bet we are not alone in this!

Aww, this morning, I found my little boy having a little sit in the straw.

Tor was with him and he was very settled.

Albie let me sit down beside him like I used to when he was very little.

Albie and I have a special relationship and so I sat beside him in the straw.

These photos below are from August, last year – that was a very special day. I hope Albie never feels he is too grown up to sit with his “Mum”.

My darling little boy.  Albie (and Storm) – ok, my darling little boys.  They need me to hug them and tell them everything is ok.  Albie is very similar to Storm in that way.

On the other side of the paddock, Newt was on a mission.  His Eating Mission.  This morning he didn’t want to be loved and hugged.

Eating is a job he takes very seriously.

I adore Newt.  He doesn’t need me like Albie does.  He is much more self-contained and happy with himself and his life.  Albie worries and hates change.

This is Newt’s own personal box of silage and Newt will stand there and eat his way through it.

Whatever it takes.

They are funny little boys.  So very different but both darling little boys.  My little boys.

The ice is still with us.  There are patches where it is lethal – we walk the horses round it rather than ride them through.  Ice scares me – what if I fall?  What if they fall?  What if we all fall?

So, I dug out a lens I rarely use and had a play instead.

This is Gypsy having a bit of snooze in the winter sunshine with the snow melting into droplets on her back.

Bless her, Gypsy was enjoying the feeling of being full of food plus the warmth of the winter sunshine so she wasn’t going to move and was the perfect candidate for my experiments

I have been working hard with both of the girls.  Gina is easy.  She sees food – she wants it.  She will do anything you want to have it.

Gypsy is more complicated.  She is learning to be a pony who is accountable for her behaviour.  I can now easily catch her and lead her, even by her chin hairs. Our relationship is totaly based on trust and I won’t accept any unneccessary behaviour.  Once I explained how life would be, Gypsy accepted this and is actually an easy girl to work with.

I have grown very fond of both of them.

I spent this morning with my rarely-used lens and tripod taking photos of the wierd ice formations in the hill stream.

Ice fascinates me.  The strange but precise patterns and shapes are wonderful.

I must admit I had a play with this lens and enjoyed the results.

I took BeAnne with me and she had one of her sit-down strikes.  This resulted in me driving off, leaving her behind and then having to go back to collect her.

(And yes, I did apologise to BeAnne for HER bad behaviour because that was the only way to make her get in the ruddy car!)

Today has been a beautiful day.  Cold and crisp here at Thordale but, surprisingly, there is very little snow/ice at Leradale, two minutes down the road!  It was lovely there.

So Daisy and I went in armed with carrots and brushes.

The brushing was first and we made everyone beautiful.  Manes and tails.

Daisy then went for a walk with her bag of carrots to lure everyone to the better grazing up the hill.  This lot spend far too much time lurking next to the preggie ladies.  Not healthy.

The majority were very happy to be lured.

The rest went the long way round, muttering.

After much debate with himself, Tiddles decided to follow via the quickest route.

Bless him!  Once he had made up his mind, he was very enthusiastic.

The carrots were shared out.

Daisy even kindly waited for the old bags to arrive.

Everyone had their fair share.

Vitamin is the problem here.  She just won’t leave the preggie ladies on their own.  They might need her as a birthing buddy or something and so everyone has to stay too.

Anyway, it was good to get them moved and I went around taking a few snaps.

Dearest Fivla came up for a chat.

She has always been a very special pony.  One of the family.

She is the most beautiful Shetland pony ever.  Our fairy-tale pony.

And so we left them up in the hills to eat.

I bet by tomorrow they are back to where we found them.  Annoying Hetja and Brá!