Three things….

Firstly, the cake recipe (word for word that I wrote down about 30 years ago from my mother’s cook book).

“Chocolate Belgium Cake”  How can a cake be Belgium?  I have only just noticed this!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter – NEVER, EVER MARGARINE EVER!
1/2 lb Cadbury’s Plain chocolate – I use 70%+ chocolate – less sweet but very nice
1/2 lb Lincoln Creams or plain digestive biscuits – I used Rich Tea as I forgot about Lincoln Creams and I am not actually sure what they are!
1 egg

Method:
Melt butter in saucepan
Melt chocolate in bain marie (bowl over hot water)

Break up biscuits (use bag and rolling pin – you want lumps not crumbs)
Beat egg in a big bowl.
Pour melted butter in and stir – you do not want scrambled egg.
Blend melted chocolate into egg/butter mixture
Add biscuits and stir

(You can add chopped walnuts and/or almonds if you want.  Even rum or kirsch)

Mix everything up in big bowl.
Grease low cake tin with butter
Put mixture in
Allow to cool
Put in fridge

Then slice and serve.

Sorry, no pic but it never lasts long and is delicious.  Easiest pudding ever!

😀 🍰 🍫 🍪 😀 🍰 🍫 🍪 😀 🍰 🍫 🍪 😀 🍰 🍫 🍪 😀

Secondly, Daisy and Kappi are back in training.  They are back to working hard now the holidays are over.

Yes, there was instruction (Bjørn Roar Larsen) as well as the odd obstacle.  Very odd.

The viewing gallery was full too.  Everyone’s a critic.

While they were tölting, trotting and cantering round the school, Mr and Mrs Wren were happily flying about inside shouting their heads off.  They make the best noise.  I have a very soft spot for my wrens.

Thirdly, today was spent in the Big L (Lerwick) to get more equine supplies and perhaps a few human ones too.

Plus the Dentist.

And then a mad dash home before it got dark to dish out the afternoon silage.  There was family waiting.

(and someone asked why Lambie is always clean?  Because that is what Muzzah is for!)

I helped my neighbour feed his Shetland pony herd as his car had died.

Always the way this time of year and such an embuggerance (best word ever!)

We’ve all been there.  It happens to us all.

But little horses have to be fed, no matter what ,and so I volunteered to help.

The minute these ponies saw the bales of hay, they came cantering down from where they had been standing.

It was lovely to watch.

The enthusiasm for food.

The hay bales were duly split and distributed along the dry stone dyke (wall) so that all the ponies had a pile to eat.

There is something undeniably enchanting about miniature Shetland ponies.

Always photogenic.

Expressive little persons.

Determinedly enchanting, ie You Will Love Me or Feed Me!

With lots of character.  You can see it in their eyes.

And then I checked on own my fat little lot at Liradale and we went home. They were all fine. Very bouncy but pleased to see me and my carrots.

There is another gale coming and now, as I write this, it has arrived and blowing hard.

I may be very slightly bored of winter now.  It doesn’t seem to want to go away.

While, I was busy cooking Belgian chocolate cake this morning, Daisy very kindly gave Flossie a riding lesson on Klængur.

Once I had finished, I went into the school to see how they were getting on.  They were concentrating on Floss’ riding position.

As usual, everyone wanted to be involved.

BeAnne brought Daisy a piece of hoof-trimming.  Her favourite food (BeAnne’s, not Daisy’s)

The sheeps wanted in because living in a field is not what sheep do, apparently.

Feeling generous, I let the Boyzens out so they could come and “help”.

Or check out everything.  Lambie, this is a bucket of ropes.  Not food.

‘Ster decided to be a cone in the corner.  Something for Flossie to ride around.

‘Bert walked alongside.

Lambie offered kisses.

The Boyzens were on top form or getting in the way, depending on your perspective.

‘Ster is still very keen on being with people.  He is obsessed about never being on his own and shouts loudly if he loses the others.  As a lamb, he was kept by himself and he will never forget.

‘Bert is very much one of the boys now. He remembers everything he did when he lived with us.  He is settled and happy now. His nervousness has gone and he even bounces when I call him home.  He is a very honest little chap.

Lambie is always the same.  He is a sheep with no fear, no natural panic and is curious about everything.  He loves everyone and he smiles all the time.

This is Lambie trying to get his Christmas treats from Flossie!  When he jumps up for his treats (I know he shouldn’t but he does), he can support his own weight by balancing on his back legs.  Very clever.

So while Floss was finishing up, I was taking lots of photos of my Boyzenberries.

They are such dudes.

Storm is now fully recovered from being lame.

We ran him round the school yesterday and he pranced and skipped about like a miniature Arab stallion, tail in the air.  So whatever was wrong is now better.

Now we are cured, I can move him, Tiddles and Fivla to Liradale.  I did not want him to go there limping.

They were all very happy to see each other.

It was wonderful watching them all rush around.

There is a special bond between these four little Minions. It is very important to each of them.

They miss each other when they are separated.

Even Fivla was happily charging about.

She did a happy buck!

The deal with Fivla is that if she can stay at this weight, although not ideal, for the next few months, then she can remain at Liradale.  If, however, she gets quickly fatter, then she will have to come home.

We hope that being with the Minions and the others will keep her weight under control.  There is so much space and the existing hill grass has already been grazed by sheep so hopefully the running around and being perpetually Minioned may keep her weight down.  She likes the herd environment too.  It does her good.

Meanwhile, Brá and Hetja have the good pasture and are watching the little ones. 

As long as they don’t have to be with them, Hetja can live with this.

Daisy and BeAnne went for a walk, while I stayed back and did some work with Brá.  I caught her and Hetja and brushed their manes and tails.  I will do this weekly, I think, just so that they remember.

So my little Minions are all back together.

They never forget each other.

Tiddles did his happy dance and then it started to snow.

If someone asks for help, I will always do my best.

That is how it works up here.

Some Shetland ponies needed to be moved to new grazing.

While everyone else did the walking, leading and working, I was on the camera end.

Shetland ponies know when you are photographing them!

“Strike a pose!”

We worked hard, mending electric fences, leading ponies to new fields and generally probably getting in the way (my speciality).

In Britain, we call these “Witches’ Knots”.  In Norway, they are called “Trollknut”, or I suppose Troll Knots. I find them fascinating to photograph, making the Shetland pony seem even more ancient and at home in their natural environment.

Luckily, they are easy to remove with the right amount of hair conditioner spray.

After a long day I was glad to come home to bring in the new year.

I am extremely grateful to everyone who has enjoyed and supported this blog through the good days and the bad ones. I hope 2017 brings many more adventures for me to blog about and let you follow.

May everyone have a safe and happy new year with best wishes for 2017!

(No fireworks…BeAnne hates them)