Today, everyone went Walk About.

I hate Icelandic horses and Shetland ponies.  I really hate them.

All except Vitamin….

And Delia.  This pair are fine and they are not going.

Also Waffle and Storm, who took up residence in the New Goat Shed, refusing to come out until all the fracas was over.  These two are angels and paragons of virtue.

Also Brá -that goes without saying. She is not easily led into mischief and keeps herself to herself.  There are many who could follow her example.

But I hate everyone else.  They are vile, for sale and should all have Houdini as their prefix.

So let me introduce you to Houdini Hjalti, Houdini Esja and Houdini Haakon who let themselves out and took themselves off into the hill.  While Flossie and I were trying to keep them away from Taktur (stallion) who was desperate to get to them, the remainder took advantage of the situation and buggered off too (even Tiddles – I know – Tiddles.  How could he?)

I managed to catch Taktur (after her had plunged and bounded around his field a few times in over-excitement) and led him to the stable, turned on the radio very loud, threw him some hay and shut the door.

I then jumped into the car and met the herd coming towards me with Flossie and my neighbour looking as though they were in control of the whole situation.

I chased the horses/ponies home in the car, beeping loudly so they would just run home without having any independent thought, ie go into the hill (yes, that has happened before).

So this is it.  I am giving up horses and ponies. I hate them all.

Any riding will now involve sheep. I think it is the way forward.

The Bale Zombies stand around their God, The Bale.   It has been raining so everyone is full but bored of the rain.  Still they worship.

Floss (my youngest) came home yesterday, late afternoon, and today, having emerged from her pit, went outside to see the horses.  She misses them when she is south at university, but I can never persuade her to take them south with her.

Something about they would not be happy and there is no room for them – I forget as I don’t listen to excuses.

Klængur was very pleased to see his owner, as am I as it means this one off my list that I don’t have to ride.

She rode him around the school, reacquainting herself with his “little ways” and then tried to take some photos on her phone – amateur!

It is lovely to see them back together again. This is a good relationship

After their ride, I went out to see how everyone else was getting on.  The weather is dreich but it is not cold so no one was miserable.  In fact, Storm and Tiddles were very happy killing each other.

Everyone is a bit more smilier (is that actually a real word or phrase? – I don’t know – have had gin)

Life is good (apart from the mud – we hates the mud).

These are The Silage Bale Zombies.  They will stand forever, wait forever and even starve forever until the bale of silage is delivered.

I cannot fight the Bale Zombies.  I do not have the strength either physically or mentally and their determination is greater than mine.

There are, however, the Lesser Bale Zombies.

In this group are four darling Minions, two Grandes Dames and the Preggy Lady, Brá.

I prefer this group – they are much nicer about everything and grateful for anything.  Others demand, while these ponies ask.  I like that.  Peace and quiet without a bun-fight.

And then there are the Clearer-Uppperers.

These sheepie-peeps appear when the silage bale is delivered and is spilt when the wrapping is taken off.  They will make a clean plate.  No worries there.

These days. I seem to spend my days juggling the waitressing service so everyone gets a chance at the right food. Minions must not be hassled, Les Grandes Dames must not have to fight for food and the Preggy Lady must never be kicked.  It is a full time occupation.

Last night I received a phone call from my neighbour, who was out and about in his car, saying the Northern Lights were spectacular.

So I dashed outside, camera in one hand, tripod (the original tripping hazard) in another and set up.

I took this photo having failed to tighten the tripod screws and cleverly managed to capture, or create, many shooting stars (or was it the camera slowly tilting).

The aurora came and went, nothing huge – I had probably missed them at their best – but, still, it was nice to stand in the freezing cold, waiting for the magic show.

While I stood in the dark with a vague green glow to the north, I decided I would dispel the myth of some of the photos around that the media would have believe, ie that they light up everything in sight to the point of almost daylight.  This just isn’t true.

The next four photos were taken seconds apart.  I want to show you that by changing the settings of the camera, you can create very different impressions of the Aurora.

Normal settings – (the red glow on the right, by the way, is Sullom Voe Oil and Gas Terminal so ignore).

ISO 800
15 seconds
f/2.8

ISO 800
30 seconds
f/2.8

ISO 2000
30 seconds
f/2.8

ISO 12800
20 seconds
f/2.8

And the same one but with some fiddling about with exposure, whitening, vibrance, saturation, tone and any other button I can find that might make it all the more spectacular.

But, remember, that is not what you see when you stand outside freezing your bits off.  If it gets going, the Aurora comes and goes, sometimes getting stronger and sometimes fading away again to nothing.

There is no spectacular sound track by Wagner.  There are no swooshes and crackles like Walt Disney would have you imagine.

Just silence and an eerie light that changes in shape and sometimes colour in a way that can make you wonder if it really moving at all.

The same photo fiddled about with again.

Personally, I prefer the truth.  For me, it is special and more remarkable than the frou-frou versions that frequent the media.

On the other hand, of course, I could be completely in error and be watching the wrong part of the sky or just have my camera set up badly.  Who knows.

(I will admit, however, that last night was good but not spectacular – I have seen far better).

Everyone is enjoying a day in the weak winter sunshine.  Poor Brá is feeling her pregnancy and spends most of her time either in a dwaam or eating.

Today Brá and Les Grandes Dames had the bale, or rather what was left of it.  Les Grandes Dames wandered off and Brá nodded off by herself on the warm silage.  When she lies down, you can see Brá is getting fairly mahoosive (due the first week of May, I think).

Anywho, I left Brá is peace and went down to the bottom of the field to the old tattie rig to see what Hjalti was up to.

I

Gosh, he is the spit of his dear old Mum, Hetja.

I think he is going to be tall too.  He is just coming up to 9 months and is already a tall chunky lad.

Hjalti has really come out of himself this winter.  He has good(ish) manners, and can be caught in the field with his purple headcollar, lead nicely, pick up each hoof without a fuss and also be tied up without causing a fuss.  Hetja appreciates this hugely!

He has grown a lovely winter coat and has wintered out very well.  A fuzzy wuzzy bum!

And lovely crinkly mane.

I haven’t weaned him from Hetja yet but I intend to once the Spring grass starts to come in.  Everyone is still being fed hardfeed, anyway.

Hjalti is fairly independent of his mum and looks to Esja as his No 2.  He adores The Minions and many hours are spent jumping on them, especially if they are asleep!

I do think, however, that everyone breathes a joint sigh of relief when he goes to sleep!

Peace then reigneths until Hjalti wakes up and off they all go again!