I found Wussums outside this afternoon.  This is a bit of a first for Wu as he tends to only go out when he knows Loki is safely indoors.  Wu thinks outside is not a good place as it leaves him with nowhere to run, though he does always go out at night.

So I was somewhat surprised to see Wussums sitting on the wall and he duly gave me a nose kissey.  In return, I told him how big and brave he was.

Mind you, he still gave Loki wonderful filthy looks of total disapproval just for being a dog.

He does loathing so well.

Anyway, we all discussed this new development on our way to photograph the horses.

Kappi looks full.  Full to the brim.  He can stuff no more in and, for Kappi, that is no mean feat.  Like Iacs, food is the way to Kappi’s heart and no one ever gets in his way.

So there was only Taktur stuffing his face with a large chunk of silage I had brought over earlier.

I made the most of the sunshine and took a few snaps.

There is still snow about – it melts in the sunshine during the day, only to freeze all over again overnight.

The girl/gelding field now has a big bale of silage in it to save my back.  Yes, I realise there is far more waste but, while OH is out of action, I am trying to make my life easier so my chores take less time and my back is not taking the brunt of the extra work.

I have this camera lens (don’t ask me which one it is) that I rarely use so today I made the decision to get out there and have a play with it.

Having seen the finished results, I realise that I need to use it and get to know it a bit better.  The close-ups of water droplets could be much clearer but, still, I mostly like the results.

❅ ❆ ❄︎ ❅ ❆ ❄︎ ❅ ❆ ❄︎ ❅ ❆ ❄︎ ❅ ❆ ❄︎ ❅ ❆ ❄︎ ❅ ❆ ❄︎

Esja’s Back illustrates very effectively how a native horse’s coat goes into a point allowing the rain run off, while the undercoat remains dry.

Klængur – the base of his mane

Hjalti’s silly frilly foal forelock

Brá’s eye and mane with water droplets

Anywho, now I have seen the results, I intend, weather-permitting, to get to grips with this lens so there will be heaps more boring close-ups.  Sorry.

A few sparrows while I was secretly feeding some spare soaked sugar beet to Brá.

The one looking like it is about to commit hara kari is in fact about to fly away.

So enough of the playing. I had work to do.  Everyone was fed and rugs had been put on or taken off.  Next on my list was walking the dogs ….. along with anyone else who wanted to come  too.  They were all very well-behaved.  I am not sure what the highway code is for “yes, I know I am mad, but yes they are my sheep and yes, that is a dog with them!”

The sky was magical while we walked.  I can forgive Shetland any amount of shitty weather when I see the winter skies.  They always take my breath away.

The snow showers come and go in various densities, ranging from snowflakes to hail.  The showers are short and nothing stays around for long.

Everyone who had access to the bale overnight was thrown out into the field this morning after a good brekkie, to let those that never get near it have an opportunity.

Some, (mostly Iacs), are hogging the bale and becoming Smaug-like in their efforts to keep one ton of silage for themselves.

So it is good that Les Grandes Dames, Preggy Lady and The Minions can have a fair shot at the bale too.

Someone was asking about Taktur.  He is fine.  Happy not be involved in the bale politics, I am sure, as is Kappi who keeps him company.

They are in their 5 acre field across the scattald (hill) and get a big hardfeed brekkie in the morning along with a large wedge of silage that I lug over in a large CostCo carrier bag in the evening.

It was a lovely sunset as I completed my evening chores.

Lambie and Ster are on flying form – thank you for asking.  When I am busy shovelling another pile of something into a wheelbarrow, their frolicking antics never cease to make me smile as they dance around like idiots.

Everyone should have a Lambie and a Ster (scuse the shouting!)

And now we have snow and OH has a diagnosis – acute cholecystitis.  Poor thing.  He told me he was ill and I am now supplying sympathy in the correct dosage.

Lambie and Ster are constantly “helping” and hanging around waiting for food to be handed out.

I have managed to put properly fitting rugs on Storm and Tiddles.  I love the way they match.

Waffle just fits into this rug which was brought over yesterday. It is a bit snug but it will do for the time being and then can be passed on down to the smaller boys next year.

Dear Klaengur was reluctantly sharing his food, despite there being 10 buckets out for 10 ponies.

I am on the look out for a a rug for Silver. He is managing the best out of all of the Minions this winter.

I like to colour coordinate if possible!

This is Haakon’s dinosaur face when he absolutely refuses to be moved on from his food by anyone.

Iacs is the worst culprit for hassling.  He goes round each bucket first bullying everyone off while trying to see if anyone has chocolate cake unbeknownst to him.  I was furious at him and, I am not sorry to say, he got a telling.  Next time it will be a headcollar and being dragged out of sight from the others.

But I am not too worried. Everyone looks well covered and healthy.

The Icelandic horses’ coats are doing exactly what they were meant to.

Last night was spent here – Gilbert Bain Hospital’s Accident & Emergency Department (or GBH, as it is locally known!)

OH has a filthy cold and it seemed to be finally abating when he woke up with chest pain.  Luckily I was already awake so I drove him tout de suite to A&E.

I don’t muck around when I hear the words “chest pain”.  It is not for me to make a diagnosis and professionals are much better equipped to look after OH than me.

I have sat in many A&E’s over the years for various children, friends, relatives, even myself but it never ceases to cheer me up that GBH A&E is almost always empty.  No queuing with the great unwashed.

Just a mug of tea, two types of dunkable biccies and the remote control (I watched Highway to Heaven).

After some tests, they decided to keep OH in for the night and I drove home.  It was the scariest drive ever. I genuinely thought the car was broken.  I had no control at all and, calling on all my ancestors, I managed to drive slowly home at 20mph.  I think there was black ice everywhere and my nerves were in shreds.

Anyway, the upshot is that OH is now coming home on the bus having been discharged with nothing found.  He will go back for more tests.

Phew!

Oh yes, as we left at 03:00, I saw Iacs standing by himself eating the silage bale.  When I got home at 07:00, I saw Iacs still by himself and still eating the silage bale!

He looked like Ermintrude.