The daily attack on Hetja’s sunburned nosey is beginning to work now.

She looks much better and comes rushing up (probably thinking we have carrots but we don’t).  We have to be sneaky and the cream has to be put on quickly as we only get one chance before she takes herself off again.

There are always offers of help.

Hjalti is looking good.  He won’t be weaned until after winter as he was a late foal but he is growing fast and Hetja is a fantastic mum.

He remains curious but wary of folk.  He will find his bravery soon.  It is not for us to force ourselves upon him – we have to wait for our invitation.

Hjalti is very fond of his Nuncle Fákur (pronounced Fow-ker).  Fákur frá Stóra-Vatnsskarði is a 24 year old gelding from Iceland.  We has lived with us for many years and was the stalwart of our trekking centre when it was in existence. He a dear boy who is in much deserved semi-retirement now.

Fákur will look after little Hjalti and teach him all he needs to know about being an all round (quite literally) jolly good bloke.

I think all the grown-ups in the herd are in charge of looking after the little squirt really.  Thank goodness Hetja has finally seen sense and given up the over-protective dragon behaviour.

Daisy was off the boat this morning (Aberdeen to Lerwick).  She has travelled home from Norway.

We went to see her favourite girl (after BeAnne).

Lyra

As ever, they were very pleased to see each other.

BeAnne was less enthusiastic than Daisy to see Lyra but, to be fair, she didn’t snap and had perfect manners, for a change.

Sometimes BeAnne has a huge sense of humour failure.

Flossie spent her time talking to Vitamin, Lyra’s Mum.

Like I often say, there is nothing better than a Shetland pony nosey kiss!  I am sure it has  magical, if not healing, powers and is considered the best therapy in the world.

(though BeAnne may well disagree)

My weekly flute lesson was this morning.  Afterwards Flossie and I went into town to do some messages.

I visited a lovely little shop that sells my photos as cards amongst many other gorgeous Shetland gifts.

It is always great to see my work in print and apparently the cards are selling very well.

And then we spotted Fivla as a jigsaw puzzle (and I think they have other ones too but they were on re-order due to their huge popularity).

This afternoon, once home, I went to Sandness for my other task I had been meaning to do but keep forgetting – to put Sudocrem on Hetja’s poor sunburned nose.  Every time I see her I remember and then instantly forget to do anything about it.

Hetja and her friends were at the top of a 130m hill called The Spinner (so that was my exercise for the day – here is the view).

I lugged my camera with the pot of cream in my pocket.

Hetja was not very impressed with her cream and rushed off in a rage but I intend to treat her daily until her sunburn calms down.  I hope she comes down the hill occasionally.

I had brought her a carrot but she had left before I could give it to her.  Funnily enough, a friendly little Shetland pony arrived so I wiped my hands on him and gave him the carrot to say thank you.

Once Hetja and Hjalti had calmed down, I managed to take some photos of them.

Hjalti is very gorgeous and his nosey looks unscathed by the sun.  I doubt I would get cream near that.

Today, imagine if you will, that I took superb photos of Taktur loose lungeing with Storm around the school (oooh).

Then, onto Sandness to watch some stunning black Shetland mares in a very impressive Shetland landscape meet up with another mare.  They ran majestically together across the horizon, stood and faced us with their manes blowing beautifully in the wind (aaah).

Afterwards we went to see Hetja and Hjalti.  He was asleep and Hetja allowed me to approach him. This was the closest I have ever been to him.  Hjalti then got up trotted, tölted lightly, legs high and dance daround us like Nureyev.  I snapped away happily (cor).

And I think it was at this stage that I noticed I had no memory card in my camera…….

(I may have said a rude word or even two or three).

So imagine, if you will, because you aren’t going to ever see the ruddy photos.

To make up for this terrible situation (which will never happen again as I put a memory card in every car glove compartment just in case), here are some pathetic photos of the Northern Lights that I took a few nights back.  I would like you to know that I suffered for these photos.  The midges were out in force. I had also drunk copious amounts of Maotai that rendered me utterly useless – even with a memory card in this time, it was no use as I had forgotten how the ruddy camera worked.

Is that Mars in the sky (or is Venus)?

And the Plough (I always like to find it as it is the only star constellation I know!)

And so to bed as the Aurora vanished, the effects of the Maotai wore off and suddenly I remembered how to focus and set my camera.

Storm has a secret life.  He invented it all by himself – a regular Walter Mitty (obviously the Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff version and not the new one – there, I’ve said it!)

Everyday Storm waits patiently with Taktur and I let them both out of the field, feed them Handsome-Prince food (I remain deranged but optimistic for Storm), and they go into the Fat Field – the one with lots of grass.

Obviously, this is not enough for Storm.  No, he wants more.  So everyday, he crawls under the fence into a huge field full of thick lush green grass.  But being a pony of very little brain and, because he can, Storm crawls under another fence via the burn (stream to you) into this field.

I have no idea why he does it but he does.  He stays here, happily stuffing, until I call him and with that he comes trotting enthusiastically up.

This is his silly-billy face and hairdo.

And this is his concentrating face.  He will be using this one if he ever gets near a show ring (no chance).

And so I open the gate back into the field where there is less grass but more friends.  Being Storm, he takes provisions because you just never know.

Being Storm, though, he is easily distracted by a small piece of rope.  Like I said, a pony of very little brain.

Eventually, Storm remembers why the gate is open and goes through to the field with less grass but where the Fatties live.

Storm is such a darling little character, he doesn’t instantly bugger off and we have a nose kissey en route. I tell him he is very speshul every day.

Having established just how special he is, Storm then armed with confidence and derring-do, makes his way carefully to find the rest of his herd.

Everyday, it is the same routine.