The Minions have not been forgotten, just left to their own devices, which is fairly dangerous but I am a trusting type.

As our visitor is on the boat south tonight, we offered her a last Minion Moment.  I love the way Tiddles is standing as if he is trying very hard to be a big boy, a speshul soldier all growed up!

Waffle and Storm could not resist taking off to play.  Note Storm has Waffle’s tail in his mouth.  To be honest, I am surprised any of them have any fur, mane or tail left.

We stood back and watched from a distance as they enjoyed annoying each other.

Playing has increased ten-fold this time of year.  A belly full of grass and feeling warm(ish) results in chasing each other and lots of playing.  You can see them on the horizon zipping past going in one direction and then, seconds later, coming back at full speed.

The big boys don’t mind at all and it is good for them to have the Minions in their field.  I think it keeps them grounded and gives everyone a sense of perspective.  Sometimes they all join in or gallop off to start their own games.

It is good to see my boys so happy.

Today was windy but possibly the last dry day for a while (rain is forecast for the rest of my life, I think).

Strike while the iron is hot was our phrase of the day so, having given our visitor, Becky, two riding lessons this week in the indoor school, we threw her on Iacs and decided to take her out for a ride in a howling gale. Like you do.

The ride started badly when we immediately found a small hill lamb loudly protesting that he was stuck in the netting of the electric fence (not on).  So Daisy and I jumped off, I took the horses, flung their reins over a fence post, gave Iacs “The Look” (stay put or die) and helped Daisy cut the lambie out of the fence.  He skipped ungratefully off never looking back and Daisy and I remounted.

So we were going along the road, when I looked behind me and decided that one of Becky’s stirrups was shorter than the other.  I am great believer in setting folk up to succeed so I dismounted and stupidly trusted Haakon to wait while I sorted out Becky’s stirrup.

Haakon assessed the situation and buggered off.  It was a rookie mistake by me. This is not the first time he has done this and I should’ve known.

Feeling cross, I sent Daisy/Kappi off to catch Haakon while I walked at Iacs’ head so he wouldn’t go after Daisy.  He has been known.

Haakon was caught and I remounted again and Haakon minced furiously all the way out and all the way back.

But it was a lovely, if windy, ride and we got home safely and in one piece so that, to me, is the very definition of success!

As the weather was fairly grotty and it was obviously not a day to ride, we took our visitor to Sumburgh Head to see the puffins.

I took a few photos, as ever, but having gone through my pics, I decided to choose only the comedic or unusual ones.

The first thing that struck me was the puffins’ inability to fly with any grace or beauty.  They resemble Thunderbird 5 or the Vogon Constructor Fleet – “they hung in the air in much the same way that bricks don’t” (Douglas Adams, my hero).

Aww, bless them for trying! And try they do, endlessly either throwing themselves at cliffs in the hope they will land or just hover waiting for an opportunity to drop to earth.  It is not elegant.

Serious Puffin

Professional Puffin

Clockwork Puffin

Yoga Puffin

Wind-Beneath-My-Wings Puffin

No-Beak Puffin

Open-Wide Puffin

Pretty Puffin

and best of all, Grubby Puffin!  He’d been diggin’ his burrow and was happily going back and forth enjoying the mud.  Everyone else was spotless but him.

Puffins are funny little guys and always make me smile.  For such a grotty weathered day, we struck gold with our puffins coz we are nuffin’ without a puffin!

Rebuilding a Safer Nepal is a very special project to me.  Run by my dear friend, Jackie Taylor, who has lived in Nepal for many years, I want to do my best to fundraise.  When we went, a few years back, we were made welcome and had the best time.  I will never forget.

So I have decided to offer up for grabs, what I consider to be, one of my best photos in all its full glory, without a watermark to everyone who donates any amount of money to Rebuilding a Safer Nepal. Any amount will help, small, big, middle-sized, just please help.  It will make a difference.  Once you have donated, feel free to download the photo.

For the blog, my photos are usually watermarked and in a much smaller version but you are getting the original in all its full glory.

(if you would prefer an original of some other photos I have taken, please email me at frances@fstaylor.co.uk and I will send it to you).  

Click here to download the photo.

and a huge Thank You x

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Meanwhile, we have had some lovely days playing with Bergli Stud’s foals.  They are enchanting and we are all very smitten.  Here are a few of my better photos.

I don’t think I can love foals enough.  They are so cuddly and very comical.

Also, Lambie is doing very well.  He is almost twice the size than he was and he has started to run about resembling a baked bean fired out of a baked-bean-sized canon!  He remains a sweetheart, still lying in my arms in the evening while we watch telly.

I wonder whether he will stop this when he is a full-grown sheep?  He will, of course, be known as Lambie!

We have a guest so we are doing the tourist routes for her, showing her the sites of Shetland.  I happened to mention the chance of seeing seals and was greeted with huge enthusiasm, so we set off to Little Bousta, Sandness after checking ponies and horses.

There was some quantity of seals all basking and sunbathing along the shoreline

They were fantastic, ungainly and every single one reminded us of our late lamented beloved cats, Fatsworth, who was the World’s Fattest Orange Cat in his day.

A Shetland ewe and her twin lambs were wandering along the shore eating seaweed.

The seals were not scared of us humans sitting in our car, taking photos, but to them the sheep and her offspring were too much and they fled or gallumphed into the sea.

I managed to make a short film – enjoy. I think the music is fitting.

Seals are not very good at ballet – just an observation!

Tomorrow …….. foals and bribery!

This has to be one of the best foal photos I have ever taken, if I do say so myself.

So……

Do you like this photo?
Would you like a copy of this photo?
For keeps, Forever?
No watermark, in all its full glory
Yours to do with whatever you want?

Watch this space (ok, tomorrow’s space actually)