I would be lying if I said I stayed up all night to photograph the best aurora borealis to be seen in the UK for 40 years.

However, I did take a few photos last night, but it was blimmin’ cold and I was very tired.  I must’ve popped in and out to stand in the compost heap (in my slippers) at least 10 times last night but, to be perfectly honest, when it clouded over I gave up and went to bed instead  for warmth and comfort.  Seeing everyone’s photos this morning on social media made me realise it was glorious.

I might try again tonight but don’t hold your breath.

Anywho, this morning I was on my own. OH had an appointment in town first thing so he was long gone by the time I was feeding the animals.  There were lots of rainbows from the showers that interpersed my work so I kept stopping to take photos.

First up, were the Ancients (Icelandic horses) who OH is usually in charge of.  I never feed them. This is not my job so I was amazed at just how well behaved they all were.

I waited around while they ate their breakfast.

Luckily they just about all finished on time so there was no arguing.

And I was very impressed.  OH has them well trained.

After, I collected all the buckets and then went and did everything else – Shetland ponies, sheep fed, ducks second breakfast and put out to their field, etc…..  and lastly a cup of tea with Monster.

It has got a lot colder recently – 5℃ today with a bitter north wind which brings it down to -1℃ so I opened up a bit more of the track for the little ones.  They spotted me doing this and came rushing over en masse.

Silver was kindly waiting for Vitamin who didn’t want to leave the haynets.  Frustrated with her lack of speed, he gave up and cantered up the hill, along and around to join the others.

And then there were 8, when Vitamin realised she was on her own.

I think my current plan is to keep everyone at home for winter now.  The Shetlands will remain on the track and I will open up small areas of grazing each week so they get more fibre and still have access to the containers.  I am not rushing out to put on rugs either.  That’s what the containers are for.  The Icelandics are fat.  The no-ribs-kind-of-fat so they can stay out, rugless, in their field for a while too.  It has masses of shelter (old buildings) so they will be ok.

Anyway, finishing that job, I walked up the hill and mucked out the container area and track.  Grubby ponies, I thought to myself when I looked up to see a beautiful rainbow with the pot-of gold end landing on Clothie, my croft where the Icelandic horses currently live.

After lunch, I went to Turriefield to weigh, pack and label vegetables.  On my way home, I stopped to take this photo of Foula, just because it looked like a painting.

I’ve not done much today – just the usual, including labelling vegetables at Turriefield in the morning, making a sheep and mucking out the grubby little boys, and old ladies afterwards.  I have also prepared 7 haynets which will keep every going for a little while.

The weather is cold and there is a mean rather fresh north wind.  But it is nothing compared to my Florida friends who I worry for and I shall never complain about the Shetland weather again (but we all know I will).  I can’t imagine how we would survive what they are about to go through.  Thoughts and prayers don’t really seem enough. I keep going through the what-if scenario while tracking their hurricane.  I think it is different for us because a) no storm surge, and b) very little flying debris as we don’t have trees.  We do have the wind speed, though.

From Shetland.org  – “Unofficially, the RAF station at Saxa Vord in Unst holds the British wind speed record; a gust of 197 mph was recorded in 1992, after which the measuring equipment blew away…”

So these are just random photos from my quiet day.  Later, I will hang up haynets in the “red light quarter” of our croft, put the chickens and ducks to bed, finish making my unfinished sheep and transcribe another month of Aunt Kate’s diaries – 1939 so War has been declared and that, too, is very scary for the family.

Farrier today.

The big ones were brought up onto the track to wait politely.

And little ones stayed in the container paddock.

They all had hay and water but were bored.  Tough.  It’s not for very long, I told them.  I ask very little.

Albie spent his time chatting up Kolka.  He was quite smitten.  He likes an older lady.

Haakon politely ate individual stalks of hay at me in disgust that there was no grass to eat.

Pepper and I waited in the car as it was the warmest place.

Note the happy little tail!  She was squeaking with happiness when she saw the van appear.

Anyway, I lined up each pony, one at a time and Stephen got down to work.

(Is this not the cutest picture?)

Everyone behaved beautifully, walking in and out of the container – even Albie.  Not a single discussion.

There’s a farrier in the middle somewhere.  The container was considered a useful thing.  As each pony went in, but didn’t seem to want to leave, it even got quite warm.

Little ones all done an onto the big ones, who I led into the big shed.  Pepper was now wandering around with a towel on her – I have no idea why but she was perfectly happy trundling about narrowly missing being trodden on.

So that’s us until December – the last visit of the year.  9 horses/ponies trimmed and not a sign of laminitis, though Newt has a slight case of thrush in his frogs.  Our thanks, as ever, to Stephen.

We are not on mains drains and, every couple of years, a “scent bottle” (Mum’s name for it, not mine – she was similarly afflicted where she lived) comes to empty our septic tank.

And today was the day.

I did warn the accompanying gentlemen that there might be some “help” as they would have to cross the ponies’ track to get to the tank.

But I was assured that pony involvement would be fine.

Funnily enough, I was not convinced.

So while the men were busy emptying the tank (not much in as it is mysteriously very efficient), I dished out the last of the Turriefield mishapen carrots to distract any potential assistants.

Sadly, I didn’t have enough carrots for the time it took and, when Vitamin determinedly started walking down to tell them they were doing it wrong,  …….

…… I headed her off at the pass.

No one needs help from anyone, I told them.

So the ponies all went back to the task of eating their hay while the scent bottle escaped safely and unscathed.  Phew!