Tag Archives: Shetland Autumn

Definitely Autumn

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It is definitely Autumn now. It smells like Autumn. It feels like Autumn and the garden has quickly departed from it’s hanging-onto-the-last-of-summer mode and moved swiftly to Autumn. There will soon be dead leaves everywhere too.

I used to say Autumn was my most favourite month in Shetland but I think I am changing my mind. These days I prefer Spring.

In Shetland dialect, the word Hairst is used = n – the harvest; the work associated with that season. Da hairst’ll shön be comin on, wi aa hit’s wark; autumn. Dey mairried ida hairst.

Anyway, I had finished my afternoon chores (sheep coming home, haynets out for the ponies and giving the ducks and hens their tea-time grain), when I saw someone lurking and looking hopeful – Iacs.

So I turned around and went to the kitchen for some carrots.  Five, to be precise.

I mean, I couldn’t exactly walk away and give that hopeful little face nothing.

Everyone had one carrot and that was the ration.

But the little face refused to give up. Ten out of ten for perseverance.  The others had looked slightly surprised but grateful.

I went back inside the house hoping Iacs won’t starve to death over night.

A Huddle of Horses and Ponies

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Today was much calmer, weather-wise.  Phew.

It makes a huge difference to everyone when the weather is nice. Everyone can regroup from the past few days.

I was on dog-walking duty this morning, so decided to incorporate an electric fence check as well.  I like to know there are no bad bits or problems as there are a certain five Shetland ponies who will know in an instant and then take full advantage.

Upon my return from the fence-check-dog-walk, I found all the horses and ponies together, which was interesting considering the big ones have absolutely no interest in the little ones.  I know this because the minute they were all in the same field together when it snowed earlier in the year, Kolka, Haakon and Iacs behaved about as badly as anyone can.  Rotten dinosaurs.

Luckily for everyone at the moment there is a fence separating both herds.

I won’t lie – I am dreading winter. I hope it is kind to us and all the animals get through it. I am trying to be prepared as much as possible and thinking ahead with supplies and stores.. It can be very tough on the animals, especially if they hate going inside.

(though Vitamin and Fivla love going inside.)

As it was now a flat calm, I gave the Shetland ponies a treat. They had their two haynets emptied out so they could stuff their little faces.

No one needed asking twice if they wanted this.

And there was a lot of shovelling accompanied by happy munching sounds. Very satisfying.

We are reaching the time of year when we take every day as it comes and adapt accordingly.  That’s all we can do.

An Indian Summer

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I’m running late today with writing the blog. Apologies, but I was talking to two friends overseas – (they know who they are but it’s my fault for not being more organised).

Anywho, today was another beautiful day and it was my turn to walk the dogs. I took them out and visited the old horses and ponies. We call days like these “an Indian Summer”.

Fivla didn’t want to talk to me mostly because I had told her to leave her wee shed and go out and enjoy the day.  She grudgingly left, probably muttering but she had been inside for a good 3 hours first.  You have to make the most of days like these now.

Vitamin was already out and about and enjoying the autumn sunshine.

She came up for a chat and I admired her always gorgeous “teddy-bear ears”.

There’s still lots of grass and everyone was making the most of it.

Vitamin is looking nice and round, storing fat ready for the winter onslaught.

I don’t want Fivla to get any fatter and I told her this which added to her grump.

This lot will probably stay in this big field for another month or so, and then the little Shetland ponies will go in for winter because it will already be nicely grazed down.

The old Icelandic horses were further along in the field.  Again, they are all looking good now.

And everyone’s winter coats are starting to come in too.

Not going to lie, I am dreading winter.