199

 Eve says hello to a Big Mac. "Tha gaol agam ort" snorts Mac

Pigs out, Crofter in the hutch

Maclaren had a visitor the other day. Took a nibble out of Eve's boot in the process too - which was rather ungrateful I think. Still, Eve didn't argue since Mac is rather stronger than she is. The Crofter was doing a house-swap for the day or something.

Meanwhile Hector was causing wild excitement in the village when the wheel fell of his trailer re-claimed from a croft somewhere. It was to replace the trailer whose wheel fell off the other day! Anyway, the kindly Crofter helped Hector move the stricken trailer to the side of the single-track road - along with a Alec Murray employee who happened to be stuck behind Hector at the time. They lifted up the trailer to see why the wheel fell off - and the other one came off too. Rust! Who'ed have thought it! Here ??

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 Views from Maclaren's hutch.

Maclaren, resting.

I don't have faith in Maclaren. He's definitely not F1 material - to be quite honest I'm not sure he would make it kart level either such is success in the manly department. There is some doubt as to whether the beast is shooting blanks or maybe he's withdrawing at the last moment to ensure he always has some business to attend to. Who knows? Not me that's for sure. at least he has some fine views from his hutch.
Maclaren is friendly though. Given half a chance he'll eat your wellies if you don't give him a scratch behind his ears. Eh?

197

 Dad Crofter playing in the poly-tunnel

While Donald four-tractors putt-putts by. Could almost be the opening scene from Blue Velvet :-) 

The weather has gone off a bit but some of the veg are in the veg-patch and loads in the polytunnel - the one that has the plastic on that is. Dad Crofter loves playing in the tunnel planting things, watering and all that. Keeps him out of trouble really. Meanwhile Donald four tractors putt-putts his way down his croft to do a spot of ploughing for the potatoes.

196

.. and obviously Mclaren needs a good scratch while he suns himself. Although I beginning to believe that he's not half so potent as Malcolm ever was.

195

I take it all back. The Croft was a hive of activity for some today. Duck was going quackers at Turk. Turk kept escaping to the veg patch where the Crofter's were planting things in the non-polyised polytunnel. The pigs were playing out in the pile of cow muck in the top of the croft while the coows were whinging from the bottom of the Croft. The sun was shining.

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I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea; that it's all graft, mud and an armpit up the nether end of a four legged beast. Once the tasks of the day are done, the coows,  sheeps, chickens, ducks, pigs and hamster are fed, the teeth made and the whinging done there's sometimes time for tea and a spot more whinging - especially when someone pops round to whinge at. And especially when the sun is shining - which it is. Lucy the Landrover is there too awaiting attention to her bits as it were while The Crofter family sit there looking at the remaining bit of grass. Lovely.

Oh, and there's four more sheeps due. Please hurry up.

194

" We are Coffee and Cream"

"I may be Nigel you know"

I've been busy. Peats and all that. The Crofter tells me he's been busy too but I caught him sat out in the sun with Mum & Dad Crofter fanning himself Royally with some envelope my dear Eve had given him. Tis true he's been pulling out lambs into a new world for them. and what a world it is at the moment [disregarding the marauding would-be MSPs/doom-mongers] dawn to dusk sunshine and warmth that soon sees the little lamblettes leaping around the croft as if they'd been watching Britain's got Lambs or something. As usual i've been frantically naming the little creatures since lamblettes with names stay around for a deal longer that those who just have ear-tags. Or so it seems.

There's a quartet of little white woolie 'bears' and some suspiciously wooolie black 'bears' too. A result of a visit of a  white woolie ram some time earlier. You can see Coffee and Cream and Nigel here. And Mum Crofter too.