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12 o'clock it was. Nearly anyway. Might have been just after as I was rather late in getting up on the 25th. Our Cat- HHHCB - is less insistent about getting up earlies on Christmas morn.

We'd just arrived at The Crofter to give our good cheer only, I didn't have much to give. What with all the wind of late and my dose of grumps that day - probably caught from the Crofter the day before if the truth was to be known - I was dragging my knuckles on the ground and being generally miserable. That soon changed when I saw the spread on the table and the smiling inhabitants of The Croft. And proper Crofter [with an English lilt] food too. Cake and more cake. See the top snap, Mr Crofter is carving a slice of iced Christmas Cake for his delectation. Oh, and in the other snaps too. I'm sure it was a nice cake. The coconut things that looked like mince pies were I can assure you.

Apparently this was mid-morning break. The animules didn't get it mind you. Just them Crofters. Oh, and Eve and I.

Slight apologies for the snap typatery. I was using a little point and shoot Pentax camera I'd acquired for a song and which kept flashing inside the house. The film was old traffic surveillance film I got from Germany. I managed to open the back of the camera by mistake in the light when the roll of film hadn't gone back into the cassette so developed the film in print developer as it's cheaper and quicker as I thought the snaps would be ruined. They were not as it happened - although maybe lacking the subtle tonality of my usual offerings :-)

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Away in a manger, the Crofter is slumped
Too tired to sleep so there he is dumped

The stars in the panto down in Stornoway
Know nothing of the Crofter laying down in the hay.

I could go on but won't. I'll spare you all the trouble.

 Mr 'cool' David Crofter Dad

 Mr Crofter surveys all that haunts him

 Mrs 'Keeps them all in order' Sue Crofter Mum practices her charades in front of the discerning hamsters

Mr 'thank goodness I'm too old' Turk scurries away from Dad Crofter. 

Instead I shall pass on good wishes from The Crofter, the crofter's Mum & Dad [and Turk]. They hope you all have a wonderful 2014- as I do.

And thanks for visiting the blog this year.

.

415

The Crofter is pleased as punch for the Royal visitor.

Her Highness Henrietta Cartier-Bresson paid a visit to the Croft - as she does regularly I'm told. Only this time she followed me down the road to keep me company and protect me from the ravages of the animules and The Crofter. Respectfully she stayed outside the perimeter gate and watched as I fended off the beasts.

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The Crofter was happy this morning. For some reason. It might have been the hired hand who was on the premises humping 'stuff' here and there and generally being a nice chap. Mr Crofter was thinking about the tooths he had to be making later on and Dad Crofter was sweeping hay from the ground. The soggy sheeps who has been around the place the last few days couldn't be bothered to eat it.

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Oh joy of joy. The shovelling of the smelly stuff out of the hutches has proven beneficial with a plethora of little piglings running hither and thither around the place, eating The Crofter out of house and home. Two lots of piglings as it happens. Two extra loads of smelly stuff too.

They are lovely though. Tis a pity they don't stay like that - all small and cudley. Could fit a couple of them mantle-shelf here to hold the books up. Though thinking on, they books may go haywire - or get eaten.

The geeses are still shouting at everyone who comes within earshot - and some who don't. Anyone want a goose for Yuletide lunch? I'll get the little b***ers quiet somehow.

Dad Crofter is smiling on - as usual.