429

Do you know this fella? You should do if you live on t'island and everything. He's the man with the long rubber gloves and a ready smile. Hector Low is his name and he is the main vet man on the island - along with his merry band of underlings who trim the this and that on animules bits. Just arrived down The Croft in time to miss young Mr Low finishing up after de-knackering the little piggies - or whatever it's called. Apparently they were none too pleased and it even made The Crofter's eyes water.

I was rather pleased to be down at The Croft later than usual.

428

Pre Pate' material I hope. Even though I don't eat meat.

After all, they are eating the blasted things on the island - Goose curry I believe.

427

The Chinese made tractor thing was minus a front wheel for a few days recently. Apparently, the front offside [no, not that side!] tyre was flatter at the bottom than at the top which meant a less than effecient backward and forward movement of the poor thing.

Soon Dad Crofter had taken the wheel off the beast and I found him in the warmish shed next door to the tooth factory wrestling the inner tube out. Once out, the cycle tyre repair kit came in handy to smother the tube with patches. When one patch won't stop the leak..........

426

Mr Crofter looks very sophisticated here. I think the future is catching with him or something. Thoughts of holidays with a 'friend', business matters, a new barn, a vehicle that goes most days and people who rely on him.

I rely on him to be honest. Where else might I go to take endless snaps of animules and mud? Eh. Tell me that. I think I might 'do' another booklet of him - for the masses and whoever. His fans and everyone. They must be out there somewhere.

425

The Crofter is happy. Write it in your diary now! Well he was happy yesterday when I paid a little visitation cameras in hand and all that. Found the fine fellow singing to hmself or maybe he was singing to Shawn - who knows. He seemed happy all the same as he shovelled sh, sh,,, stuff out of the back of partially collapsed pig-hutch on account of said piggies eating the walls, leaning and goodness knows what else on them.

Look there's the Crofter serenading Shawn / Shaun with snatches of Iron Maiden or something as melodic as the chicks/Ducks scurry away in fright. I do hope Ms Gemma doesn't read this or else The Crofter might be in deep doodoos. Ah well.

Look how happy the man is. For a Man he is. It might have been a tad dark this day - mid-morning and the day hadn't brightened much. In fact it didn't brighten much at all all day.

And there's Shawn/Shaun looking Very pleased with his lot as he helped shovel the stuff from the pig-hutch and everything.

Oh happy days

424

Sorry for doubting you. I thought there must be someone looking at this stuff from time to time. I know I do.

I found these little gems in my 'archives' - an uncut and uns-canned neg rescued from under the settee in the summer parlour. It's where the best snaps mature it seems.

From a fank gatheration in the village last year. Mr whoever with his invisible sheepscat herding his flock to the pens out behind the village, A fine day and a fine gatheration of village personages.

Coming from over the school side down to the fank and the shed thing. Where The Crofter might have been. I really can't remember whether he and Pater Crofter had arrived at this point. I might well have given up waiting and everything. Not that The Crofter is ever late - must have been VERY busy.

423

Is there anyone out there still reading this stuff? I mean, I religiously post every now and again even when nothing much happens. I trot off down the road and say "bonjour Mhah" to The Crofter, nod sagely to Dad Crofter and have a chat to Mum. Tickle turks head, scratch the piggies, grumble at the geeses who shout and scream in return. Step in poo, struggle with the gates, fall over a less then strategically placed rock, get rained on, chat and from time to time take a snap for your delectation. Actually I take a few snaps but you don't always get to see them here. I'm not going to show you my 'best' ones am I?

Anyway, the little piglings stood still long enough for me to take a portrait and now they want to know if anyone cares about them Eh? Do write and I'll let them know you care about their plight.

422

Such a lovely morning today. Dad Crofter was in the kitchen reading about bumblefoot. The turkey mum has it, not him. Still, makes a mid-morning break go well as Mum Crofter is in toown having her hair done and The Crofter is in the tooth factory. A cup of tea on ones own is just not the same without some facinating reading matter.

421

I found Shaun outside The Croft just about to continue his days work for The Crofter. Shaun lives down there by the sea at the top of the cliff sort of place, looking out over The Minch towards the mainland. He's a fine lad who has been helping The Crofter with the heavy work while The Crofter sits in his nice warm tooth factory earning the money.

There's the pile of chippings Shaun is gradually moving from here - Goose Alley - to the coow shed. It least it was the coow shed but now the coows live out on the apportionment and lots of the other animules - two and four legged - have lived there from time to time. And that's the tooth factory on the right - with the bags of stuff on the roof to stop it flying away in the winds we have. It wasn't always like that and The Crofter has the broken window in the hoose to prove it. The coow shed has had the muck shovelled out of it now and the chippings - soon to be hammered down - made the place look nice  and tidy. I just hope The Crofter doesn't decide to get some tall coows.

420

Thoughtful at The Crofters.

Victor, GZ and Mum Crofter.

419

The Crofter is a happy bunny at the moment. The sheeps are settling well - despite an unset tummy or two. But he's off on his hols soonish. Going somewhere cold and dark - just for a change.

Yes that's smile. No wind this time. No wonder, Lucy the Land-Rover has been sold, the other one as well. The quad started just third time of asking, he has enough money-making work and he's going on his hols with someone nice.

Just hope he brings me back some air-dried stockfish or whatever they do out 'there'.

418

See, they are still here. Playing with the sheeps and everything. Some have a runny bottom I'm told - too good a diet or something. Messy anyway.

But Mr Crofter and family are there to sort things out and get the sheeps back to full wooliness. Luckily Kate was there too the add her 3p worth into the fray. Happy 2014 everyone.