572

No idea.

Nope, can't remember. Something to do with a coow. That one on the right. It had a happy ending - whatever was happening. Trust me.

571

If you are a duck - and I'll make it plain here, I am not a duck. Not that I know of mind. Not really sure what a duck sees in the mirror. I could be a duck after all. Or a swan :-)
If you area  duck, then the mess left by Messers Piggies is a delightful mess that one can enjoy. I think I detected a smile on this ducks face.

570

See, placid as anything these coows of Mr Crofter Sir. Especially when they are sitting own and you don't go too near little Doonray/Doogray/calflette.

569

Have no idea what has been going down at The Croft. Probably something like this snap - nothing much but controlled chaos. Nearly controlled anyway. I had a visitation from Mr Zoot & Sweep who brushed the inside of my chimneys out and I had other important things to do - although for the life of me I can't remember what  those important things were. It didn't involve a visit to The Croft though.

568

Young Tolsta Doonray/Doogray/Dougray or whatever - and Mum. All very happy thank you. No flowers please

567

This is not as good as anything Mr James Ravilious ever took all those years ago. But if you like rural photography and the delights of Devon then check out his work. Mr Crofter Sir likes his work too and, I am influenced by his wonderful work - although obviously not half as talented as he was.

Still, this is Mr Crofter Sir putting the battery into the baby tractor ready to take to straw stuff to the coows to eat. The coows that are not indoors that is.

566

I know I'm late to the game but this is Wee Donald and his mum and aunt. Doing what coows and coowlettes do.

565

There's another little being down on The Croft. Four legs, black and white with a name of Tolsta Doonray/Dougay/ Dunthat. Something like that anyway. The Crofter mumbled something about names and children when I asked him about the cowlettes name. No idea.

Should have called him Tolsta Brian. I told The Crofter that. Took not a jot of notice!

Apologies for the snaps. Had a plastic Holga 'camera' with me!

564

The wee feathered occupants of The Croft are having a fine old time at the moment enjoying the sunshine and the lack of a howling gale.

And Mum Crofter is enjoying the drying weather too - if only Widdle wouldn't eat whatever is on the line !

563

Not sure what's going with the coows as they are no more new coowlettes to speak of as I write. They are looking a bit sheepish - if that's possible so not quite sure what the coows have arranged between them.  They allowed me a little snap up. And here it is;

That's Ruby giving me the eye!

562

That's Mum Crofter and a piglette keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't trash the joint. Actually, piglette does a fine job of trashing the place itself. Just scratching itself on a fence post is likely to lead to the post's imminent destruction.

561

Yes, yes it was the birth day of The Crofter yesterday or the day before or something. Just 48!
Got my ear bent and everything for not doing a birthday shoot with the great man. I shan't tell you who bent my ear but if Gemma does it again, there's no telling what might or might not happen.

Here's a snap I took earlier with The Crofter and his Dad, Dad Crofter. They kindly loaned  me a power washer to wash the bottom of our little boat  that he had kindly towed back from the water last year. How kind is that? Very.

560

Yes, there is another gale here today. Seems to have got stuck here and everything. Mind you yesterday was nice, sunshine and all that.

But, seeing The Crofter doesn't want his bins scattered in The Minch, Dad Crofter ties them down - or puts a brick on them. Or Both. Yes, both is best.

559

Did I say the weather is getting better? No, you imagined that. It isn't/ It's not snowing either but it did try to yesterday. But I think you all deserve to see how brave that nice Dad Crofter is.

I notice an upsurge in visits to this blog. Why are you coming here? Nothing to see here, move right along now.

558

Just a quick update; Tolsta Brian is not Brian at all. I'm told in honour to a fine neighbour who passed away recently, the little handsome calflette is called Wee Donald which I for one think is just wonderful.

I salute Wee Donald with a snap of the Brave Crofter Sir, him of the committees and what have you, taking his life in his hands to lay new straw from Wee Donald and his stroppy mum.

557

I'm beginning to think Mr Crofter has established an illicit stash of chocolate in that there shed theng. Goes in there, shuts the top door and shuffles around a bit looking like he is working sort of thing. I hope Gemma isn't reading this. Just saying.

556

Mr Crofter Sir, him of the committees and what have you has been drooling over the tractors and what have you on his crofty thing as the Men build the big shed. Yes, the snow has gone and we have a day of sunshine - mostly - apart from the rain. The legs are up now. The legs of the shed that is.

The ducks are happy too. Mr Crofter gave them back their pondette - once the water had melted!

555

Them piggies were none too keen to their image purloined by your diarist or by Lurcrecia Olivia Flynn Hunter. None too keen on the white cold stuff or the noise from the man who is building the new over-large shed on the croft. None too keen at all.

554

BTW; before I forget there's another johnny-come-lately blog about The Croft run by The Crofter imself. Not that you can believe much of it mind - sounds too good to be true if you ask me. Colour digital imaging though - if you like that sort of thing. Look here

Obviously, if you want the unadulterated 'truth' and monochrome film-based images with an informative commentary you'll continue coming here.

The Crofters were visited by the talented Lucrecia Olivia Flynn Hunter, a Cornish photographer documenting the latest in crofter fashion. Obviously, it was David she turned to and here we can see the shoot progressing as David models his latest hat creation donned especially to celebrate the arrival of Tolsta Brian -  some little calflette - the other day. David also sports a warm survival suit to keep the winter gales at bay. David like animals and helping old people. [I hope he likes helping old people as I need to move the boat in the morn!]