40

Snow, straight road, crashed car.

[none hurt apparently and I wasn't driving when I took this]

Christmas has passed. The snow is still around since we had a nice dusting in the night and then it froze. As usual, there's people driving around the island like it was a hot summers day and I've seen two crashed cars near the village in two days. One would think that they've not seen snow before!Anyway, Mr Crofter is well used to the snow hailing from Yorkshire and all that. And since his chest is till coughing up the result of his flu, he is taking it easy and nestling up to the fire while eating our carrot cake. No doubt that'll be another week off!

Lets not forget Mr Crofter plus Mum & Dad crofter 'do' Christmas. There's even a nice tree in the window I noticed this morning as I lurked outside seeing if Mr crofter wa going to show himself. He did not.

39

Turk outside Turk Towers.

It's Turk, the male turkey who has been creating havoc yet again. Not sure if this was the result of an unsettling disappearance of one of their clan recently but it almost led to the demise of two more.

Turk has nice night time accommodation adjacent to the feed store where he roosts along with his progeny and partner. This accommodation has a lovely plastic roof to let the winter light in and, a 'perch' on which he settles for the night and from which Dad crofter lifts him down from in the morning.

Somehow, Turk took a flying leap [ more leap than flying on account of his bulk] at the perch and rather than land delicately on the middle section he thumped heavily on the end section sending the other end thrusting upwards and through the plastic roof. Turk was stuck wedged between thix and there and his progeny sent up and possibly up through the plastic onto the roof of the house where they seem to prefer living from thenceforth on. Dad Crofter removed a ruffled Turk from his predicament but the youngsters have yet to return to ground level.

38

The Crofter and family relax in Crofter Towers after feeding the animals and celebrating Christmas with a fine meal.

37

Mum Crofter doing all the work. Again

Flu has stricken The Crofter.

Mum & Dad Crofter have moved in so they can care for the ailing poor thing. I do know what he is going through since I may have given it to him in the first place!

Turkey numbers have dropped by one on the croft I'm informed. No doubt it's gone to meet its stuffing and will rise again in the morn.

All in all, I'm reliably informed it's been a good year at Crofter Towers and Paul, David and Sue would like to wish all the blog readers and friends a very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2010

36

You'll just have to use your imagination on this. I'm ill. Throat and all that. Nothing that a swig of night-nurse/single malt mix won't fix.

And I did venture out earlier anyway. Down to the croft, bravely picking my way down the snowy lane and managing not to fall over. I shot a couple of frames of the white stuff falling over the croft, croaked at The Crofter, drank his tea and came home.

Maybe it'll be better in the morn - and the snow might still be there.

Imagine this snap showing The Crofter knee deep in snow flakes being chased by a turkey - who, I might add is destined for the pot soon. And despite me being a vegetarian its not a moment too soon since the toe-rag has attacked me more than once.

Ok, its a rubbish snap but that's how I feel. Did you think this blog was about The Crofter??

But since you ask, The crofter was suppose to out celebrating a friends birthday in Stornoway tonight - he'll be orange from all the Irn Bru he'll be drinking. And he might have problems getting home since the snow is coming down harder now!!!

35

Sometimes, just sometimes, when the time is right, when the feed-up has been done and the throat is parched, one has to have a cup of tea. Mr Crofter Sir does.

34

It all started out so well.

"Oh botheration"

The guilty party is dragged to the Gulag

"Let me scratch behind your horns Rambo, you pain in the ........."

Rambo was in trouble today. Again. One moment he thought all his hogmanys had come at once and the next he was in solitary confinement.

It started on this lovely sunny morning - the warmest place in the Uk they said - and I can believe them. Mr Crofter Sir, went to feed up some sheeps in a croft he had been kindly given use of and found that the time had come to move them So, off went the little tribe led by the able Rambo who, obviously was keen to get back to normal surroundings.

Soon, the sheeps were in a holding field on the croft and it didn't take more than a mo before Rambo was chasing the young lambs that were already living there around intent on getting his manly way with them. "Oh botheration" said the Crofter. Or something like that. In a flash, Crofter Sir was in among his flock and grabbed a distracted Rambo by his everso slightly trimmed horn and dragged him into the cell thing. Rambo was not a happy bunny i can tell you. Or Ram come to that. But order was restored for the moment and a nice cup of tea was in order. So I left them to it and went and had one!