342

There was a pile of gravel stuff waiting down there where I sometimes put the shoppe van if Mr Crofter is driving it next day. Big and huge it was.

The Piggies, coows and whoever have made such a mess of the ex-lawn, now renamed the muddy-bit, that a new layer of harder stuff needs to be laid. Otherwise one day I shall arrive and find The Crofter up to his oxters in the smelly stuff, bucket of mash still in his hand with the piggies shouting all sorts of obcenities at him through the thankfully intact fence. Imagine!

No, Best not.

Here it is;

It needs to be over there [pointing down the road just beyond 'the pile of gravel', round the corner, past the hoosey and near the piggie hutches. If that's possible]

341

Here she is, the lovely Lolita and her proud young mother Esme in their free home today. Or maybe it was yesterday. It alls runs into one day when the sun shines so much. That's how it is here - paradise pretty well. I mean, I don't want to rub it in or anything but there's hardly been a breath of wind for,,, well, days. A week even. The sun has shone too. The temperature has shot up over 5c on some days - the warmest in the UK I'm told. And now we have the lovely Lolita to marvel at. What more can one ask for?

340

The Crofter boys were out on the apportionment recently, stretching the wire stuff between the wooden straight bits. Obviously, as yet this is not a real Hebridean fence where the wooden posts would be lazily swinging on the wire in the wee breeze. Just give it some time.

Nice spot out there though - up behind a hoosey over-looking the Minch and what have you. If bored, the coows will at least be able to watch Europe's navys playing at war from time to time.

Of course the sheeps are still down on the bit of slightly grassy land above the beach down the road. Really enjoying the fine weather they are too. They too have a fine view over the Minch - and hopefully, none of them will take a closer look having fallen off the cliff. They wouldn't be the first ones!

339

Yes, we have not gone away or given up - though it's tempting what with this and that. And the geese. Can't get near The Croft before them three [remaining ] geese are barking at me, making threatening runs at me and what ever. I've taken countless recipes down for goose pie/curry/etc but they still survive!

Since the last posty thing,  another calf has arrived - Lolita is her name and snaps will be posted once I have them,.. She is lovely I can tell you and her mum - Esme - is doing fine despite having the indignity of having the little lady pulled out from her nether end with ropes and things.

And the apportionment is being fenced. Lots of posts and wire encapsulating a fine piece of bog with the off bit of grass! Still, The Crofter and Dad Crofter are having fun and that's what counts.

338

I'm beginning to think that The Crofter is over-dished. I notice, with growing dismals, that there are now huge dishes up on the wall now. The first, I'm reliably informed by The Man himself, is so that he can watch Liverpool FC get beaten yet again.  "It's the only pleasure I have" I seem to recall a mantra oft chanted round these parts.

Only it isn't. Because now The Crofter has some proper satellite thing for the tinternet thing. The local system for getting the bits to ones house is expensive and slows remarkably as the evening progresses. One cannot see vids as the thing is far too pedestrian when it is going at all. But The Crofter now has a direct connection to some celestial object that beams the digital data straight to his flap top - fast. Eh?

Such a tart that Crofter.

337

Gap where tiles should be

There were ladders up. On the roof, shy men below. Looking at the ladders and the roof. The Crofter's roof.

One of the shy men had been up looking at the roof since a few tiles flew off in that windy night we had a few days back. Mr Crofter looked out to see his tiles flying past the window and decided that wasn't where they should be. So he got 'men' in. Shy men.

Tiles on ground, not roof.

The hole is covered up. Not completely mended but it will be soon - when the shy men come back. Then they will paint the roof.

Why? I wish I knew!

336

There he is! That's better.

Posed for me and everything the other day. On his best side, obviously.
Colla is his name. That's Tinga in the background - chillin after charging at me again and generally ruffling my feathers.

My hair anyway. It's alright now, I brushed it.