Evening all - Hope you have all enjoyed St Stephen's Day and that bargains were had in Sales and mental Utonagan's have stopped running around in the snow. Moyra - think you have the right idea, if I had any sense I'd be popping off to bed early as well! Lynn - sounds as though your Mum is rallying, but it's you and the family that are fading with the continual to-ing and fro-ing. The weather here is dreadful, since 7pm it has been "Snailing" that peculiar mix of Snow, Rain and Hail coming down at a 45degree angle and driven by a strong northerly wind. Everyone has their stock close to home so should present little by way of problems apart from the cold and inconvenience. Spent the day being horrid to pheasants, was invited to the usual Boxing Day shoot, cocks only day, to reduce the male population in readiness for the Spring and the coming round of the breeding season, only one male bird is required for each group of girls, so this reduces pressure, from territorial squabbles etc, and leads to a healthier wild population. Also this now means there will be several large cock pheasants in my freezer awaiting my pleasure. Took my old girl Gypsy with me to pick up, gets you strange looks from anyone who doesn't know you, big brindle lurchers stand out a touch amongst the gundogs. Doubts are soon put to one side for when the work starts she is proficient in the extreme and a match for some or most of the expensively produced and highly trained animals on display. I like this a lot, makes me extremely smug to say the least, but do try not to let it show. As an added bonus it does go hand in glove with my reputation for being a little, shall we say, eccentric!!! Something which I do nothing to attempt to dispel, as I rather relish it!!!How naughty of me, I know, but one must take one's pleasures where one may. See you all later (if there's anybody about) so it's bye fer now.

Its been nice up to the snow/sleet episode Gordon, lovely day to be out on the moors, not for the said male pheasants of course! How amazing Gypsy is, and why not be Different, you may well start a new fad lol. Found Cariad AND Keshi out in it a bit ago, Cariad carrying a large ancient marrowbone, I think she's losing the plot poor old thing. So off I went outside again, waved the sweeping brush at them this time and they looked suitably chastened as they scurried back in before said brush met their btms. Outside light has gone out now, so the bulb must have gone, and NOT going out in this to change it either!!!!

We weren't actually on the moor today, June, we were shooting in the woods on the Greenfield to Holmfirth side. As we are mostly open moor at home there is nowhere for the pheasants to roost or take cover really, so all we have is the Red Grouse and I don't let anybody on shooting, so they have a somewhat charmed existense! Have a few pheasant near the house but they are as tame as chickens, so they get left alone too. The trouble with having a dog like Gypsy is that by comparison all the others seem to come up short, for one reason or another. Fagin is too mean, Scout, too blerdy daft and the new girl Tess although coming along really very well, still has an awful long way to go. Gypsy is also 8 years old now and so cannot have much more of a working life left, hopefully though, with care she should still have many happy years ahead as a companion, I would feel truly strange going round the place without her, she is my ever present shadow, always there but never in the way, continually attentive, it's hard to think of her ever doing anything that displeased me in any way throughout her adult life. So as a No 1, will be hard to replace. Thoughts on Cariad and the ancient marrowbone - perhaps with the snow she was thinking of instituting a Curling Competition of sorts, she must have imagined when you came out with the brush you were to be the Sweeper ! LOL! Think you're very wise to leave the changing of light bulbs til daylight offers you alittle assistance.

June - sorry about the weird post - thought I'd lost it and re-started as you can see! Apparently not - my computermybob must be taking the Mickey! For want of a better expression.

Got a good covering of snow here now, wonder if it will last or be gone in the morning.

Just edit out the stuff you dont want or I'll do it for you if you want

Have tried to edit out the top paragraph which I had somehow duplicated, but it keeps coming back on - would be obliged if you could do the honours, June. Thank you

Wilco over and out lol

Mission accomplished! Merci beaucoup! Ta mutchly!

eeeet vas nozzing