аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ   !"#$%&'(ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot EntryџџџџџџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2КЃ\ЫRШ)РCONTENTSџџџџ LCompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџVSPELLINGџџџџџџџџџџџџ8ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџress free because we decided not to go for the obligatory massive Christmas dinner because it would tie down one member of the adults in the kitchen for hours literally and as you know by the time you have finished preparing and cooking a huge meal you sit down to find out that you have absolutely no appetite at all. So we cooked a massive ham the night before, whilst drinking sparkling stuff, and also had an exceptionally lovely side of salmon from Rita McNabs, which we just nibbled at on the day. Opened presents, played games and watched some films and went to the pub!!! Well the Spiggie Hotel which is under new management by a Shetlander who had been living in Basel (Switzerland) for many years and decided to come home. He has big plans for developing the hotel which can only benefit the area and so it was very pleasant to walk into the little bar and see an oasis at the bar! A barrel of Timothy Taylor Landlord! There was Buck s Fizz being offered, made with proper champagne, which I declined because why drink water when you can have nectar! Wife had taken the 3Cs for a walk on the beach where the airport manager and his family were having a BBQ on the beach and one of his sons was swimming!! (you might be under the impression that our Christmas Day was comparative to a day in the Bahamas!) It was actually a lovely dry day, the day before was absolutely dire and Boxing Day doesn t even get a mention because the weather was so dire. Anyway four pints of nectar later wife comes in with 3Cs and gets her Buck s Fizz and cokes (a treat once in a while) for the 3Cs and lots of our local acquaintances were there so it was very pleasant. Closing time came, only open for two hours but a pleasant time, and we went home for ham and chips. The usual amount of preseCHNKWKS LјџџџџTEXTTEXTм=FDPPFDPP@FDPCFDPCBSTSHSTSHDSTSHSTSHD2SYIDSYIDPDSGP SGP dDINK INK hDBTEPPLC lDBTECPLC „DFONTFONTœD<STRSPLC иD:PRNTWNPREPFRAMFRAMbIˆTITLTITLъIDOP DOP J"inished preparing and cooking a huge meal you siJANUARY 2008 DIARY Happy New Year everyone! I have not been quite on the ball straight away as though I did have plans to write something almost straight away there were plenty of distractions to take me away from the task of preparing this monthly epistle. Truly awful weather first just last week, wind speeds of over 70 miles per hour but the sea swell was 9 metres high! This, as some rather elderly locals on the East side of the Mainland in Levenwick which is three miles from us in Bigton (we are on the West side) who have lived there all their lives, said that this was unprecedented and they had never ever seen this before. There is a semi circle in the coastline just by their houses, a sort of chunnel (half a tunnel) called Gunster or such like (Elma will correct me I am sure!) and the breakers were coming out of that and the spray was splattering over the roofs of the houses on that part of the land. The east side of Sumburgh Cape where the airport runway extension is also took a pounding and pieces of the newly completed structure apparently broke off under the power of the waves. Mind you the sea was throwing all sorts of junk up on to the runway which would not have helped and I heard that people were working through the night in rather extreme conditions to say the least! Needless to say this had some rather dire effects on the ability of the airport to fulfil its function and my dear normal bouncy wife staggered in the door very late demanding medication in the form of a large glass of something strong preferably alcoholic. It was, apart from the excruciating weather, a very calm and relatively stress free Christmas and I have to say thank you to every one who sent seasonal greetings. Thank you for your cards and emails also. I emphasise  stnts were opened by the 3Cs and personally I think Father Christmas went just a tiny weeny little bit over the top but I guess it is only once a year. I think the most novel and original present was the one received by our youngest C which was a Barbie pet set. The originality was that the dog poo ed and the cat wee ed. There was a little pooper collector and a litter tray for the cat which contained bright green sand type material which collected the water from the cat!!! Hysterically funny. Our youngest thought so. Incidentally it is her 6th birthday today so more of the same bouncing around the house I guess! I went first stepping to my neighbours on New Year s Eve and was treated to a few Margaritas cocktails which were blinding! We had a huge dinner on New Year s Day. I didn t make any resolutions, partly because I forgot to! I bought myself a new camera off ebay, from Hong Kong, and it was twenty percent cheaper including postage and insurance than buying it in the UK. It is a Fuji Fine Pix S8000, an update of the S5000 which I had bought in 2003. This little beauty has a very power lense and being digital some very brilliant programme features. It also came with a free 1GB SD card and tripod. It can also take 14 frames a second which is brilliant when taking bird and animal pictures. I look forward to using it the summer. Talking of birds, I have to inform you all that sadly we lost one of our best hens just before Christmas and it was all entirely my silly fault. I had just got home in the late afternoon and my neighbour Paul the artist had popped over to say good bye as they were going down to Montrose for Christmas, they got very delayed in getting back because of the sea swell - no ferries or cargo at all! Anyway I said to him  hang on I will just pop out and shut the chickens in for the night which I did. Now I usually take a torch out because then at 16:00 it is pitch black but in my hurry I didn t. I pulled the coop door closed and secured it. In the morning I looked out of the kitchen window to see a pathetic little bundle of brown feathers lying in the run. I dashed out and retrieved the hen and put her in a bag in the garage. Too late though as our youngest watched from her window and then told her sister, whose favourite chicken it was. She had also laid an egg in the coop run which made me feel even sadder (the chicken not my daughter!). Anyway a little box was found and decorated and we had a little funeral at the bottom of the garden. Oh come on you all must have done something similar when you were that age?? (I did& for all my pet mice) Part of the growing up process isn t it? Talking of humane treatment of animals there has been a series on BBC3, not a channel that everyone watches, called  Kill It, Cook It, Eat It . Hmmm you would think, something about farming perhaps? Well almost right except this was all done live on TV. No punches pulled, all visceral detail stunning and sound effects in your face. You even saw a couple of the audience turning green and running. It was graphic but designed to be so and really made people think about how and where their meat was processed& .I thought it was exceptionally well done and should be shown on BBC1 and more people should watch. However, I couldn t watch the one about Veal calves as I refuse to eat that meat. There is a programme on chickens next& ..It will no doubt be turned into a reality show next! I cleaned the chickens out the other day and their run at the moment unfortunately looks a bit like Passchendale so when I let their door open again after I had scraped everything up in the sawdust and straw (which I dig straight into my garden) they all rush inside to eat fresh pellets and water and you could hear them all scraping around in the sawdust and clucking madly. I then knocked on the end of the run and they all came rushing out expecting treats and because when they went in with really muddy feet the fresh sawdust had stuck to the foot feathers resulting in, especially the hens who are quite small, what looked like very large fluffy slippers!!! Comical if you can get that picture in your mind s eye! Anyway that was Christmas and New Year for us, snow is forecast for tomorrow and preparations are afoot for new ballet classes and Up Helly Aa! So until then toodle pip! ch made me feel ev&(* <>орОРЪЬи"к"’(”(к8м8€>‚>и?к?м?јј№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№ШШ(2‚"'(Š  л)л @ЗS З(D"H"и?м?шиФиК "  "PSS"  "PS"  "PS" ."џ ЦƒџџџџЦƒ "№” " ttм?@м?B(ЦƒTimes New Romanџь " " "ЄјУ@т ааTTTTиFEPSON Stylus DX4800 Seriesœ<›€ š 4dаа EPSON Stylus DX4800 SeriesDLLName32=E_FUICADE.DLLџџД€P TS_URLTSupportURL PSOLVER4š  аа˜: аа@т TTTT@т TTTTdџ2 .winspoolEPSON Stylus DX4800 SeriesUSB001Fџџџ"\В"€‘"бV"$c"№` "№``""A."@џџџ"\В"№љ"бV"$c"№` "№``"."Jan 2008.wps""иp"иpp (" )"aped everything up in the sawdust and straw (which I dig straight into my garden) they all rush inside to eat fresh pellets and water and you could hear them all scraping around in the sawdust and clucking madly. 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