‘Tis the season of goodwill….except….

 
 
 
 

…it is also the season of the “shoot”. A friend of our employer pitched up earlier in the week with several brace of pheasant. A “brace” is a Mr & Mrs Pheasant…..”hang them for a few days before you pluck them, Sir M is looking forward to them next time he comes”…….We duly “hung” and promptly forgot about them, I had recall in the middle of the night and so this morning dealt to them….that was a bit of learning curve, also a bit messy! Shot wounds and all that – I don’t know how they do it! Anyway, these “braces” of birds are sitting in a miserable pile in the fridge - I think they are much nicer strutting around the fields…..anyway ‘life as a servant’ prevails and I think their messiness will have to be nicely disguised as a “game pie”!!!
We went to the Cheltenham Races last weekend, which is a bit of a fixture at this time of the year. You share picnic in the boot of the car with the dogs and then study the horses “form” as they are paraded around before they are taken out to race. They all look so lovely and very capable……however, the ones we bet on are still running.
Parts of England are snow bound at the moment, we are hoping for a “white Christmas”, but I think that is a bit of a dream, it’s freezing cold, but so far just a few teasing flakes. Lovely walking weather.
The hole in the ground is having a temporary cover put over it, the size of the “Super Top”, locals are freaking, not realizing that come May, the whole site will look like a meadow, it’s astonishing. We fantasize that it’s a stadium for a Rolling Stones New Year Concert! Christmas is a bit of a lonely affair this year as we are manor bound, we shall make the best of it….drink mulled wine to your health and wish you were here………