Boxing Day

With guest expected the Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen got up early to start the preparation. There was food to prepare. It took most of the morning. A spare table was erected in the Orangery and bit by bit loaded with the dishes. There was ham, there were drumsticks, there were pigs in blankets, there was lasagne, there was noodle salad, there were pies... and so forth. In fact, there was not just a mountain of food, there was a scale model of Himalayas. (In fact there a group of sherpas getting togged up outside and the Gorse Fox could be sure he saw some trekkers).

The Gorse Fox's sister arrived first with Trevor and the Mask. A few minutes later Urban-Cub and Pistol Pete turned up with Ellie. We had a lovely day as Ellie scooted round in her walker and charmed everyone present with her incessant good humour and easy-going nature.

Lunch was a buffet affair - much ore practical on a day like this. It allowed people to have what they wanted without any pressure to have a spoonful of this or that and we could sit wherever we wanted.

It was lovely day and a chance for us to catch up. Urban-Cub and Pistol Pete left mid-afternoon as Ellie was getting tired and Pistol Pete needed a bit of "switch-off" time before returning to work tomorrow. Sis and family left early evening to make their way back to the bandit country of Berkshire. The weather was foul blustery rain. Not pleasant, and the Gorse Fox was pleased it wasn't him having to drive.

The Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox set about the clear up and it didn't take too long get everything back to normal.