ࡱ>    !"#$Root EntryZ O2 H*%CONTENTS DCompObjVSPELLINGX birthday money so will plant tulip bulbs everywhere. They will look very pretty in Spring. A new bath tap unit had to be fitted as well because the old ones were completely knackered. I was sent running around the village looking for someone to lend me a socket and wrench. I discovered that my neighbour, Alex the ex-pagan had unfortunately broken his leg and was recumbent on the sofa with his right leg covered in pristine white plaster! I got to meet his mum and see baby Owen anyway then had to rush off and find a socket and wrench! We had the builders coming around anyway to fit a new window pane (annoyingly the new pane was just a few millimetres too big so a new one has to be ordered. Ah well the other one can always be turned into a coffee table or an expensive cloche& .!) Fortunately Mr. Laurenson and Mark were able to fix the tap unit. I finally got my disclosure certificate through which means I can take another step forward to ballet teaching . I celebrated my 46th birthday this week also. Thank you to all those who sent me cards either by email or snail mail and thank you for the lovely gifts from everyone. I was given a Marmite (a large French stock pot) by my wife which I intend to use fully and lots of useful smellies by my little ones and a good book from my sister in law. The type of weather approaching demands lots of big hearty stews with dumplings. My sister bought me a set of saucepans also which will be very useful for curry evenings. I worked a wedding on Friday at the Town Hall which went on until the small hours. My wife had told me that she was taking me out for dinner as a birthday treat on the Saturday evening. Parents-in-law who I assumed were babysitting were invited out by Aunty up the hill so they used our car. Lisa our babysitter, CHNKWKS DTEXTTEXT<.FDPPFDPP2FDPCFDPC4FDPCFDPC6STSHSTSH8STSHSTSH82SYIDSYIDP8SGP SGP d8INK INK h8BTEPPLC l8BTECPLC 8 FONTFONT8~STRSPLC "9:PRNTWNPR\9`FRAMFRAMATITLTITLDBDOP DOP ^B" up here so that has been ordered. IShetland Diary A chicken rescue plan was hastily thrown into action last Monday when my wife looked out of the living room window and announced that there were two chickens strolling up the main road in our village, towards our house. Were they cold clucking perhaps in the neighbourhood? Then it struck me that they belonged to a little boy called Ronan who stays down the road. With the help of my father-in-law we herded the two adventurers back to their coop. They let me pick them up and place them back in their wired fortress. They would have nearly got run over by Leask s bus which was just coming through the village at that time, had they carried on with their stroll. I mentioned the In-laws (most married couples have them!). They came up on the ferry last Monday to visit us and have been out and about enjoying the varied sights this Isle (s) has to offer. Fortunately the weather has been reasonably good though too rough for broomstick flying! They visited Burra and Scalloway with me and then Northmavine and Kelgord with Aunty (Wife s mother s sister) and then the croft museum yesterday and today they have ventured out on their own. They return to Sunderland on Monday. I think the children have enjoyed seeing them. I must credit Father in law with the Jarlshof photos and ones of Eshaness cliffs including one of The Stacks which all appear in  Shetland Scenes , one of the albums on the homepage. Well the last of the spuds have been dug up and stored. Leeks are ready to go in and other seeds have been ordered. Garlic apparently does very well up here so that has also been ordered. I discovered one of my neighbours has a seriously big rotivator and I can borrow that to dig up some strips of earth in the garden. I bought a load of different tulip bulbs with somewho stays in Ireland across the way from us, arrived. Our taxi turned up and off we went down to The Spiggy, a splendid local hostelry which unfortunately is closing down in five weeks time. My wife told me to go in and order the drinks and when I walked in I was gobsmacked when I focused on father and mother-in-law standing there, my neighbour Paul and Fiona, Aunty and Uncle, John and Helen, Warren and Tina! It was a set up! My wife had been planning it for ages and I hadn t got the faintest idea what was going on!! I got some fantastic presents including new gumboots, a camera/rucksack bag and a Tagine! (If you know what that is send me a response through the Web Response form on the Home Page, though readers of this diary who reside in Tunisia and Morocco need not reply so as to give the rest of Shetland Diary s readership a sporting chance!). We had a great evening and a superb meal. Shame Spiggy s closing. They even had a barrel of Timothy Taylor s Landlord on. It is a long drive to The Westings too. Well the Shetland social season is fast approaching. I have joined a darts team and must start practising on my lovely new darts board. I have been practising on my old one but it is literally falling to pieces, bit like me really. I pinched the muscle between my ribs when gardening the other day, digging up the last of the spuds, and suffice to say it is a little bit painful. The Doctors stunning advice? Take some deep breathes and do you know how to stretch? Yes Doctor, I was a ballet dancer for most of my younger life! Well now I will have to get fit in time for the next Bigton Hall Dance and ballet teaching! That is a demanding activity needless to say. My wife and father-in-law are off down to Ness Boating club this morning to take part as victims in a massive Air/Sea rescue exercise which involves the Sumburgh helicopters and other rescue units from all over Shetland. I have taken the safe option and stayed at home with the mother-in-law and aunty who are discussing the family tree. I have some lovely fresh trout to smoke, a present from my kind neighbour Paul, and two peerie brown trout that my son caught with his friend Ronan (of the wandering chickens!) and I shall then go and hang the washing out and find something suitable to use in my Tagine. Now there is a good clue for you!! e), viewers inreaders of this dariary who resiede in Tunisia and Morocco need not reply so as to give the rest of the worlShetland Dirarary s readership a sporting chance!) .Spiggiy. 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