Today is a bit of a golden day, because ‘Tales from a Stone Cottage’ in book form is ready to go.  It’s neatly on CD (plus back-up hard copy in a large brown envelope) ready for me to gather up the dogs, amble up the lane to the PO and send it one it’s way to go and meet its publishers.  Well, hooray!  It’s been a merry trip down memory lane as I gathered together the articles.  As I read them I remembered certain vivid incidents that triggered off an article:  returning from my first poultry auction with a car stuffed full of cardboard boxes with airholes bored in them, and not having the first clue of what I’d bought in the red heat of auction fever.  The boxes were variously clucking, thudding and (in the case of the geese) full of things trying to drill their way out.  Instant smallholding.  Then there was watching the most mild and self-effacing chap in the village stuffing an array of wicked looking medieval weapons into his car to go off and do historical re-enactment.  And the low-voiced and ferocious argument at a village murder mystery party because two people wanted to be the policeman who discovers the murderer and there was only one set of handcuffs (yes you did, if you’re reading this – I was there!)  Nearly five years of funny rural stuff, compressed into two little packages.  I’d better go and post them before they get lost, or damaged, or carried into the garden and eaten by something.  And while I’m on a happy high, love and best wishes to everybody who reads this.  I’m away to the PO.  Yessssssss!!