wishing you all a Jolly Cactus Gathering

 whilst celebrating the Jolly Cactus Gathering* our friends thought it opportune to announce the arrival of yet another being in their midst: Harry the hairy lion; he gave me quite a fright as I unwrapped the gift from Jude,  there he suddenly was: a stowaway hidden among the fabric scrap-bundles in an envelope from the States; turns out he's a very gentle and kind lion, the kind we all can live with here!

* never a specific date: it occurs as the mood takes them, this year it happens to coincide roughly with christmas and solstice

the Unthanks performing 'King of Rome' nice tale......