We arrived at 10am just in time to get the fire going and the pans on for Bambi Bolognese and Roe Deer Chilli before guests started to arrive. The mulled wine flowed well, admittedly most of it into my new Rais Birch wine goblet, (beautifully turned by Jon on his lathe), and the guests flowed in and out over the course of the afternoon.
So lovely to see everyone and I'm especially grateful to those who braved the elements and stayed for a cosy night round the fire, grazing on all-sorts of Christmas leftovers and laughing until the moon rose over the clearing. Magical.
It has to be the first time (and will probably be the last) that I have gone to Rais without my DSLR camera - choosing instead to set up the trailcam around camp and let it capture whatever it chose to. The idea being that it would not only relieve me of any self-inflicted pressure to capture the perfect shot, but give me some relaxation time, some shots with me in them for a change, and of course some night-time infra-red images from the evening too. Obviously the shots with me in them were a ridiculously bad idea and most have already been deleted, but I love the infra-reds.
After sausage and bacon butties for the morning after the night before, the trailcam was also able to capture the gang hard at work erecting my new shed-come-hide in an almost timelapse fashion. The shed is named "The Immac Hide", in honour of its' provider - lest he ever forget the generosity of his donation and the hours of entertainment it is yet to provide.
It has a few mods still to be made - some new roof felt and a hide-style window shutter, but I can't wait to try it out this holiday, knowing I will have a warm spot to sit in and a sturdy platform for my tripod - no more kneeling on the cold mud with cramps in my knees!
The perfect end to a perfect get together. Same time next year folks?
