All wrapped up!

'I got to her just in time!' said Norma.

'Well done,' said Captain Bill.

'Luckily,' replied Norma,' Geraldine realised the danger and managed to distract her by miming the arias from several romantic, yet tragic, light operettas!'

'Top Penguin!' mooed Captain Bill. 'So most of this would be...?'

'Cotton wool,' replied Norma,'although there's a couple of thick blankets underneath as well and I've searched her for concealed trombones and the kettle drum tree won't blossom until the end of next month so we should be in the clear!'

'Excellent!' said Captain Bill,'although you made that last bit up didn't you?'

And Norma confessed that she had.

'Right,'said Captain Bill,'so that's everything sorted then!'

'Well apart from the huge tower of dangerously unstable water that we're standing next to,' replied Norma.

'Oh yes!' said Captain Bill,'I'd forgotten about that!'


But luckily Bertha had had an idea!

Making notes!

Hellllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Annie here, how are you? Are you well?

Now isn't strange what one can find in the middle of an empty field! I'd never really considered playing an organ before but this seems too good an opportunible to miss!

Actually, before I start, I have to say that I've been giving some thought as to which note to play first and I'm a bit disappointed. It turns out that notes have names like A and B....what sort of limited imagination does that show!

I mean if you were a note and you'd spent all that time waiting around to be played so that you could know what your name was and then it turns out to be A...I'd be asking for my money back and possibly expecting a big cream cake as compensation.

Soooooooooooooo I've decided that the first note that I will play will be called Lionel...

...not sure what I'll call the second one...feel free to make suggestions.

Right, on we go, wish me luck!

Annie

oooooooh!

'...a really sudden thaw!' said Captain Bill.

'That was sudden!' said Bertha.

'Very sudden,' agreed Norma.

'I don't think I've ever seen one more sudden?' added Bertha.

'Can I,' said Captain Bill, 'can I suggest that we all remain very, very still and talk very, very quietly?'

'I think you can!' replied Norma.

So Norma, Bertha and Captain Bill remained very, very still and very, very quiet and looked at the huge tower of wobbly water that stood in front of them.

'So,' said Captain Bill,' that's us standing very still and being very quite then!'

'And Cyril's right down at the far end of the Pier,' said Bertha.

'So,' said Captain Bill,'that's the three of us standing very still and being very quiet and Cyril down at the far end of the Pier.'

'Horace is probably writing poetry,' whispered Norma,'that won't make much noise, he only uses a soft pencil.'

So,' said Captain Bill, 'that's the three of us standing very still and being very quiet and Cyril down at the far end of the pier and Horace quietly writing poetry with a soft pencil...that's everybody isn't it?'

'Yes,' replied Norma,'...everybody...'

'...except for...' added Bertha.

'Annie!' mooed Captain Bill.

And a fleeting, but very quiet look of panic passed across the three faces.

An Island of two halves

'We really should have kept a closer eye on where we were clearing the snow to!' said Bertha.

'Yes,' replied Captain Bill,'yes, fair play, I can see what you mean!'

'I think we just got a bit carried away with the whole clearing aspect of the problem,' said Norma.

'Whilst rather neglecting to appreciate the consequences of where we were putting it!' added Bertha.

'Well 10 out of 10 for the critical self assessment!' said Captain Bill.

'But as soon as we realised what we'd done we took immediate action,' mooed Norma.

'In what way?' asked Captain Bill.

'We've moved Cyril down to the end of the Pier,' replied Bertha.

'To act as a counter weight,' said Norma,'only we were a bit worried about the Island tipping over!'

'Good move!' agreed Captain Bill.'Anyway, there's not too much to worry about...it should be perfectly OK....I mean there's not much that could happen....it'll be fine...really, there's only one thing that could happen now that would be a complete disaster and that would be.....'

(to be continued)

A rumour of progress

'Is this really necessary?' asked Captain Bill.

'We though it was time for a meeting,' said Bertha.

'So we could let you know how things are progressing!' added Norma.

'Seeing as how you're not actually helping anymore!' said Bertha.

Captain Bill looked at Bertha.

'I have given myself a break,' he said,' because, as you very well know, I have suffered a traumatic experience!'

'Would you like another?' asked Bertha, but Norma quickly hurried the conversation along.

'We've done very well,' she said. 'We've completely cleared the pier and the surrounding fields.'

'Excellent!' replied Captain Bill.

'And a lot of the meadows are done as well!' Norma continued.

'So I can see!' said Captain Bill,'so it's all good news then?'

'Well,' said Norma,'it's more good news....and bad news!'

Captain Bill slowly nodded his head and took a deep breath.

'So what's the good news?' he asked.

'We've entirely cleared half the Island,' said Bertha.

'And the bad news?' asked Captain Bill.