A terrible day...

Deeply shocked by yesterday's terrible shooting in America, Wilson spent most of the day in front of the tv watching Sky News' continuous coverage as events unfolded. Sometimes he held his head in his paws and closed his eyes.

I behold a Wondrous Sight!

Wilson waited until darkness had begun to fall before he asked me to wait in the dining room while he unpacked his giant box. 

After a few minutes I heard him go out the front door, followed by some grunting and scrabbling noises from above. After about an hour he came back in and invited me into the front garden, where I beheld this wondrous sight!

W had ordered a custom-made neon anteater online! He said the tail wasn't quite right, but overall he was very pleased with it. 

Our house can now be recognised from several miles away. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but as W pointed out, 'there's no chance of Father Xmas missing it!'

A BIG delivery for Wilson

Wilson has had an air of suppressed excitement about him recently, and today a delivery van drew up outside with a huge box addressed to him. 

He was very secretive about it, telling me to wait outside while he opened it. After checking the contents, he returned whatever it is to the box and re-sealed it.

He won't give me any clues about what's in the box, saying only that it will be 'a big surprise!'… but past experience has taught me to expect the worst.

An Aurora

Real Polar Bears are extremely dangerous, but most people find toy Polar Bears cute and cuddly. Wilson, though, has developed a deep suspicion of them after he thought a pack of them was trying to mug him and steal his present from Father Xmas. 

A Security Elf from Santa's Grotto explained to W that the bears were just models, but on the way out we came across some animated Polar Bears, and W got very nervous. I had to carry him out to the car and drive him home, where I calmed him down with hot chocolate.

It turns out that the Collective Noun for a group of bears is a 'sleuth' or a 'sloth' of bears… which is quite ironic given that Wilson is a member of the Sloth genus. I mentioned this to Wilson, who quickly corrected me, saying that the correct term for a group of POLAR bears is an 'aurora'. Well, who would have guessed. 

Don't tell me this stuff isn't educational!

Meeting The Man...

To cheer Wilson up after his very disappointing sledging experience, I took him to see Father Xmas in his Grotto at the local Garden Centre. 

W was very excited to meet him, and pleased to receive his gift which, once again, he refuses to open until Xmas Day. 

Apparently Antony was a bit overwhelmed by by being in the presence of The Man Himself, and had to be comforted.

As W left the grotto he thought the polar bears were about to mug him for his gift, but an awkward moment was averted when a Security Elf stepped in to reassure him.

I don't know why Father Xmas always sets up his grotto in Garden Centres and Department Stores -- it seems to taint him with the unethical aura of Commercialism...

White Xmas just doesn't happen...

Wilson was not in the best of moods last night, having spent all day in a field waiting for the promised snowfall. Shortly after this photo was taken, he made Antony get off the sledge and try to push him downhill... so I'm guessing Antony can't have been too happy, either.

W was very scathing about the Met Office, although he later conceded that he might have been looking at a weather forecast for Lewis, in Scotland (more than 200 miles North of here), rather than for Lewes, a handful of miles to the South. 

It's an easy mistake to make when you're overexcited.

Last minute adjustments

Last night Wilson was back up on the roof making last-minute adjustments to the lights. I trust him, obviously… I just wish he'd be a bit more careful with that hammer when he's so near the windows.

He insisted on doing this yesterday because he's seen a weather forecast predicting snow, and he guessed, correctly, that I wouldn't let him climb all over the house if it was snowing and slippery.