The season of donkeys and Gnordic gnomes

A local village holds a Christmas market every year. This year I went for a wander without Simon, who was busy catching up on a well earned lie in. I came away with German bread and vegetables, no Christmassy stuff at all, so it didn't feel any different to the usual weekly market.

But then I bumped into the donk. A few years ago, they dressed him up as a reindeer (very endearing, but a bit daft - you could tell he was embarrassed). This year he just went round and greeted the children.

On arriving home, I cleared the mailbox, which is still being 'decorated' as a penthouse by the local starlings. Inside I found a parcel from a friend on the South Island. I had seen some cute gnomes on a Facebook page, and had made a throwaway comment that if anyone would like to make me one for Christmas, I would be their friend forever. Well, not one but three Gnordic Gnomes were sitting on the straw nest in our mailbox (when I last checked the Gospels make no mention of gnomes, but hey, come one come all) They are now my "wise men" and will stay out after Christmas is over.

Who knows, I might even find them a Swedish camel a piece and a star to follow.