There were unusual, unexpected and, some of them, unwelcome aspects to the Ballyduff Christmas this year.

In order to spare the blushes of those involved or responsible, I can only say that the first of these was that on Christmas morning we found ourselves in need of a turkey.
I will go just so far as to say that the matter of the responsibility for this circumstance became a hotly disputed matter.

But anyway, here we were late Christmas morning with no turkey and half the family en route from Galway to Ballyduff in full anticipation of the seasonal feast.

Re-calibration time!

I figured that the stuffings - which had been prepared the previous evening - could be used to stuff peppers instead of turkeys and they could accompany the traditional ham and, with a few more 'tweaks' we would still achieve a 'festive table'.

But more modern heads went to work and our predicament was 'tweeted'.
And an early response suggested that hotels would likely be in possession of surplus turkey.
And, indeed, a few phone calls later, a turkey crown had been located at a local hotel and it was collected by the family en route from Galway.

Thus we are all be deeply indebted and very grateful to Pius Phelan, proprietor of The Kilford Arms on John Street in Kilkenny, not just because he solved our problem but he also it gave it to us as a gift. - Thank you, Pius, you were truly our saviour!

On its arrival I was confronted - I was the designated chef this year - with six kilograms of boneless turkey breast!
This lead to much discussion and some wondered whether, on account of its size, it was not, perhaps, ostrich or even dodo rather than turkey.

But, anyway, its flesh was fresh, sweet and plentiful!

I decided to separate the breasts and 'butterfly' one to enable me to stuff and roll it - as one would a lamb's leg - and this we did. The other, I simply bound tight and, with no more than a sprinkling of thyme, pepper and salt, cooked it alongside its 'stuffed' companion.

It worked-out well and the day was saved.

But, along the way, there were other discoveries, events and dramas that made-up our Christmas pageant.

And, now I come to think about it, they may all have been caused by the unseasonable warmth.

First, Sue discovered a bat hanging on the back of a door.
Its entry point could only have been via the roof window in the upstairs bathroom which is always kept open a chink and may thus have reminded it of an eave - but, the point is, that the creature plainly felt a wakeful urge when its species is usually dormant.

And then there were loud noises from the same upstairs, bathroom when Hannah was stung by a semi-comatose wasp that was lurking in the cloth she lifted to clean the bathroom for the visitors.

And finally, as I cooked, I was kept company by a butterfly - who fluttered about in the hot kitchen as though it was August - having, I presume, been awakened by temperatures that reminded it of April not December.

But, sadly, it did not survive the night.