Midwinter at the Holt…

I am extremely pleased to report that the otters of the UK Raft really know how to throw a party! This years midwinter celebration was the best one I can remember and I have been attending these parties for many years now. My parents used to take me along when I was a tiny otter kitten and there has never been one as fine as this year’s!

The catering department really did us proud! The main cavern at the Holt was filled to the brim with tanks of pike,  minnows, perch, trout and salmon. Wonderful UK fish, as much as any otter could want! Not only that but pools of clams and crayfish were laid on for any otters who fancied a different snack. To top it all off there were piles and piles of sandwiches, minnow and tuna and and all sorts! Absolutely first rate it was!
Drink wise, there was  plentiful supply of Otter Beer and Otter Gin. It was truly marvelous.

The whole Holt was festooned with midwinter decorations. The young otters from the primary school for gifted otters were in charge of collecting evergreen branches and pine cones. They made the most splendid bunches and bundles and such. I am told these arrangements have more technical names but bunches sounds about right. Marvellous bunches!

The celebration itself went on for the whole of the shortest day, and its associated night, which is far longer. Otters flowed into the Holt from all over the country, otters from the investigation teams who had been on long term assignment swam in and of course all families were invited! The young otters were very pleased to be reunited and made short work of forming alliances and setting up an elaborate game of pin the tail on the quantum experimentation team. I have a feeling Cedric may have been involved in this, some sort of payback for the Schrodotters hamster threat.

The more mature otters were almost as mischievous, there were extremely high spirits in the Temporal Experimentation team and their enthusiasm was infectious. I overheard a fascinating discussion between Debbie Shorttail and Peter Paddlefoot about some sort of dragon taming plan they are hoping to put into action once the prophecy comes true.

There was a great deal of talk about the prophecy now I think about it, in between dancing and extravagant games of Hot Otter Cold Otter, everyone was talking about the prophecy and the time travel developments! Every otter is convinced that if any apocalyptic otters show their faces we will make short work of sending them packing!

Far far later in the evening, the quantum team and the biological experimentation team hatched an elaborate plot to form an alliance with the future space otters who travel the universe in a giant tin hat… I left them to it at this point and went to chat to Simon and Seska.

Simon was in exceptionally high spirits, he was very grateful for the shipment of anchovies and says he is considering writing a book about the fundamental differences between the otters of time and a time travelling hamster…I have an inkling he will have forgotten about it in the morning…

Suffice it to say there was a great deal of excitement all around! The midwinter is truly celebrated around here!

Before I go, I have received the final report from Peter and Zsofia. I will share it with you just as soon as I can. We otters have a traditional period of rest and family time for a day or so following the midwinter celebrations. We exchange gifts and such, I am hoping for a weekend hat. Anyway this means there may be a temporary break in communication next week. I have to spend some quality time rambling with young Lucas you know!