Ev894

[copelander]

How very seasonal this one is. Greetings to all!

[DocHH]

Absolutely Copelander,

http://www.jacquielaw...d.asp?code=ER13610552

Have a merry Xmas!

[Christiana]

The season's greetings Copelander all all other EV N&C wineclubbers. I will be starting EV soon - after my usual Sunday indulgence of tea and toast - but thought I would get in early to wish a Merry Christmas to all my 'enigmatic' companions.

[Christiana]

Where did you spring from Doc HH? Down the chimney perhaps! Thanks for the card and greetings. I do love the Jacqui Lawson cards.

[DocHH]

Christiana, you obviously spotted the grey beard, but I don't have the red suit! I wish I had "rain dear" rather than the frozen snow, which is making travel here awkward!

[Christiana]

We have the rain, dear. It's streaming down even as we speak. And we had an earthquake three or four days ago, which passed unnoticed by the rest of the world. It appears to have done very little damage, but felt quite frightening and was of a respectable size - between 6.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale. The epicentre was 100 km out to sea, so I guess that helped.

[dr b]

Hi All,

Took a while to get going on this one, as I kept getting interrupted with requests to "help" with regard to various Christmassy tasks. An appropriate pay off to the puzzle, I'd say. I do not see the significance of the title, however.

Is there an EV next week? If so I'll be late to the party as we'll be traveling for the holidays. My oldest is trying to get to NYC today and then on a plane home Tuesday - you may have heard that the US East Coast is being clobbered with snow, so hopefully she'll get here!

Seasons Greetings to all!!

[copelander]

How wonderful, DocHH. Is that you? We woke up to beautiful fresh snow this morning, but it's all gone now.

[DocHH]

Copelander, a close approximation, but without the largesse! I preferred last weeks card!

http://dpkgi.free.fr/files/deerz2.swf

But you'll need to click all the reindeer for the full effect!

[MatydaLover]

A little late starting this week, grandsprogs birthday parties (1 year and 3 years) on Saturday and Sunday. The puzzle took the usual time, but finding the theme took an age. I saw Gas Control, Green, Warming and convinced myself there was nearly Carbon Dioxide in the grid too ... so Aha! Copenhagen, climate stuff and the like. Missed the bleedin' obvious as Basil might have said.

A very happy Christmas to everyone.

[novalis]

Like others I've had a myriad interrruptions but am still missing the obvious. Any help or heavy hints would be more than welcome. My pen of the appropriate colour is poised.

[MatydaLover]

Hello Novalis, the "symmetrical" applies to the placement of letters about a centre line as well as to the shape of the strings. And it is very seasonal.

[copelander]

The colour of the pen is relevant,too.

[devadolly]

Belated Greetings one and all! Not a snow-flake in a very hot place of settling down to the EV so all your comments and hints sound very Serbo-Croatian not having seen the clues!!

Just to wish you all a very Happy Christmas - may the snow stay away, the wine cases replenish themselves and all stay fit and well .

Regards

[ringer]

Hello and Season's Greetings to one and all
Apologies for not having been around for the last two or three weeks - tis the season to be very very busy with Carol Concerts & Services plus numerous trips to the theatre. Have managed to almost finish our Yuletide offering, though it didn't help putting honest for 26 down (hon = judge and test - t) which I think fits the clue almost as well as the real answer!!!! Now settling down to an evening in front of the (electric) fire after braving the snow it's very white here. I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and that Santa brings you some lovely surprises. Oooh - and ty for the cards

[Christiana]

Have not been able to spend much time on this week's offering and none at all today. Just thought I'd check in before retiring for the night and what do I find? That one of the few answers I've got round to is wrong. But thanks Ringer for flagging it - I, too, had honest, but will now remove it and start again in the bottom right hand corner.

[cruciverbali]

A Very Happy Christmas to all our regulars, and a special thanks to JEG for all his hard work once again this year - most appropriate that he should be named this week as EV winner.

Have a great time everyone !

[novalis]

Many thanks for your hints MatydaLover and Copelander but I'm afraid I'm still not seeing what should be obvious. I've been looking at it until I'm blue ( or should that be green ) in the face between bouts of present delivering, snow clearing and working on a local quiz for a friend of mine. I've tried looking at top and bottom halves, left and right halves ( They don't have those in football any more. ) and the various diagonal halves all before and after the intake ( purely for medicinal purposes ) of a potent S. African red and absolutely nothing is leaping out at me.

Anyway to all regular EVers whereever you are may you truly have the Christmas you would wish for yourselves.

[ulysses100]

Hi novalis. It took a while for the penny to drop for me too, but it does work out. Think of something green that one has up for this time of year. Follow the letters (which are not continuous) down the grid and a shape will appear (hint ; look at the letters either side of the mid-line at the bottom of the grid).

May I take this opportunity too of wishing all solvers all the best for the festive season.

[ringer]

Well, that's me all done and ready for Christmas. House spruced up, now pining for a glass of Merlot (bought this morning). Husband's got the needle cos I dragged him shopping. Daughter kept snug in her hat and gloves bought on our holiday in Norway.
Novalis - you are looking for a vertical line of symmetry - I hope the light dawns soon.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.

[DocHH]

Novalis, hope you get this and don't have to fret about not finishing EV. Take Ulysses advice look at the vertical symmetry, particularly rows 1 and the bottom 4 rows! It was those which gave me the inspiration to find the shape. Best regards to all EV N&C Wine Clubbers, enjoy the next few days with your friends and family, see you sunday hopefully, assuming we all survive the excesses of Xmas!