Marmalade peered round the gate–he’d heard voices but wasn’t sure whose.
He walked into the courtyard and being a ginger, gingerly approached the house.
As he crossed the threshold he discovered it was his people, returned from somewhere after sometime.
“And I’m supposed to be pleased?– well, no doubt they’ll give me some extra food to curry favour which will be good”.
Meredith took him to the vet yesterday, he seemed so low.
Nothing wrong except a bit of a weeping eye.
Tender loving care will do it we’re hoping and a nudge or two from Beau.
Beau behaves as though we never went away and has grown into a young adult cat.
Life goes on fast.
He’s liking the outdoor life and cheerfully comes and goes–discovering strange new shapes…
Yesterday he caught a bird–in spite of the little bell round his neck– scattering the poor thing’s feathers hither and thither–just another toy.
Meredith told him off in no uncertain terms but he showed no shame.
Stalwart Pippa–head cat–was friendlier than is her custom when we return from journeys and freer with her head-butting hugs.
Lucien was nowhere to be seen–nothing new in that.
Dear thing turned up later though–to sleep on the bed.
The garden has suffered from another bout of extreme cold while we were absent.
Things have died or at least been challenged.
Our lemon tree–so prized–we thought was a goner; but cutting back the dead stuff this morning,
Meredith spotted some hopeful signs.
So maybe all is not lost and we arrived in time to catch the almond blossom.
The herald of Spring.
A month is a long time for a garden to be left but what a blessing this fleeting show of beauty always is.
Robin Ellis 