under another sun

A ghastly start to the day. Somewhat bleary due to Mai Tai consumption (an unpleasantly pineapple hangover), sometime before six we heard Brian arrived through the cat flap doing his triumphalist meeping. Sometime later he came up the stairs with a live mouse squeaking in terror. Ghastly scenes, of both cats playing with the mouse, which ran about for its life. I shooed off Calliope and cornered Brian who growled at me and then dashed off down the stairs with his prey. Lorraine was on the stairs, suddenly chased by cats and rodents and screamed quite loudly. Brian took the mouse outside thankfully, and only brought it back to show us it was dead, and I had to tidy it away. No way to start the day, and explained why I spent the first few hours of the morning with my boxer shorts on back to front. Which made me feel I was walking in the wrong direction. Off to London, through the fog. Crossing the Ardingly Viaduct rather magical as you felt the train was flying through nothing. Work ...

The open road Lorraine and I up early and taking the cats, wretched in their baskets, off to Top Cats for booster jabs and a once over. Basil and Brian crammed into basket looking cowed and alarmed once in the car, Calliope complaining continually. The Vet helped us see that their bad behaviour (Brian spraying and Basil pooing on carpets) are due to the evil black cat, the bully of the neighbourhood, and we were advised to get a water pistol. That brazen black fiend is costing us a fortune. Calliope Kenny also got some new eye stuff as her eyes are sore again, and Brian got some species of cat calmers to go in his grub. Back for breakfast with Betty and after a few household bits, I dusted off my walking boots, rucksack and so on and met Anton at the station and we trained off to Balcombe and did a circular ten mile walk. It had been pouring with rain in the morning, but was sunny and pleasant for us. I was feeling underpowered and labouring up the hills after a springy-heeled Anton wh...