It feels somewhat surreal to be affected by the death of someone you never knew but had there your entire life, somewhere in the background. I might have chosen to live across the water but English blood still runs through my veins. As I arrived at the Bistrot on Friday night, people were quick to give condolences and raise their glasses to the Queen, although there was a little joke from the locals on their preference for raising a guillotine where royalty was concerned.
It might be the beginning of a new reign over there in the Motherland but there’s no sign of any new rain here (quite poetic I think). The early mornings and late nights are much cooler, even jumper wearing occasionally, but the days are still blue skies and temperatures in the high 20s. We have, however, high winds with the Marin coming in from the coast and the Tramontane from the North-West so we can’t put the sun umbrellas up and the pool is constantly having to be cleared of leaves. I had hoped to start running again but Arry hurt his leg during the week so knocked that on the head. It’ll be a couple of weeks now before we can try again as I have a little dental operation coming up on Wednesday which means I’ll be drugged up on painkillers and antibiotics afterwards. Mind you, a week or so without alcohol will do me good even if I can’t do much else.
I have lists of jobs that need doing but are unfortunately delayed because a) the ground is too hard to do anything garden-wise and b) I can’t find any enthusiasm for the indoor chores in this heat. Even writing The Book has been a bit of a challenge, I don’t know whether it’s because I only have a couple more chapters before the first draft is finished or it’s just a basic lack of oomph in me. I am under no illusions that there will be several drafts before both Sally and I think it’s ready for the next step but I’d like to get this one done before the end of the year. The weather doesn’t help one’s brain cells kick into gear either, I seem to be permanently half-asleep at the moment.
Yogi Bear has had a couple more vet visits this week as they are still trying to figure out what, if anything, is wrong with him. He is definitely back to his Bear-self and although his liver readings are better, they are still a concern. I am hoping that a change in diet (extensively researched and home-made by me) will keep up the improvement. I’ve put Alice on the same regime too mainly because she is getting chubby without the twice-weekly runs. All the woofers could do with less lazing about and more zooming around, the exceptions being Sherman and Arry who spend most of their time pouncing on each other or, in the latter’s case, throwing themselves into the pool. Maybe I should get Alice some armbands……..
“We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.” (Henry Rollins)
Widow plus woofs 