"Curry Night, my Favourite!"

"I can dream, can't I.....?"

Why Cats Have 9 Lives - Parts 3 and 4

3. They Sunbathe On The Second Step Down:



4. They Do Impersonations Of Drunken Draught Excluders:

Why Cats Have 9 Lives - Parts 1 and 2

1. They think "If I can't see them - they can't see me..."



2. They sit in your recycling bag - on collection day...

What We Did During Half Term, By The Phantom, Aged 47 and 1/3

The Spring weather led us to a picnic at Kew. Foodwise, the highlight was the homemade bread rolls stuffed with char siu pork and piccalilli, all home produced. (Photo's promised next time I make the char siu (barbecued) pork).

We lost ourselves in the green jungles of the Temperate House


























And enjoyed the Green Fugue of the Hemorocallis




















Later in the week we went to the RHS spring show in Vincent Square.

This English Elm bonsai is less than six inches tall, pot included.

























And back home Tigger did his impersonation of Ming the Merciless, quietly plotting world domination from the safety of our sofa...

Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad.

After the shock of the weekend's sudden weight gain I decided I had better get back to doing some exercising. Bernard the visiting cat was in this morning, and joined me upstairs where I was doing my calisthenics.

I was doing some bicep curls when he arrived. He hopped up onto the press bench I have set up and sat there, just watching.

By the time I moved on to press-ups, he was lying on his back, wriggling on the bench. I swear he was laughing at me.

I had my revenge when he wriggled so much he fell off the bench.

He was not going to be outsmarted though.

I proceeded to do some sit-ups. I struggled, I must admit.

Bernard sat up, leant forward effortlessly, and started to lick his bottom.

Checkmate.

Edible Proof

Up early this morning. It's half-term this week. My good lady had her birthday on Monday, and most of this week has been very laid back and indulgent. Late nights, waking up late, leisurely steaming bowls of porridge for breakfast.

But this morning I was up early. The cats were let in, their ears freezing, pads icy as they each stood up and rubbed a goodmorning scenting cheek up to my outstretched hands.

I read some blogs, then took up a morning cuppa to the birthday girl. I needed to feel that I was going to do something constructive with the day. That something was baking bread.

By Midday the loaves were cooling, and Bernard had warmed up next to the oven. The mists were clearing, and I had edible proof of my morning's work.

Making The Most Of It

Our garden is feeling somewhat neglected of late. My Mother-In-Law's illness has meant that the Head Gardener has been spending a lot of time visiting her Mum at the hospital. When she has been at home, the rain has kept her inside for far too long.

Meanwhile, at my college, whilst the teachers are relaxing, we few (Very Few!) in the Library are stocktaking, preparing new books, and re-arranging the shelves. We have over 21,000 books and DVDs at the moment, and by the time September arrives we will have moved every single one eight feet sideways and put them back on the shelves! It's tiring, and when I get home gardening is far from my mind.

However, we managed to get outside this evening, in one of those magical periods when the weather suddenly clears and the blue of the sky looks as if it has been scrubbed clean.

The Fuchsias and Montbretia may be drooping, but the colours set each other off beautifully.


The Agapanthus have been waiting for ages to bloom, and finally found the courage to do so.


My better half stopped to have a chat with our next-door-neighbour. Our gardens are slightly sloping, so she knelt on a garden chair to have a proper over-the-fence chat.

Regular readers will know that our cats are firm believers in only sitting on humans under certain conditions, namely

• If They Haven't Asked Them To
• When They Least Expect It
• And Preferably When It Causes Them Most Inconvenience.

Bernard saw his opportunity and seized it with all four paws!



Instantly relaxing himself, my wife was rendered helpless. Another Success for the Feline Takeover of the World.



Job Done.

Ever Get The Feeling Someone Is Looking Over Your Shoulder?

I was trying to finish my book yesterday, stretched out in the garden in one of the rare dry spells of the last two months.

Then I became aware....





I was not alone...