dog days

I am in Brighton for five days pet sitting, whilst J and D and family are away at Shambala, a festival near Northampton(?) D is organising children`s activities, I am in charge of : a twenty one year old cat Shirley, who is not a fast mover but like many oldies, including me, does enjoy her food and needs snacks at least four times a day, Jumble the dog who is old and creaky (also like me) plus Bradley Wiggins who is in a permanent state of excitement and euphoria. He is 3 next week so should really start behaving in a more sensible manner,and stop barking at men wearing shorts.
It is odd here in the house alone. The house stays unnaturally clean and tidy. I have had trouble getting the TV on to anything but children`s  telly. It took me an hour to tune it to watch my daily fix of Pointless but I managed it in the end.
I had two outings last week: one to deliver a Quaker Exhibition which was in a huge black box (it was about conscientious Objectors in World War 1) to a Meeting House near Leytonstone in East London. so I had to negotiate the M25 and the Blackwall Tunnel and worrying roundabouts. And then I went to the Isle of Wight for one day which meant a train journey of 20 stops and took over 4 hours. However we had a good day and a spot of birdwatching up the creek at Newtown where some of the family were camping.     
Also my brother P came to stay at the beginning of the week and that was a treat. We had the usual ferocious games of Scrabble which he won. 
I have been reading an autobiog called An Enchanted Place by Christopher Milne, the original Christopher Robin. He had a miserable time at boarding school with Hush, Hush Whisper who Dare being played over and over, and he is forever haunted by the whole Winnie the Pooh business. His father made a huge fortune out of those four books, but never wrote anything else that was any good and it is a sad story really. 

I have been gadding about again. This time to Bath University campus with two thousand Quakers.  This was the annual jamboree, but every four years it is a week long event, though I could only manage a few days away,. It was held in a huge tent with great screens and all sorts of technology so I could hear every word.   It is very comforting to be amongst that lot:  serious, kind, earnest and set on Doing Good.   I feel very unworthy but glad to be there.     There were actually three hundred Quaker children there too which was lovely.   I enjoyed meeting lots of my old mates from Winchester and elsewhere and I had a great time. I stayed with J and P at Limpley Stoke which was a treat.   But it was nice, too, to come home to my little bungalow and collect B. Wiggins from Brighton.  
Since I got back, every dog walk is also a blackberrying expedition, there are masses in the hedgerows. It is a very good year. BW took the opportunity while I was busily picking, to roll in something horrid so I have just given him a bath in dog`s Tea Tree shampoo. He now smells like the Health Food shop and looks fluffy.
Daughter J and family are all away camping in the Isle of Wight, and I am going just for the day on Friday.
Here`s a good tip:  I pick some honeysuckle while I am doing the blackberries and during the day, you can`t smell it at all,  but in the evenings it is simply amazing , it scents the whole place.

Tiger time

Ten year old grand daughter Tiger is here today while her mum is at work. I made a list of possible activities and we are working through them.   First was cleaning the windows as I don`t like going up ladders and she does, secondly was doing all surfaces  with squirty polish, then she made a trifle which involves messing about with jelly, and lastly some bread (with a cheating breadmix)   She thoroughly enjoyed all those.   
Next I got her to organise me into doing Twitter on my laptop and now we are planning to go for a swim but I slightly dread the pool in the school holidays with the alarming waves and whirlpools and splashing. But I will try to be brave.
We may go blackberrying later as I noticed that they they are already ripe when I went on my early morning dog walk. Blackberries in July!   
I had a lovely visit last weekend from an ex resident from the Meeting House and her partner.  So many shared memories, we never stopped talking.   
The only other event since my last blog is that B.Wiggins went to what is grandiosely called Brighton Pet Spa to have a complete makeover, wash and blow dry, ears, nails teeth and trim. His legs look much longer now. He is very pleased with himself.