Friday 20th November 2015

Winter is coming.

The forecast is for rain, wind, sleet and even snow for the weekend. These long autumnal days are coming to an end. But butterflies and spring flowers have been seen. Indeed last Friday I saw Scabious and Knapweed in flower along the cliffs. Spring bulbs are shooting already, but no sign of the ones we planted in the new beds a few weeks back. The nights are indeed cold now, not just cool, meaning it does at least match the long dark nights.

Thursday

I woke up to hear the sound of black pads on the floor of the bedroom. Then I could hear the purring. Loud purring. A black shape jumped on the bed, then made its way up the bed, purring louder. It nudged my hand, so I stroked the shape it it purred louder. And began to dribble. Oh yes, good morning, Mulder. Do you think it is time we fed you, Mr Cat? I think you do.

So I get up, make my way downstairs, putting all the lights on so to be able to check for dead or bits of dead rodents: none found, I get the food out of the cupboard, and the other two appear as if my feline magic. I make the coffee, and that is it for as exciting how the day will be. I feel like I have not slept, my eyes itch, so I take some drugs and hope things will get better.

Jools goes to work, so put out the bins which will be the most exciting thing that will happen during the day. I put the radio on, and soon I am ready for the day. And so begins another day in paradise. First thing is to touch base with those I did not speak to the night before about Lee. Some of us take it harder than others. Which is life. And the best we can do is be there to listen for those who want to talk. A mail had been put out by management, so everyone knows, but in a large company, many people would not know Lee. My computer tells me he has been offline for two days, always reminding me that he always will be, now.

The day passes, and I find concentration hard to come b; a combination of events and lack of sleep I feel. But get through the day. After lunch the rain begins to fall outside, which means the cats will sit at the window looking out, meowing at me to make it stop. No can do, guys. It falls in a steady drizzle, rather than the buckets we had been told, it is good enough to put the heating on, make a nice huge cuppa and stand looking out.

Jools brings home fish and chips, still hot in the newspaper. That polished off, we settle down to more episodes of The Bridge, series one. We have go to four episodes in, and are hooked, but looking inside the box seems to suggest 16 episodes or something. At least it keeps me off the computer at night, and Miss Molly sits between us, happy with that turn of events as we watch the TV.