Greetings from under the cloud!

I write from dusty Edinburgh, draped in a delicate layer of volcanic ash. Personally I am delighted by this development as it means that the whole city is soon going to look remarkably like my living room. My (lack of) housekeeping skills are, as you all know, legendary, and I knew I could drag everyone down to my level eventually!

Having said that, my garden is looking, if not exactly pristine, certainly better than it was. I have cut the grass for the first time this year and by a careful application of (1) promises of ice cream and (2) cold hard cash, persuaded the boys to assist with a bit of weeding. SB was game but FB after a bit of desultory poking around with a fork, declared that there were too many beasties around and retreated to the house.

Zyra and Bellus, on the other hand, thoroughly approve of the beasties. They are particularly enamoured of the big fat bumble bees which have been tempted out into the spring sunshine. The bees stoat drunkenly about roughly twelve inches above the ground - a distance otherwise known as "perfect cat attack height". I am curious to see what will happen if either of them actually manages to catch one. A bee sting might be suitable karmic payback for the small crowd of deceased mice which have, one by one, been brought into our house over the past couple of weeks. I suppose we should be grateful that the said mice had been quickly despatched and were not brought in alive and then toyed with on our carpets.

Praying now that this lovely sunshine will continue through the weekend when we can actually enjoy it.