My camera has broken,

pointing away from the window

pointing towards the window

the replacement suggested by Pete is saving-up price so it is going to have to wait a while.

Angel was one yesterday. Some Angel delights (Do you remember them or are you too young? there was a mint flavoured one - mmmm.) are:

• a massage of squashed worm applied by a tarmac surface;
• grown up dog food that is just too big so you can throw it around and bite it and kill it till it is squishy enough to break up;
• being in the garden on your own so you can dig where you want;
• dancing on the settee to get the dirt from between your paws;
• snuggling up and having behind both ears rubbed at once ( the advantages of a small head are numerous).

Communications she understands are:

1. sit
2. down
3. take it outside
4. bugger off
5. the fridge door opening (there is food on the way)
6. 'Angel' /'Coo up' / a chirruppy sound ( if you don't come now, you're going to lose sight of me and then you won't be happy)
7. a silent putting on of socks (I am going out without her - time to hide)
8. a raised finger (shut up)

Communications I understand are:

1. barking in the garden (something in the garden has altered / what is that)
2. barking in the garden (hello barking dog somewhwere out there)
3. barking in the garden (open the fridge door and tempt me in with food)
4. barking next to furniture (you need to get my toy out from under this)
5. barking on the bed (you need to get my toy - I daren't jump down this side and am too scared that it will run away while I'm not watching it/unable to link both sides of the bed in one concept/idle to think about walking round from the side I can jump down from to get it myself)
6. ringing the chimes on the back door (I want to go out)
7. jumping at me with a mouth full of toy (I want you to play)
8. pulling at the lead hung in its place (you were planning to take me a walk, honest, you just forgot)

Forgetting was big in my head this week - I think I've got the end of winter SAD in an odd way - lethargic and slightly woozy but I woke up after a dream about a lover from long ago and could not remember his name. This led to lots of other 'testing' and names I couldn't recall (though for one I've still not identified, I could remember the fictitious name I gave him in a novel I put him in) Anyhow it finally did come to me and I got the idea of googling him (- I did this with an old friend some months ago now and e-mailed her and found she had 3 teenage daughters and a job lecturing when she replied - I gave her my news and she never got in touch back - ho hum)and found out he'd had a stroke 4 or so years ago. The first thought was 'should I get in touch' and then I thought 'what would I say?' and, and I do feel hateful about this, the answer was, 'whew, aren't I glad we didn't last'.