Right hand woman!

I was awoken by two little paws being placed gently on the side of the bed, and they were attached to a wee hopeful looking hairy face. What a nice way to wake up! Usually I waken him.

It's almost daylight, so that's fine, Arch. Up you come! (If it's still dark, he's sent back to his own bed. )

He settles down right away, on his back, head on the pillow, legs in the air, sighing happily, and doesn't move for another couple of hours.

Delighted to see that we have similar weather to Rio today - it's dull, grey, wet...

Actually, it hasn't been wet here all day. I've snipped the top of the last stretch of hedge at last, which necessitated getting the big ladder out and leaning right across the top of the hedge. But there's a very annoying bit that I just can't reach, so I instructed JR to get some long handled shears on her way home from school! Yes. (She forgot.)

Archie has been out this morning for a walk with Becky and her mum. And in the afternoon Mary came to visit. Archie has taken to inviting himself on to visitors' laps. He has up till now been rather timid, but all the new dog borrowers he has been meeting must be good for him. He probably thinks the chances of every new person taking him out for a walk is pretty high.

Mary was my right hand woman in my last class before retirement. She was wonderful and I would not have made it through the year had she not been with me.