A Turn Up

Synchronicity, or fate, but how do they work? I've been feeling a bit apathetic, overwhelmed by the joint weights of surgery in 10 long, dragging days time and an inability to make much headway through exhaustion. I go for a walk but can't travel very far and am soon breathing heavily. The breathlessness is rendering me pretty inactive at home too, and the waiting days have been slow and, admit it, boring. This is unusual for me as I am never bored. I've contemplated various distractions but done nothing to make them happen. I'm lacking motivation. Then out of the blue comes an invitation to lunch at Orford's Crown and Castle from my friend Nikki. She's booked the doggie table in the bar for Hugo and Alfie in the hopes that we are free today. Of course we are free, though I was on the verge of making a similar date with another friend. I love a spontaneous invitation. The day is glorious and it's hard to stay indoors. When the weather is like this, cold but sunny, I usually make a beeline for the summerhouse where it will be warm, the 360 degree glass trapping the sun's rays and making it a very comfortable snug. Suddenly energetic, I wash up and tidy the ktchen.

Earlier we drove to the Woodland Trust a mile away where we haven't been for months. In the winter the ground gets very wet and soggy, and soon the feet of hundreds of dogs and owners make it a mudbath. But today I couldn't resist it. The worst areas near the entrance had frozen over making them quite treacherous for walking, but soon we were out on the greensward where Hugo galloped off in sheer joy. But three quarters of the way around I realised I didn't have his lead any more and retraced my steps to find it. It wasn't there! Two Suffolk old boys (my age probably!) were still nattering by the gate when I returned, and they assured me the lead would be discovered and hung on the fence for me to find. I hae me doots. On our way out we passed one man going the other way, and only he could have found the lead. It's the second one I've dropped in two years, and the other one didn't turn up either. Watch this space.