A trim for the hedge and me

Wake at six and let Normy out and then give him his breakfast, but still feel tired after yesterday's exertions and go back to bed until eight. When I wake up the sun is shining and I feel more refreshed. After a breakfast of smoked salmon and cream cheese and Ryvita, I take my coffee into the Garden Room and think about my day. Weather permitting, the garden in Cherry needs more work and I need a hair cut, beyond that some ironing and housework would be a plus. Shower, change and arrive in Cherry by half past nine, load the dogs and we are on the Westwood five minutes later. Dolly and Teddy haven't been off the lead since Thursday, so they are full of energy, but each comes back when their turn is up and both behave well. Once we are out of the woods and on the common, I let Norman off his lead, he is starting to get fitter, has lost some of his fat and his enjoying his walks. He looks five years younger than he did when he came to stay three weeks ago. We get back to Cherry at a quarter to eleven and I start straight away on the southern hedge in the back garden. The sun is shining and I just use the clippers today. I take the hedge in three sections, clearing up as I go, because black clouds keep looming and showers are forecast later this afternoon. Norman is asleep on the lawn and Dolly and Teddy are playing like puppies. I smile at them and then realise what is going on, normally Dolly won't play with her younger brother, she must be coming into season! This happens every year and last year Dolly stayed with me until it was over, but now Norman is living with me, it will have to be Teddy that comes. He is neutered but Dolly pesters the life out of him and they still try to mate and can get stuck. I work until one thirty and finish the hedge and have just managed to finally clear the tools away, when a heavy shower breaks. Norman and I head back to Tickton and I keep my fingers crossed that my washing is still dry when we get home. It is, but as I am bringing it in, the heavens open and it pours with rain. I eat the rest of my Parmagiana with crisp bread for lunch and then check my email. Clement needs me to send proof of identity and a utility bill to the letting agency in London, as a matter of urgency, so I photocopy my passport and a utility bill and then take them to Sarah for her to fax. Whilst I am there she gives me the forms for Clement's student financing and asks me to post them. I walk through town to the post office and send them off recorded delivery, before going to the hairdressers for a trim. I am lucky and only have to wait a moment or so before I am seen to. Cutting my hair doesn't take long but it needs doing every month as it is so blond, fine and wispy. Afterwards I fancy a coffee and have brought my unfinished Observer Killer Sudoku, but as I leave the hairdressers, I feel suddenly very tired and drive home and rest for a couple of hours instead. Although I am better than last week, I am still not right. Normy and I get up at six and I feel better, after feeding him I notice another email, the passport faxed through blurred and they want it again. Sarah is out, so I pop the original photocopy in an envelope and post it to London. I drive to the main post office in Beverley and miss the last posting time by five minutes. Still it will get there by Wednesday, and I have emailed them to let them know I have posted it. Afterwards I take Norman on the Westwood and then call in to see Felicity for ten minutes. She is in better spirits, her son, Richard, has found proof that she owns the access lane adjacent to her house. This is significant because an exceptionally aggressive couple have bought a bungalow at the rear of her house fir redevelopment and claimed they own the lane and have torn all her flowers down. Now they will have to seek her permission to allow building vehicles through the passage. They had already started to demolish the bungalow and it's beautiful garden, even before they had planning permission. The gods hate hubris! We get home for about eight and I make a pot of tea and some smoked cheese slices on crisp bread and then sit in the Garden Room and finish off my Observer puzzle. It's still too early for bed, so I spend an hour dealing with my correspondence before writing this and then turning in.