Hello, Locksley here again.

Last week I told you things were topsy turvy, with Mummy going out early and us having cuddles and cucumber in the evening.

Well, this week has been different again. Mummy says that there are several new routines for us to get used to. But it should be the new normal.

Given that she’s been going out really early, but getting back about the usual cuddle time, it’s not so odd. She says it’s because of bird surveys. I vaguely remember Biggles saying she hadn’t done any bird surveys until she started them this time last year, and she used to do lots in Norfolk. But she just did two last year. She’s already done four now, and it’s only April. And Saturday she got up early to do one, took a look at the weather, and went back to bed. I don’t know why because it turned out really nice and sunny, with a bit of cloud. She was cross with the weatherman for misleading her. She did that one on Sunday instead, when it was cloudy but otherwise good. She heard a cuckoo, but not the things she was surveying for.

So the new normal includes Mummy going out very early, and cuddles at roughly the normal time (maybe an hour late).

The other new normal is afternoons. Now it’s light in the evenings, Mummy says she should go outside and do some gardening between 4 and 7. That’s because the electricity is most expensive then, so she doesn’t want to use any. And she usually has cups of tea during that time, so she has to do something else and have her tea later. Or earlier.

As long as we get to go out and do gardening too, I’m happy with that, Mummy.

We haven’t gone out on the grass again, because it’s been wet. But Mummy has brought us in some most days. She also seems to be bringing little black insects called ticks with her. She’s decided she’ll have to avoid the overlong grass which is most likely where they are. Apparently one ran off Victor’s back onto her arm the other day. And she took a tick from beside my eye yesterday. I was very brave. She also looked up whether the Spot-on medicine would get rid of ticks. It’s for lice and mites and all sorts of other things, but not ticks.

But she took some lovely pictures of us with our grass yesterday, using the little camera. It’s the first time she’s got a nice picture of Ludo in his cage without him running away. He looks very suspicious, though!

She’s also got a new idea for her hands. Apart from the funny thing she calls a brace, which wraps around her hand and wrist and keeps it straight, she’s given Victor and me the job of opening her boxes. This one (top of the page) was for us, it had the plastic jars of Pro-fibre in inside. I like Pro-fibre. Mummy hopes it will help me stop losing weight. Ludo’s lost weight too, but she’s pleased with that. Ludo’s looking very smart and full of vitality. I’m full of vitality too, but lighter.

See you next week

love

Locklsey xxxx