We were on grandparent duty this afternoon. Since Dilly finished work in late July, we haven’t looked after Squiffany regularly and so it was a particular treat.

And we’ve had a lovely afternoon. She did some colouring and a jigsaw, and then we went outside to pull grass for the chickens. They have scratched up all the grass in their pen and they do love having greenery to peck. Then Squiffany asked to go on the field with the cows.

The cows looked at us in a friendly sort of fashion, but didn’t approach and we pottered around on the grass. I pointed out a cowpat to her and explained what it was, and that she shouldn’t walk on it. I described how it was produced; “ppthreow.” We came upon another cowpat. “Ppthreow” said Squiffany, pointing. Then we bent to examine rabbit droppings. I explained about those. “Yuck” said Squiffany. Later, we found a molehill. That needed no sound effects, I’m glad to say.

The field is called the Ups and Downs, because that describes it. There is one particular Down, where a good deal of gravel was once extracted. She hadn’t been there before and found it very exciting to totter unsteadily down the steep incline and then toil up again. There was a blackberry bush at the bottom and we went back for containers and Grandpa, and picked a pound and a half in a few minutes.

Later, she spent a considerable time going up and down stairs. She and her parents live in a bungalow, and our front door, hall and stairs are divided from the downstairs rooms by a door. In country fashion, we rarely use the front door and she has hardly seen our stairs. She likes them. She also found bouncing on our bed was excellent sport.

Eventually, after sharing a biscuit with the dog and being read several stories, she tired. And cried. I sometimes take her out in the car to get her to sleep, but this time, encouraged by Mary P,, decided she should fall asleep naturally. It didn’t take long, though I stayed with her until she stuck her thumb in her mouth and nodded off, still hiccoughing through the last of her tears, as she can get back on her bed but ours is too high.

That was two hours ago. It’s her teatime now, but she’s still asleep.
—————–
Update at 8.30

Her mother came and carried her home, still asleep, at 5.45. She did wake up and have tea eventually.

The day deteriorated after that.
Al had a flat tyre (a nail, we suspect foul play (cf Top Boy’s event related yesterday) but I will say no more as it can’t be proved. It was an absolute bugger to change the wheel though.

And Tilly (that’s the dog) decided to roll in a cow pat. But why? Why? General joie de vivre I suppose. I’ll give her joie de vivre. In fact, I gave her a bath. Daft dog.

Fortunately, I was given some really good chocolate for my birthday. And a blackberry crumble is in the oven, and crème frâiche is in the fridge. And half a bottle of rosé is in me.