I arrived home this afternoon, complete with Eloise the cat.  I’d been concerned that she would be upset during the journey and she certainly didn’t enjoy it much, but she went to sleep for much of the time.  As I waited for a few minutes in a queue to get on the M25 from the M4, she put a paw out and I held it, which was rather sweet.

I haven’t got a lead here to join the phone to the computer so can’t add a photo today – she’s a black tortoiseshell with medium length, dense hair.  She’s quite a large cat already and she isn’t a year old yet – she’s half Ragdoll, which is a large breed and very sweet natured.  Zig’s own cat is a Birman and completely lovely, I’ve entirely lost my heart to Eva; the other three are Ragdolls and actually belong to her daughters, though neither of them is in a position to take them as yet.

Eloise hasn’t ventured out of the drawing room yet but is quite happy when I’m here, though she retreats under the bureau when I go out of the room.  I’ll take her upstairs with me tonight – I must get some screens made for the bedroom windows.  In Zig’s house, the top floor window is just above the roof of the kitchen extension, so a cat can jump down, but there’s nothing except the ground underneath the windows here. I don’t think it’ll be as hot tonight as it has been, but I do need to be able to open the windows.  There were gauze screens on one bedroom window but, not needing them any more, I threw them out a while ago.

Roses has held the fort here and all is fine.  The kittens didn’t turn up for a day or two, so they must be learning to hunt, but she said they were all about today, though just mum and three kittens were waiting for food tonight.  The mother came running to me and made a great fuss of me.  She’s tiny compared to Eloise.

I must do some outdoor housekeeping tomorrow.  The chicks’ coop needs to be moved and the chicken run cleaned out and mite killer put down – I’ve been dusting it about but they move in quickly in hot weather and can be difficult to control.  I need to tie up tomato plants and so on.

Had the reminder of my tax bill waiting for me/  I haven’t opened it yet – I know how much it’ll be and the money is waiting.  Ho hum.