Spring has sprung!
It must have. Not only has Sleepy Hippo woken up after a long winter’s doze – but so has Sleepy Bear who has been hibernating, with one or two notable periods of wakefulness, since about October. Or, maybe November!
And – not only that, but we have found an amanuensis who also seems to be awake. At least, she has put our photos up for us. It is true that our Human stirred long enough to put our snowy photos up back in February (you can see our snow adventures here), but all our scribes, secretaries and junior office staff seem to have passed the winter dozing. Some surrounded by lots of empty bottles. Some snuggled into feather beds and quilt pillows. Some hazily munching on vegemite toast.
Frannie, however, seems to be awake and reasonably efficient. I think it’s because she’s been down in the greenhouse, where it’s been nice and warm, comparatively speaking. Seems to have kept her brain cell alert.
Anyway. Sleepy Hippo and I had a grand time in Las Vegas back in the dark days of winter. A very lovely lady, Yvonne and a very lovely gentleman, Nico, decided the most lovely way to spend New Years Eve is to spend it in Las Vegas. We agreed. So we went with them! We may even put up a belated post about the trip when we're completely back on form - but if you can't wait for that here are some photos!
Even Sleepy Bear managed to wake up to play in the snow storms of February. We all more or less dozed through the dreariness of March. And now the sun has returned, the days have lengthened, the jumpers have gone away and it’s time to get out and play.
So we did. We shoved our Human protesting and grumbling out of her bed on Sunday morning so we could go down to Cambridge, driven by The Builder and navigated by Frannie ably helped by Jenny-the-SatNav, to visit our friend Frank and his new housemate Cookie Monster. It was a beautiful day, just right for a nice drive around in the country. We went on a beautiful drive up across the hills and down through the valleys. Even Sleepy Bear managed to wake up once or twice to admire the view.
We got to Frank’s place and introduced ourselves to Cookie Monster, and to the new fish who have moved in to what was the Venerable Dicken’s tank. The humans caught Bricknell and Hennie and put them back in their run. Then The Sleepies and Cookie retired for a Sunday doze on the sofa in the sunshine. Frank and I escorted the humans down through Cambridge, along past the Backs of the Colleges and down to the river to the Anchor where we all stopped for a delicious lunch. There was a post-lunch pause for ice cream, then we all wandered hither and thither along the rivers and canals and pathways, enjoying the sunshine, oggling, I mean admiring the birds, laughing at the punters (that’s people on punts, not gamblers, though we would have laughed a them too!) and generally taking some much needed spring exercise.
Finding ourselves back in town, in a shopping mall which the Credit Crunch, which has been so-exercising the venous minds of the humans, has apparently failed to find, we called in to a purveyor of gentleman’s clothing. The Sleepies appear to have become slightly vague of sight over the winter, so we acquired corrective spectacles for them. And a truly magnificent hat for me to wear when we escort Frannie and The Builder down to Cornwall next week. It will meet the duel need of protecting me from excessive exposure to the sun *and* from excessive rain. We moved on. The Human and The Human's Sister gambolled in the Disney Store. Frannie, The Builder and Gareth disported themselves with seemly dignity in the Sunday Market. Then we returned to Frank’s house, where his humans were expecting the arrival of a friend who has come to pass his holidays with them. The Human collected the Sleepies from their Sunny Sofa and, with the assistance of The Builder, we returned her to Sheffield. Sleepy Hippo, Sleepy Bear and I are staying at Frannie and The Builder’s house this week so we can visit with Jack and Janet – not to mention Marlo - and be ready to leave fairly early on Friday morning for our trip to Cornwall.
And while we are away, the human will be having a holiday too. She’s coming to stay with Marlo. A magnificent holiday, if you ask me, snuggling with Marlo.
More later in the week. But here are The Sleepies and me with Jack and Janet, once again on a sofa in the sunshine!
B.
P.S. Happy Easter.
No comments:
Post a Comment