We are home!
Animal round up:
dogs: three. Forgot they had a clip before we left so are looking scarily trim, tidy and alien. Are used to their scruffier, friendlier versions. Anyway they are very pleased to see us. Only one mysterious new stain on the carpet, something orange on the stairs.
mice: two. Very excited to see the return of the treat-giver, one is demonstrating the behaviour known as “popping”.
fish: four. No losses since the great kingfisher massacre of winter ‘19. Nobby Nobberson and Edward have settled in well.
tadpoles: hypothetically, ten or so, and growing nicely (informed by my daughter after our frog hunting expedition that it is illegal in NZ to catch tadpoles. Lucky we didn’t catch any, then. Ahem.)
Aphids: sadly, a bumper crop. The banana palm is covered. It’s grown so enormous and unwieldy anyway that I’m just going to get rid of it. But there are also fluffy aphids on my favourite indoor plant. I can see some insecticidal behaviour in my near future.
And now to bed.