Don't leave me

As we were packing the car ready for our trip north, Gus was not chancing being left behind. He got into the back of the car and lay down, and refused to leave, even though we were back and forth for over an hour.

After a busy morning doing all the things that need to be done before you go away, we finally set off in the afternoon. We had arranged an away blipmeet with Notions en route to our overnight stop. It was wonderful to see Jenny, Bruce and Cara again, and to see the garden that I have read so much about over the last two years. Bruce didn't exactly make Gus welcome, but apart from some ritualistic posturing, he tolerated a male invader to his territory very well. And apart from one little indiscretion, Gus was on his best behaviour too.

Time slipped away with so much to talk about (and hardly a mention of blipping), and we left a couple of hours later after tea, cake and delicious home-grown strawberries in the afternoon sunshine. We also picked up a lot of useful tips about solar panels, pruning gooseberries, the growing of tayberries and much else besides. We have a gooseberry plant and a precious cutting of a beautiful arctic willow that Jenny herself brought back as a cutting from Orkney. We could have stayed much longer, but we had to go or risk missing the check-in time at our hotel. Thank you, Jenny, for your hospitality and the company of Bruce and Cara.

Well, I didn't expect to be blipping this tonight (Saturday). Not only is the iPad downloading photos (having refused to last time I tried), but against expectations, the place we are staying has WiFi.