A threat which was delivered on

With Daughter C in VietNam, as an accompanying teacher on a student "field trip" (history and others) [and taking some magnificent pictures with her iPhone], and the boys also away this weekend, Buttercup has to be with us. Since yesterday morning.

When we returned from the office yesterday afternoon we saw him nowhere. Looked everywhere. No Buttercup. Then I remembered how he hid at the beach house the first time he went there. Between a mattress below the bed in the spare room in a gap into which we all found it difficult to put an arm. So I lifted the bed in the study (a bed for visitors, used mainly by the boys when they stay) and S looked and saw him. Loss of tension. Left him there and he eventually emerged to eat and socialise.

Of course, having been asleep all day, he was active all night. In a small apartment, that was not conducive to uninterrupted sleep. Eventually, he woke me one more time just before 0600,and I got up knowing that this was a good time for getting ready to go out on a run on which to get a Saturday Sunrise.

Because of the heavy cloud cover, I chose to defer the plan I had formulated last week. Instead I ran to the top of Maungawhau. As it happened, the western sky was more colourful than the east. Also, I could see reflections of the sky in the harbour.

However, on the road down from the summit, I looked east and saw that the risen sun was still affecting the clouds with colour, and this was the best photograph I got. I like the way that the sun pierces the lower clouds to send crepuscular rays earthwards. And the dramatic colours in the dark rain clouds above. The "shepherds' warning" was apposite today. The morning was a little bleak, and when S and I chose to head out to purchase some necessities, we were trapped by a tropical downpour in the sports gear shop (Oh WOE!!!) where I wanted to buy some new road shoes. Actually found some with a zero heel lift, which were 25% off stated price. And they were in my size. They came home with me.

The rest of the day has been drizzly, dark, clammy rather than cold. Bleak, or dreich.

Got back after only a couple of hours or so out, and .... Where's Buttercup? Back under the bed. He didn't emerge until just before we started to have our evening meal. He and the boys will come with us to the beach house tomorrow; I have almost got a week off.

Do look at this large as it is even more dramatic that way.

An additional note for those who looked at the Rabbit Hole Cafe picture a couple of days ago, and remarked that it looks two dimensional. I have realised that is because it is on a corner which results in the side of the building forming an angle of about 45 degrees to the front. This means that in a shot like this where one expects to see the side of the building, it's not to be seen which suggests that it is not there. producing the film set impression. Good spotting by those who noticed this as I had not.