Oops – haven't posted for a while as I have had a novel to finish for a US client. I can't believe it is finally done!
But that is not the only reason. We have had a lot of snow here and the time I haven't spent finishing the final draft, I have spent chasing Gassie round and round the garden trying to block up the holes he makes under the fence. It is a never ending and thankless task and at times, with frozen fingers and feet like ice, falling over in the snow with my hammer in one hand and yet another fence post in the other, I have almost been in tears.
He doesn't go far, just in the field behind the house, and when he gets fed up he barks at the gate to be let back in, but there is a road too on one side and I am scared he might cause an accident or be hurt himself. The snow has made it worse as he is obsessed with birds (hunting dog – doh!) and of course they show up wonderfully well against all that white.
So preoccupied have I been by the book and my escaping dog that I even mixed up my day at the Casentino kennels and ended up missing my turn. I had prepared the car, de-iced it the day before and everything as well. The trouble was, on Sunday morning, having told an anxious Alan that I would be fine driving in the snow, when I checked the calendar I realized my turn had been on Saturday! I was mortified.
Anyway, it's raining today so the snow has gone, I'm feeling more on top of things and so I am approaching the amazing disappearing dog with a renewed resolve. After all, my brain is bigger than his! Right?