1. I stand on the sun-warmed balcony and wave at Strange: she’s on the path towards the meadow, near the elder tree. She watches me for a while then meows and comes to me in a roundabout way to avoid the nettles and tall weeds in between us. When she reaches me, I tell her that I hope she appreciates what an awesome playground she has.

2. Lily sits with me as I dig out the weeds. She watches and waits, then rubs her nose in the freshly turned over soil.

2b. In the park, we meet a dog called Noodles: a pretty cute name for a pretty cute dog.

2c. A pair of crows peek over the gutter, then a little way down another two small crow heads appear. More birds swoop past as a formation and the birds on the gutter fly up to join them. I can’t call them a murder of crows: on such a sunny evening, silhouetted against such a perfectly blue sky, that’s far too morose. I’ll call them a convoy, party.

3. Little Tilda comes to sit with me on the sofa – a rare treat – so I sit with her until I have to make dinner.

3b. I pull the cushions from underneath me and stack them in a pile. Strange sits on top of them, princess-and-the-pea style.