I got up a bit late this morning and wouldn’t have even made it up when I did if it hadn’t been for Lola waking me by jumping up next to me, snuggling in and licking my nose. Honestly, I can’t imagine anything better than a puppy’s kiss first thing in the morning… I even know she’s not a puppy any more in the true sense of the word but she’ll always be my baby, every bit as much as Rosie was and every bit as much as I am my Mum and Dad’s baby.

A cup of tea was the first priority after letting the dogs out but as I walked into the kitchen this sight met me and I responded by running upstairs, grabbing the camera and shooting the photo in my dressing gown through the spare bedroom window. The building that the rainbow is hitting is our friends’ stable block. I did think about going over there and having a dig around, looking for the crock of gold but I doubt they’d thank me for it. We get big skies but they mean that we are not in any danger from paratroopers because we’d see them coming! (Long story for another day, suffice to say that it was all Colin’s fault.)

Since then the day has gone downhill really, another trip to the dump - they know us by name there now - to get rid of an ancient portable TV that I’d been using in the kitchen that recently died. Other treats for drones like me– Mole Valley Farmers for chicken supplies, Morrisons for food supplies, washing, cleaning the bathroom and cleaning out the chickens. Gorgeous. I am obsessed with pigeon fancier’s lung at the moment and spent the hour on the opposite side of the garden doing a big breath, running up to the coop and scooping madly for as long as the breath would last, running away again to breathe fresh air, then repeating as necessary! What a day.