Cats and books

I have been playing around with my new camera, which was a very generous Christmas present from our kids.  I thought I'd wrecked it last night when I tried downloading photos and managed to get it stuck with Access and a zigzag line and nothing, not even removing the battery, would let me turn it OFF.  However, today I have managed to download the photos.  I think this will be a steep learning curve, getting to grips with this one (Panasonic Lumix TZ-70) but for the meantime, I have an Automatic setting . . .  Anyway, here is Theo - who is always difficult to take a photo of because he winds round your legs and doesn't stay still for a moment.

Little Whale (above and below) is a bit easier and will pose for you . . .

Alfie (Wild Thing, as he is still too handy with his claws) taking his ease on a kitchen chair.  He likes to be beside me on the sofa, but then, so does Ghengis (below).  Poor Ghengis has gone from being a Big Bully with B*lls to bottom of the pecking order without them . . .  He adores me though, and is never happier than when he is cwtched up beside me or on my lap (or more often under my left elbow, stopping me doing anything involving a pen and paper).

A bit of spring in the corner of the kitchen.  The Hyacinths smell so lovely and the little Tete-a-Tete daffodils have a delicate scent too.

A better photo of the Flamingo vase than the other one I took.  I'm not sure if he was painted by Harry Crute (famous for his birds) or Harry Birdbeck.

Incidentally, I have just found one of my Devon family history marriage certs. for the South Hams area was witnessed by a Richard Crute . . .

Finally, the current reading.  I'm within a couple of chapters of the end.  Not as enjoyable as her earlier Shetland books, perhaps because Perez isn't the main character, but DI Willow Reeves seems to have poll position.  

We have another viewing next Thursday (so, a week today).  Yesterday was sunny and I got out and painted the front porch and bay windows in masonry paint (I can use it there as it has concrete render), so that looks smart again. Mind you, a certain feline (I think it was Miffy or Ghengis) put paw prints all over the windowsills before they were even dry!!

Today it's a continuation of sorting out the Back Place, tidying up, putting out cans of paint which have dried up, are of no purpose any more, and then I will paint out there this afternoon.  It looks very shabby but of course Keith thinks it looks fine.  That's what he always says - I'd hate to think what constitutes looking bad in his books!  We don't seem to see things through the same viewpoint . . .