TGIM!

Yes, that's Thank God It's Monday! I've always loved the start of a new week so I think I shall launch a one woman campaign to replace TGIF – doubt many people will take me up on it though.

I'm actually knackered having been up since 5.30 and it's only ten o'clock in the morning now! The three dogs now come to my side of the bed and nuzzle me until I wake up (yes I know – solution don't allow them in the bedroom) and as I am an early riser anyway I have come to the conclusion it's better to just get up.

This morning before 9 o'clock I pruned a bush, dug up three potato plants which yielded a bit less than I thought, walked the dogs in the woods, fed dogs, cats and crow, put weeds on the rather dry looking compost heap, fed myself and read three chapters of a great book by Sharon Oddson called Once Upon a Tuscan Table about the Trattoria Garga in Florence. Highly recommended!

I did my stint at the Canile Casentino on Saturday. I was a bit worried that it was going to be too hot to work as we have been having a major heatwave, but in fact it was fine as the kennels is in the woods and it is actually quite tolerable there, which is good for the dogs. Although I arrived at 9.30 the volunteers had already started and so I got to take two of the shyest and most troubled dogs for a little walk on the lead, Beverley, whose story you can read here if you scroll down and  and Bebo, read his story here, again scroll down.  The volunteers are gearing up for the busiest time in the dog pounds as the Italian holiday season is approaching, prime time for abandoning animals rather than putting them in kennels.

Ok, time for a cup of tea then it's back to work – writing work, which is great as I can do it sitting down!