greetings from moscow!

Greetings from Moscow!  No, not that Moscow.  Dulcie and I are in Moscow, Ayrshire,* visiting my mum and dad's new house for the first time.  We're having a lovely time.  We've been spotting wildlife in the garden, mainly - frogs and butterflies and bees (and bees and bees and bees) and a hedgehog who's been so close to us all weekend that he's just been taken away by the SSPCA for investigation, the poor wee thing.  Other than that, I've been reading my book in the conservatory and exploring nooks and crannies and going for a lovely walk down a country road.  I've also had tea and a scone at a wee farm shop/garden centre/tea room.  Dulcie's two favourite stories at the moment are the one I tell her about the time the goat ate my mum's skirt (because it had tasty-looking flowers on it) and The Billy Goats Gruff, so she was very excited to get up close and personal with some real goats before eating her locally made ice cream, although she was a little worried they might eat her clothes...understandably.

There's something so nice about being in my parents' house that was never my house, it feels much more like a real visit/holiday, somehow.  Plus it takes minutes (30-odd minutes) rather than hours to get here.  And do you know what's even better?  While we're relaxing here, Graham and his dad are busy wallpapering our hall at home!  Hopefully (touch wood x 100) that will be done and looking lovely by the time Dulcie and I get back.  And I won't even have lifted a finger :)

* I'm told the "lonely cottage" where the infamous murder took place is, in fact, my mum and dad's house!  No ghosts are apparent and last night I had the best sleep I've had in years, so I think it's OK.  That said, a somnambulist murderer was suspected, so sound sleep may not be such a positive thing...