Autumnal mornings.

Every morning before I set off for work I take Poppy for a walk unless the weather is dire. As the nights get longer, so the available morning light gets shorter and shorter. Until I seem to set off at the break of dawn. Most mornings are featureless and grey, this seems to set the tone for the rest of my day. However, some mornings are also accompanied by spectacular sunrises.

I'm not sure if the sunrise has any effect on Poppy as she is seemingly fixated on chasing after a ball. But the more spectacular daybreaks seem to have an effect on me. They add a spring to my step and give me a nice warm feeling that all is well in my world. This feeling of well-being can sometimes last until I reach my place of work. It is at this point when all the well being is drained away by the effort to get all the pigs in flight. Porcine avionics is fast becoming a speciality of mine.

I found out last night that the frogs are back, well I am not sure if they actually went away. However, if they did, then the frogs are certainly back in larger numbers and are a tour de force to be  reckoned with. We have a few permanent residents in and around the garden pond. These little reptile anti-slug wardens seem to be there all the time and grow quite large on a feast of slugs, fish food and various insects. In return for eating their food, the fish seem to enjoy a diet of frog-spawn whenever they get the chance. But I digress.

Last night there was a knock on the door and there stood a pretty little thing, a bit wet and bedraggled and looking for sponsorship for some charity or other. She immediately launched into a well rehearsed script, with all the psychological prompts for me to agree with. All prior to moving in for the sponsorship kill.

Being an old campaigner I am well versed at letting them run off at the mouth and then just saying no thanks. Suddenly, there was a stutter in the prologue as one of the frogs hopped into view. That was the termination of the well rehearsed patter, which then gave way to the patter of her feet as she beat Poppy to the gate. So if she returns at some point in the future, she would be better to come on the morning of one of the more spectacular daybreaks. She is going to have to get up early to pull one over on me, and to find a bit more charitable well-being in this crusty old curmudgeon.

Later .....