Monsters, magpies and dragonflies

It's Dine's mass today, supposedly a blustery day that will shake the rest of the leaves off the branches. The wind did a pretty good job on the old ash tree outside my mother in law's house, and then left to give room to autumn weather of the warm, gleaming sort.

We've been staying here for a couple of weeks while they fix the bathroom floor in our apartment (after the dinosaur/alien incident). Lots of good food, and one happy little cat who loves exploring all the nooks and crannies of the old house. I swear there are monsters in the closets here, because Pims sometimes shoots out of them, wild-eyed and yelping. She loves walking in the garden too, which we did today and were duly sniffed by a dragonfly and teased by a magpie.

Pims tried to chase the magpie, but then she didn't know what the rest of us do: that magpies are cleverer than Jon Stewart and cannot be caught.

It's lovely here, with the water and the tall, creaking trees. And yet I'm glad that we're going home soon. Tomorrow at the latest, it's back to Marselisgate, lattes, sister and brother, and my new favourite spot by the fireplace in the kitchen.

But most importantly, it's back to smooth, unrumpled, un-slashed writing time, with the tinkling of Tri Orisky Pro Popelko in the rafters. And then I'll get the hang of chapter 14, I just know it.