British Summer Time starts with a walk at 6am ( old 6am ) as Alice is very unsettled . She gets me up at five forty , then again at six and then once again two minutes later . Most unusual for her ; fairly typical little greyhound who loves her routine and as soon as shes been in the yard and had her breakfast and been back in the yard all she wants is to sleep for an hour and then and not before , her walk . But this morning , she couldnt settle at all . She paced the floor , lay on the quilt , wouldn't get up on the sofa ( its usually three moves from yard , to sofa , head up to get blanket wrapped round her , head down and poked under covers to block out first light , sleep ) and her tummy was making loud wierd gurgling noises vaguely reminiscent of those of my own inner workings of the last few days . So we pack away any thoughts of an immediate lie in and head for the sea . Overcast now slightly , it was lovely at six , the sun warm as it rose and the sea breaking in perfect surfing waves across the LongSands . There were three surfers out there already but too distant for photography , and none in King Edwards Bay where they are easier to capture with the camera . An early morning fisherman trying his luck , and the three of four walkers I met all friendly and cheerful , more so than the usual eight am crowd .
Hoping that the exercise would help Alice's tummy , I ponder on my stomach bug , apparently less an issue this morning and wonder if it is possible for a human virus to cross species and affect an animal . I have had two days of gripes , including a salutary half hour spent waiting for a friend on a beautiful suede bench outside the Laing art cafe , using all my meditation skills to control myself , and trying hard to breathe menthol type thoughts deep into my lower abdomen .
I'm sure it can't be the case( human to animal cross infection ? ) , in which case I hope Alice's wound is not infected . The gash on her thigh where she was attacked two weeks ago by a Jack Russell was healing well but the stitches have either dissolved or she has picked at them on the surface layer and the wound is open again . She may need another trip to the vet but I dread the thought of another anaesthetic for her .
We walk for almost an hour , I return her to the house , read for a while " A Spot of Bother " by Mark Haddon which I am hoping Nat will also like as she loved the Curious Incident , then head back out to feed and let out my little cat down the road . She seems delighted to see me and squirms and wriggles in a pool of sunlight in the sitting room . I will return this evening to empty the bins and make sure things are tidy as M is back tomorrow and I will have less time in the morning if I am fitting in Alice's walk as well as getting to the Day Job at a reasonable hour .
I battle with the is it really seven or eight am now and if so ( which ?) is it still early enough going back to bed with the papers and my new book " Notes from an Exhibition " by Patrick Gale which I am dying to pick up . Alice has no interest in her post walk Bonio but is flat out on the sofa , and happily accepts wrapping in the tartan blanket .
I head upstairs , papers , coffee , phone .
The rest of the household is still fast asleep .
Bliss.