I didn't know whether to laugh or cry

I was sitting reading the paper this morning when a very wet Muffy flew inside in a great panic, leaving a wet trail behind her. I grabbed her and dried her in a towel and turned the heater on for her.  I went outside to see what had happened and took these photos of another very wet trail, this one leading from the pool to my bedroom door (just open enough for her to come in and out).  Lately she's been drinking from the pool, and this morning had obviously toppled in!

Poor darling - the water is freezing cold and the fall must have almost scared the life out of her! I'm so pleased she ran into Mummy for help, instead of doing something silly and running away.

A barbaric tale

Port Arthur Penitentiary (Tasmania) about 1850

How privileged we are, compared to the convicts.  Those poor devils would never have had to worry about cleaning products.

I just finished reading 'For the Term of his Natural Life' by Marcus Clarke, which I bought at Port Arthur in February.  The terrible cruelty and suffering made it hard to read.  And people are behaving just as badly today, in spite of Steven Pinker's latest book, 'The Better Angels of our Nature', putting forward facts that prove we are less violent.

Emma's birthday present

Emma and family are in Tasmania for her birthday and struck it lucky with the heaviest snow fall in 40 years at Cradle Mountain.  Lucky because snow hadn't even been forecast, yet it started to fall as soon as they arrived!

I've been catching up on your comments, Winifred and Infogenium.  Interesting what you both have to say about cleaning products.  And I've taken a renewed interest in cemeteries since you told me about Philip's book, Winifred, and planned to visit a couple today, but - oh, old age! - the other day I pinched a nerve in my right ankle and when I walk the ankle tends to collapse under me, so perhaps I'd better rest a bit longer.  I'll learn some Japanese instead.