Trixie has more sense than Lucy, who will lurk under a bush, unknown to me, and then emerge all dripping and reproachful when she gets a soaking.
Madam is in the dog house (cat house? No, that has connotations ...) at present. I was woken by the thunderstorm around 3am and, as I lay wishing it would go away, realised I could hear LK howling as though in pain. Thinking she was either ill or had developed a previously unknown fear of storms, I made my way to the kitchen where the noise was coming from. In the ambient light (I try not to put lights on if I wake at night; they destroy my urge to sleep) she was hunkered in front of the dishwasher, making an unearthly noise. Ignored me when I spoke so I bent down to touch her. She was damp so had obviously been out in the rain but still no real response so i snapped on the overhead lights which took her completely by surprise
and she let go of the tiny mouse she'd been holding under a paw! Eek!! Mouse promptly shot into the tiny space between dishwasher and washing machine and, growling, LK tried to follow. Oh, joy! I pulled the dishwasher out as far as I could to give her some access then decided I could only leave her to it so firmly closed the door from kitchen to hall and went back to bed, wide awake by this time. No further sound was heard. This morning, no sign of mouse and LK behaving normally which implies she eventually caught it and took it outside again. Previously, if one has got away from her indoors, she's spent the next three days just sitting and staring at the spot it disappeared.
I'm wiped out today; OH slept through all of it - storm, cat howls, my swearing - and he's forever telling me he doesn't sleep very well!
Viv, you were so lucky with your boiler. Thank goodness it's July not January. The boiler here when we moved in was over 20 years old according to the plumber who replaced it. It was a massive thing that occupied half the airing cupboard and its replacement is about the size of a shoebox but does the job with much greater efficiency and economy.
The car is back from the garage; our engineer checked it and cleared the computer faults that caused the problem but recommends we take it to the local automatic transmission specialist in Newark for a proper overhaul. Neither of us feels like starting any long journeys until that's done so OH is going to arrange that tomorrow.
It's been ridiculously hot here today - far too hot to sit outside in our newly renovated space. It's a little cooler now so we'll eat dinner outside in an hour or so. Tomorrow, I arranged to meet a couple of friends for coffee and gossip, the only time for weeks when we're all free together but I fear town and the getting there and back will be hellish. The last prediction I saw was for 34C here. Phew! Stay cool and hydrated aand do as little as possible
Some evenings I am watering the garden, and she appears from deepest shrubbery spots before she gets watered. 
Then I will do some pottering round the flat.
Take care xxxxxx
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