Watson and Isobel are old enough now to understand that I habitually come home again, sooner or later, and therefore don’t hold my absences against me. It helps that I always employ a cat-visitor to feed them, top up the water fountain, toss cat toys around, and offer a little lap time. Jane-across-the-street says my current cat-visitor hangs out for at least an hour each time she comes.

Today I conducted a Rite of Fall, the disassembly of the upstairs fans so I could wash and dry the components, put the fans back together, and stow them for the winter. The hot weather still has maybe ten days to run, but overnight conditions are crisp and cool. Last weekend was chilly enough that I wanted the Hudson’s Bay Company blanket on top of the quilt, much to Watson’s delight — that thing is heavy enough to be claw-proof.