Housesitting and planning our next adventure

With Donna and Keith at Ounce in Bishampton. The chateaubriand was amazing, as usual

We didn’t make it to the pub on Sunday, partly as most of the boys seemed to be away but also as we got only home at 9:00am on Sunday morning  after an overnight flight from Nairobi, so keeping eyes open was a challenge. Monday was thrillingly spent changing our address from John’s. Very boring but necessary I suppose. We did then make it out for a Monday Club pint which was very enjoyable. We even had a bit of a night safari. As Mark and I opened the pub door there were two foxes almost on the doorstep. One ran off immediately but the other was quite happy to be photographed.

Our UK wildlife experience. One of two foxes waiting just outside the pub door as we left

Tuesday we came down to our Housesit for the beautiful Max and Otto. They live in an amazing house, lovely to visit, but not one either of us would want to own, a 1640’s money pit! It is big, three staircases, one just going to our suite where the floor is so up and down it’s unbelievable. The skirting board probably varies between 8cm and 18cm and you almost feel like you are at sea walking across it.

Our housesit for this week at a huge, amazing and very old house set in immense grounds with two fabulous cats to look after. Easy to get lost here both inside the house with its three staircases and outside in the extensive grounds

The grounds are also extensive, I did just under 1000 steps yesterday looking for the gardener and then taking her a cup of tea! It’s the boys however who we are here for, they are Egyptian Mau cats and so beautiful. Otto loves fuss and attention, though Max isn’t far behind, we had both of them for cuddles with a movie last night, and on the bed this morning. Heaven.

Look at these two fabulous cats we're looking after, Otto and Max. Very hard to tell them apart, they are near identical, but we think we may have got it sorted now

Yesterday we went to Bishampton to have lunch with Donna and Keith at Ounce for the Thursday Chateau Briand special. As good as ever. We had a lovely time catching up with D&K and making a fuss of Cookie and Cracker. We got the usual uproarious welcome from the boys which I’m sure everyone gets, but is still a pleasure.

Jackie giving Cookie and Cracker their treats yesterday while we were at Donna and Keiths

Apart from that we’ve been out for a couple of short walks, trying not to get too muddy and gone slightly square eyed looking at screens trying to plan the Bolivian salt flat and the Atacama desert. Home tomorrow though and back to normal life.

Another view of one of the gardens at this lovely house

Look at this part of the house, there's not a straight edge to be seen. The window top right is amusing, specially made to fit the opening

Off on one of the two short walks we've done while here

Snuggled up together on us both last night while we watched TV

We think this is Otto as the fur on the top of his head has a slight O shape. However Max has a slight O there too but he is slightly smaller than Otto. He could be Max, but I think he's Otto

Look at their coats, they are amazing. Reminds me a bit of the Serval cat we saw in Kenya. Serval's are bigger (have sharp teeth and are wild) but a similar spotted coat. Lets see if I can find a photo of the one we saw in Kenya for comparison...

Here's the one we saw. Vague likeness I suppose, now I've seen them side by side

And now |I've got a pussy cat on my lap demanding lap space, making it very difficult to write this. Which one is he? Otto I think, but he clearly thinks he is more important than this blog!