Omar's Diary to 31st October 2022

Words would fail me if I tried to tell you how absolutely thrilled I was to have won first prize with this photograph in a local village show. The brief in the show schedule was for a "Woodland Glade". I just wonder how many of the demographic of Burley village defined as "blue rinses" or "silver seniors" noticed the cheeky activity in the lower right-hand corner of the shot?

My entry at the Ibsley Horticultural Society Show on the theme of the ocean did not even get placed. Oh how fickle the judgemental eye can be.

The Servants prepared me rather well for an enormous change in the household here at Omar Towers. During the first weekend of October there was much sweeping, cleaning, dusting and polishing took place in one of the bedrooms.

While they were having a break from this burst of hyper domesticity they told me that there was going to be another feline taking up residence during the second week of the month. I hadn't been consulted about this or included in the decision-making process but when I heard the back story how I could even think about objecting.

Afterall, and I am not ashamed to admit this, I was homeless once about this time of year living on the street somewhere in Bournemouth. It was cold and the wet and I wouldn't wish that on anyone, feline or servant.

Her name is "Beau" and as I write this diary. I have to say that I quite like her and she has filled a gap in my life since Mitzi died back in July. She has a room entirely to herself to allow her to assimilate with the sounds and routines of the house. Selfishly this room allocation suits me as now the door is left open I have access to her private dining area and en suite should the weather be in the least inclement.

Beau's arrival triggered the DIY gene in Man Servant. As you may recall from previous diaries this activity is one that he has a proven track record of being, to put it colloquially, a picnic short of a sandwich. However, his recent efforts have gone a long way to dispel that.

Whenever I see his toolbox appear I retreat well away from what could be a disaster zone or scene of crime and stay away until the tools are put back in the garage.

His first project and one that I dreaded witnessing was the fitting of a new door into the garage. It took him some considerable time but he managed it in the end. It took him so long that I felt he stretched the adage of "work slow, work fast" to breaking point. After all of that effort, time and patience the door does look rather good to my uncritical eye. Nearly a month after installation is still hanging from its hinges and opening and closing as it should.

The second project was hanging a blind in Beau's room. The last blind he hungtook nearly a day to complete which I will put down to him having to learn on the job. Beau's blind only took a couple of hours and I am pleased to say that it is still hanging from its fittings and functioning as it should. Like me, Beau has already developed an anathema to Man Servant and his DIY efforts. As soon as his toolbox arrived in her room she disappeared under a bed for the duration of the work.

I will have to get my hearing checked.

Honestly, when Man Servant was fitting the door I am sure he said he was going to get a "surfboard". Why? It is nearly winter. He has never shown any inclination to take part in water sports and he has enough to do with riding the horses. Maybe he is having one of those mid to late life crisis.

While the Servants and I were having a break a big white van appeared in the driveway. After much banging of doors, the delivery servant came to the door with a parcel about the size of a shoebox. Again, I am certain Man Servant said "surfboard". If it is, then it must be an inflatable one. He got very excited undoing the packaging.

"Ah, my surform. I can just get those last few millimetres off the door and the job is done."