Grey Is My Favourite Colour

My Dear Fellow,

Another Monday off. I have booked time with Princess Normal on my last two free Mondays. She is my best friend here in Edinburgh. I am going to miss her very much when I leave.

Her suggestion for today was that we take Murphy the Dog for a long walk up Blackford Hill. Walking up there was something I had never done in my entire 23 years in Edinburgh. I remember walking around it with Sally Damage but the Princess told me that the views from up there are lovely. And anyway - MURPHY DOG. How could I turn that down?

Because I am who I am, I arrived with a black bag. Inside the bag was a Ducky On A Rope. Murphy was at first unsure whether he should relinquish his prized slipper for a new toy, but after a sniff he took off with the ducky and we had a decent tug-war with it. The Princess chased him around the garden, threatening to take it off him, which he loved.

But after just 5 minutes, he'd already trashed it. The ducky was effectively disembowelled, so I had to take it off him before he devoured the stuffing inside. Fortunately, I also had a ball (above) in my black bag. Clearly, that was a hit too, and made of sturdier stuff. This didn't stop Murphy from shoving his nose back in the bag to see if any MORE toys were to be had.

I also gave the Princess her present. This is a big book of recipes I've been writing since June. Murphy had attempted to eat her own book of home-written recipes and so it gave me an excuse to spend some time writing down meals I thought she and her family would like, and also drawing silly pictures of dogs. I attach one page in the extras so you can see how I spend my time when not composing blips in my head or listening to podcasts.

The walk itself was great fun. Murphy is a very good dog, and extremely attentive to the Princess. But he is still a doggy. And let's just say that the crowd of 5 year olds having a picnic on Blackford Hill were just ASKING for it. Before the Princess could do anything about it, Murphy was in the midst of a group of mildly panicky toddlers, shaking them down for their ham sandwiches.

The Princess retrieved him apologetically while I laughed. They must have thought I was the most irresponsible dog owner on the planet.

But for the most part he was an absolute treasure. He let me throw the slavery-spit ball for him over and over. He seemed to never tire. And it was just lovely being part of the Princess's regular ritual. She explained to me how they always stopped for a tea at the Hermitage cafe, and Murphy got a bacon roll for being a goo' boy.

He really is too. Even if he did manage to mug that SAME group of 5 year olds again as we headed back to the Princess's house.

On our way, the chat turned to Wellington, and friends and family. There was a slight air of melancholy to our stories. People get older, times change, things don't always work out the way we would like. Not all of our friendships have endured. Not all family relationships end happily.

Don't get me wrong - it's not like the Princess and I are unhappy - in fact I think we are both very grateful for the lives we have and extremely happy in the choices we've made. But we both have friends and relatives we miss and that makes us sad.

I suppose the sadness of separation is the ticket-price you pay for connecting with someone. Even a cat or a dog. I still choke up when I think of Figgy, The Bestest Kitty in the World Ever. But its totally worth that ticket-price to have had him in our lives. Murphy makes the Princess so happy. I don't think she would even think twice about bringing a puppy into her life now. Even if he did eat her cookery-book.

Our sober chat continued back to the Princess's house and over a cup of tea and a cheese board. I didn't mind. No-one can make me laugh like the Princess but sometimes it's good to talk about how you feel. She put on Counting Crows and we watched Murphy Dog nap, tired but happy.

It will make me sad to say goodbye to her next week. But that's the ticket-price for the past 6 years. Even if it were the ticket-price just for today it will have been worth it and then some.

Parsones