A better day, although largely devoted to sleep. Helen isn’t coming back until tomorrow. She and her friend were going to the sheep-dog trials today.

   That is a local sporting event, famously boring. In my day there was one man (and his dog) who could do it. He is buried next to my husband, but I can’t remember his name.

   One day I was walking to the village behind him. His sheep were in front, and in front of them, his dog. When the foremost sheep reached the track before the cemetery, its gate already open, he whistled to the dog, who translated the message into sheep: “Turn right here.” They did, calmly. The shepherd followed and closed the gate. It was beautiful to watch.

   I got a bit of knitting done today. I think i’ve figured out where I am in the first Spalding sleevd. I’ve figured out how to do half-brioche-in-the-round. Not much progress but a teeny bit.

   Last night’s sleep was better. My carer took a picture of my bottom to send to the district nurse. Everyone keeps telling me it’s getting better. It looks terrible.

   Wordle: four for me today. Starters produced two browns and a fgreen. I put a Jean-word in line three, in order to answer specific questions, which it did brilliantly — I now had three greens. Not much further struggle produced the answer.

   Rachel and Mark were the threes, Ketki and Thomas the fours. Uncharacteristic silence from Alexander. Four from Roger and Theo both.

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