It was only 11 days away this time, but in she bounces fresh as a spring rabbit. A little short on grooming and hungry as a church mouse, but otherwise totally herself and unapologetic for the disruption she has caused in our lives.
She has well exceeded her annual holiday allowance. We calculate in the last 12 months she has been absent without leave for well over 60 days, that's 1/6th of a year on her various jaunts.
Where does she go? She's not telling. She travels silently and at night and though she is chipped to our address, that doesn't operate for GPS like a mobile telephone would. How far does she range? Once we rescued her gratefully from Little Orchard House in West Street. Perhaps one of our readers takes her in and feeds her? Banish the thought!
I must admit we have a sneaking admiration for her independence and a sort of phlegmatic resignation, even amounting to a confident hope that she will return, until one day perhaps she won't. Our greatest fear is that she will be locked in somewhere without food and water perhaps when a weekender goes back to town, for she often returns on a Monday.
So here's to Milly, and in the catchphrase sign-off of John Ebdon, a BBC broadcaster from earlier days: "And if you have been, thanks for listening."
