Dark, Cloudy Morning

It's so dark out today that Bow has been napping all morning.

He wakes up every once in a while, flashes me a big smile, then goes back to sleep again.

Bow thrives on sunlight. When it is sunny, he is very active. When the sun hides behind a cloud, he becomes lethargic. He doesn't seem to want to do anything at all.

If the sun never came out again, we would see a lot less activity. But I expect it will come out again, sooner or later, so Bow and I are not worried.  This reminds me of the year without a summer, 1816, with which my new book Theodosia and the Pirates: The War Against Spain begins.

Without sunshine, how could all the flowers grow?

There would be no food and no trade and no money would be made, and people like Bow would not even consider buying books to read.

However, I am pretty sure that the darkness that has descended on us today is temporary.

I can hear thunder in the distance, and everything outside is wet, even though it is not raining here at the moment.

The wetness is good for the poor pea plant in the corner of the outer pen. It is still holding its own, though not climbing anymore.

Maybe we should all be more opportunistic in responding to nature, the way Bow is. When it is dark, we can sleep.

When the sun comes out again, we can regain our vitality. And when we feel like working, we can work. The only problem is that when it comes to lunch, Bow is always ready to eat, even if he has done nothing else all day. I think many of us have this problem.