Minus 4 and still they dig! However, enough of the moles, I am thinking of reporting my mistress to the RSPCA. I know that the day before yesterday, I wanted to stay outside when she came to let me in again, but the sun was shining. Admittedly, it was still below freezing but the sun was at least shining. I did not, I repeat not ask to stay outside yesterday morning. My trip outside was a necessary evil into the frozen wasteland that was once our garden. Half an hour I had to sit on the doorstep waiting for her to come back. She said I should have barked, but the truth is I simply don’t expect to be left there, it never occurred to me that she wouldn’t be coming straight back. To add insult to injury, I could smell the smoke from next door’s fire curling up into the air, and back down to our back door. I did wonder whether Matilda the cat would let me in if I went round there, but the gate was closed. It took quite a long time of curling up on the duvet, with my head on my mistress’s pillow, for me to thaw out again. I hope I made my feelings on the subject very clearly known and that there will not be a repeat of this dreadful behaviour on her part. To add further insult my mistress had the audacity to say I had enough spare flesh to keep me warm, whatever is she thinking? I am a lean dog without an ounce of spare fat, maybe one or two of marzipan but none of fat! She has suggested that she needs to join me on the diet, which would at least not make me quite as miserable as watching her eat a biscuit without me, but couldn’t she just drop the whole idea altogether?