It was still dark

when I went out to get the papers this morning.
It is a strange experience being out there when it is so quiet and there is nobody else around. On some mornings there may be a dog walker or a jogger doing a very early morning run. On others Miss Puss may be sitting on the fence. There will be a light on in the house of the human she owns and perhaps another in a house further along the street. Often there is nobody around at all. Most people in our little street do not rise quite as early. I like those few, small, quiet moments when there are no other people around. I have breathing space.
I need to rise early because, somewhere in the world, people will be up and working. There will often be someone who wants to 'talk' to me. It can be the middle of the day or late at night for them. We seem to work it out. Things get done.
We went out to lunch yesterday. The couple we had lunch with have a daughter in England. Her mother has finally had her way and they are coming to Australia - at least for the present. I suspect her son-in-law is more than a little reluctant and that the situation may not last. Up until this week they have had Skype. The computer has now been packed ready to be transported here and the mother was moaning about the fact that she could no longer have instant, face-to-face, conversations with her daughter.
"You should get Skype," she told me, "People would be able to talk to you so easily."
It is the last thing I want. I can cope with the early morning work schedule for now but I know what would happen. I would be on 24 hour call 7 days a week for face-to-face conferences. This may be why daughter gave in to mother too. They will at least be in the same time zone.