"Brings promise of merry sunshine......"

‘Are you busy guv?’

These words made be jump ever so slightly, and realise I might have just been nid-nodding.

‘I’m not interrupting anything important and such like?’

The heavy irony in the delivery of this last sentence left me in no doubt the lad had indeed noted, the aged puffer was snoozing!   I adopted; what I hoped would be regarded by the boy; as the face of one who had been in deep thought.

I was on a loser.

‘Well Bing I was in fact, cogitating on the prospect of being able to run the jolly old hover mower over the grass.’

‘Oh so that was what that buzzing sound was?’

‘Buzzing?’

‘Certainly guv, certainly. You were making a sound not unlike the one you do when you nod off when watching a cricket match.’

‘Nod off? Cricket? No, no, never! I was merely resting my eyes.’

‘M’mmmm.’

I decided it was time to move on from this particular conversation.

‘And so Bing how may I help you?’

The lad sat facing me, perusing my face, as if ascertaining whether I’d be able to remain awake during the ensuing conversation!

‘Really Bing I do assure you, you have my undivided attention.’

He wrinkled his nose ever so slightly, and decided to risk it!

‘Well the thing is old poop, we were chatting the other day about the start of spring and the trundling of squirrels and birds and so forth….’

‘We were indeed young fruit.’

‘And trees budding and flowers popping up here, there and ups-a-daisy and such like.’

‘They’re positively blooming like good-uns.’

‘Quite. The thing is aged gaffer, so far I haven’t really felt particularly spring-like myself. Do you think there’s something wrong with me?’

The eyes were wide and unblinking, and I have to say I was struggling to think of a few words of consolation.

‘I have to say Bing, I hadn’t noticed that you weren’t your usual jaunty self.’

I paused, and wandered over to the sliding door that opens out onto the garden and yanked it open, allowing the sounds and scents from this particular afternoon to creep into the lounge.

Immediately the lads hooter was up and sniffing, he followed its lead and wandered out onto the lawn. I decided to tow along in his slipstream, and was amazed at the warmth that greeted me.

Here and there, various shoots were popping up, indicating it was time I did a bit of spring cleaning out there.

As I turned I heard a sort of growling…growls and woofs of pleasure, and spotted the lad in a pool of sunlight, rolling with great delight in it’s warmth, and managing to push himself around on his back, rather like a demented break dancer!

He paused eventually and peered through his shaggy brows at me.

‘Ah yes guv, well I was just cogitating on whether you should run the jolly old hover mower over the grass.’

Now where had I heard that sentence before?

‘Really Bing?’

‘Yes guv….I think I’ve definitely found Spring!’

The lads tail fairly wagged like anything.

‘Spring young Bing?’

‘Abso-blooming-lutely guv!’