Me: Where’s Dave?
Nell: Outside playing Cowardy Custards with Walter Pigeon.
Me: Cowardy Custards?
Nell: Yes.
Me: How do you play?
Nell: You have to stare at each other until one of you moves.
Me: Are you sure Walter is playing?
Nell: Of course I am.
Me: I can’t see him.
Nell: Look at the top of the steps.
Me: Oh yes. They are both really focussed.
Nell: They can play this for hours. Personally, I don’t see the attraction. Boring game.
Me: I bet you could do it if there was someone eating.
Nell: I beg your pardon?
Me: You can be completely focussed when you are watching me eat.
Nell: I’m being Supportive. It’s what we labradors do.
Me: If you say so.
Nell: Is the internet working yet?
Me: No. We rely on it for phone calls too, as we have no signal down here, so we’re completely cut off.
Nell: Have you told everyone?
Me: Yes. I went down to the end of the lane yesterday until I got a signal.
Nell: It makes you realise how reliant we are on technology.
Me: Yes. I was supposed to FaceTime with Alice and Chris and the grandchildren.
Nell: They will still be there. There is nothing you can do at the moment.
Me: It’s my niece Scarlett’s birthday today.
Nell: Yes. I know. That’s why there’s a photo of her on here. Happy Birthday Scarlett from us all.
Me: Yes. Happy Birthday Button. We love you. Can you believe she is 17?
Nell: Time certainly flies.
Me: It seems only yesterday that she was 2 and we were dancing round the living room.
Nell: You still do.
Me: She gave Dave his name. He couldn’t be anything else but Dave now.
Nell: Or David.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
