I keep finding old bones in the garden. These are the remains of the handiwork of Ruth, who once chewed happily upon their formerly more succulent selves. Ruth no doubt buried or discarded bones in many locations, both in and outside the property. Being a dog who refused to be contained within boundaries and this being a time when dogs roaming about was viewed with a more relaxed attitude, she obtained food from many people in the street. It was not unusual to see her trotting up the drive with a huge specimen in her mouth. Complete bones and shards of bone and now emerging, pushed from their resting places by water and time.

This makes my garden a kind of archaeological dig. If I play my cards right it might even become a kind of shrine, pilgrims wending their way from far and near to see or even touch the sacred bone fragments. Ruth was a very popular dog. She may well have an afterlife as a kind of saint.