It's that time I'm afraid. It comes to us all. It's time to go our separate ways. To be honest it's hard, but it must be done. It's for the best.
The Cat's Mother, The Cat, Queen Anne and Hopeful are heading west. The Wild West. Well New York really. It's the same thing.
The Boy is heading North. The Far North. The Frozen North. Well The Lake District. It's the same thing.
I am heading East. The exotic east. The snowy mountains of France. It's the same thing.
The Cat's Mother is flying (of course - she couldn't go by ship as the Titanic evidently went down some time ago).
The Boy is travelling by mini-bus for his adventurous training.
And I'm going by train. From St Pancras to Albertville is 10 hours. It's my idea of heaven...I love train travel, and I've never crossed France in the daytime - when The Boy and I used to go by train we were always on the sleeper.
The Cat's Mother and the Cat will be staying in the Four Seasons. I'll be staying in a cosy chalet. And The Boy will be in a tent. Three of us have struck lucky and I don't envy the other.
The Cat's Mother will be shopping and enjoying the culture. The Boy will be yomping. And I''l be slipping and sliding.
But here's the thing we're all doing something we want to do. We'll all be with friends. And we'll all come back refreshed and looking forward to spending time together. Absence make the heart grow fonder.
