On going to bed last night here at Rosie’s farm I rather expected I might have a visit from Inca, the black Labrador who had slipped in under cover of darkness and kept me company for most of the night last time I slept over; I didn’t expect to open my door and find Horsey the cat (well that’s what she answers to) curled up on the right side of my bed, as if waiting for me to take my place on the left side, which I decided to do, considering she looked so cuddly, comfy and warm (it was cold and I hadn’t bothered to put the heater on). However, just as I was about to get into bed, Inca entered the room and looked imploringly at me.

“Okay,” I said and she jumped up and took her place at the bottom of the four-poster.

Horsey endured the intrusion for five minutes but she was miffed, and departed with her nose in the air. Inca, obviously delighted, quickly took her rightful place beside me and rested her head in the crook of my arm, and put her paw in mine as we had done before.

Perhaps half an hour had passed when I heard another set of paws clicking on the tiled floor; in one bound agile Malachi (another, but slightly heavier, beautiful Black Labrador) was at the foot of my bed and trying to push my legs apart. For some time I lay on my back with my left leg straight and my right leg skewed at a strange and uncomfortable angle. The dogs’ bulk took up any slack in the duvet cover and the whole of my left-hand side, including my bare left foot, was getting cold; I wished I had opted for thermal socks and my polar bear onesie rather than my pink and black leopard skin onesie, which was much thinner.

I returned to bed ten minutes later, having disturbed my bed-mates who then needed to go out for some “air” – and the other dogs, Sasha and Jas, joined them (making the most of the general disturbance and the open door); but this time I was thermally protected and bearlike. And on this occasion Malachi beat Inca to the favoured spot beside me and the younger dog had to make do with the area of bed beyond my bent knees. Malachi was treated to the same kind of loving caresses that Inca had gone into raptures over; but she could not decide which she liked best – being stroked under her chin or on top of her head and around her silky ears; therefore, every so often, she moved her head – either under my hand or over my arm – and deep sleep eluded us both, although we dozed in a particularly warm and pleasant manner. I had pulled the hood of my fluffy onesie over my head and was cosy, regardless of any shortage of duvet.

At some point during the coldest hour, when I was half-asleep, I was brought to full consciousness by rapid breathing and two little paws reaching up to my bedside; it was tiny Sasha, and behind her was Jas, the eldest and largest of the quartet. I turned on the light.

“What do you want?” I asked, “Do you want to come onboard?” (I hoped they would see that there was scarcely room for one more, even a small one.)

Sasha stood on her hind legs and surveyed the bed-top. Realising the hopelessness, they chose the next best thing – a breath of cold air! They all went. Afterwards Sasha and Jas retired to their usual mattress and we three four-poster wallerers went back into the bedroom; Inca snuck in first and Malachi had to take up the lesser position. She couldn’t bear the come-down and headed off for her basket by the Aga.

Just as I had begun to snooze, I felt a heavy weight at the end of the bed and a gigantic body was forcing my legs apart – Jas!

I slept lengthwise across the bed, with the pillows against my back (which was quite good for keeping out the draft); but it wasn’t a long sleep… soon it was time to get up and feed the animals.

No sleepwalking shenanigans tonight – I’m going to shut the door.

Here are a few photographs of the lovely fire, Horsey the cat and my other bedfellows.