Tuesday...



We have an easy routine in the morning - open up and let the air flow through, feed the cats, take the cover off of the pool, fill the various water bowls dotted around the garden, make coffee/tea, retire back to bed and read the morning papers - simples!!  Only this morning having removed the cover from the pool I also had to remove one of the smallest lizards I have ever seen and then having removed it place it somewhere where Chivers wouldn't find it, worry it to death, make it shed its tail and then eat it.

As I said we are having a quiet few days before Hazel arrived so we didn't have much planned for today.  Mum was calling in this afternoon with four of her friends prior to going to the Spa for a swim and High Tea.

We are absolutely amazed by the morning glory that Klaus and Sheila gave us - from one tiny little seedling half of one of the walls has been covered and every morning we are greeted by a new swathe of bright, bright pink flowers.  Hopefully this will self seed so that we can cover the wall again next year.  I am busy collecting the seeds as I have several other places that would benefit from being covered - I have a feeling I may live to regret this though when I am moaning like hell about the morning glory strangling everything in sight!

Earlier in the week we had been given some dried herbs (mint and oregano) by our neighbour Galadia.  She and Charalambous are having work done on her home up here (the outside stairs up to their third bedroom are being replaced) and the workman came clutching bags of herbs but as he had only recently done a job for them and came that time with herbs she has a glut.  As we were bagging it up ('cutting it' as John called it!!) we thought that anyone watching might have thought we were heavily into recreational drugs!!  Having said that the smell was rather heady! 

Mum arrived with friends, Eileen (trombone Hilary's Mum), Liz (photographer Nicky's Mum), Sue (builder Tim's Mother in Law) and Lyn (who must be someone's Mum but not anyone we know!!).  After a whirlwind look around our house which, as you know if you have been here, doesn't take five minutes, I drove down to the Spa to show the ladies how to get in - although I must admit I even struggled to push the intercom to get the barrier raised! and where to get changed.  For once there were quite a few people round the pool but then it is peak holiday season.  I left them about to take a dip before their carb overdose in the shape of High Tea.  I have subsequently learned that they had a lovely time and enjoyed the tea although they were not overly keen on the flavour of the scones - Mum thought they were overly bi-carbed - at least they mentioned it to David the Chef so that he is aware for another time.

We had a quiet evening - we have, contrary to what we expected, been completely hooked by the Olympics - apart from the dreadful BBC coverage with constant channel hopping required and the inane claptrap of the 'experts' everything else has been superb.  We were glued to the Triathlon and the fantastic Brownlee boys (I used to work for someone called Brownlee - I wonder if he was related?), transfixed by the cyling and even enthralled by dressage!!!  The venues look fantastic and we have heard nothing negative about any of it and you know how we Brits just love to put things down.  I would have missed it dreadfully next week were it not for the fact that Hazel will be here.  As for Minnie she really couldn't care less - clearly!