Thursday April 11th

We were up early today - excited about our purchase from Super Home Centre yesterday!  

After a bit of a Krypton Factor moment where we struggled to pull the pull-out bit far enough because (a) I have short arms and (b) I am a weak and feeble female we eventually managed to get the gazebo up with the roof on and John jiggled it so that it fitted perfectly on the decking and the legs have been positioned behind the corner bracing that John had put on the balustrades so it is unlikely to move very far unless we get a hurricane.

For the money we paid it is an absolute bargain.  We wanted something to provide some shelter and some shade in the front so that we might use this area a bit more than we do but we had thought that whatever we purchased (or John made) would have cost us a lot more than this did - in fact at these sorts of prices they almost become a one season then discard item.  I am almost in two minds as to whether to go back and buy one of the wind-up garden parasols to replace the rather shabby Carlsberg one that is outside the kitchen door - they ranged in price from about €20 - when I think about what we paid for the little cream one in T&V corner - it was an arm and a leg job!

The new gazebo has given me a bit of a problem as renders my washing line(s) a bit useless and the front garden in the best place for drying.  I asked John if he could have a look as to where they could be positioned whilst I was down in Emba playing pickleball.

I picked up Vicki today and we went down together.  I had a couple of things I needed to get before we called into Mum's for a light lunch.  I had been detailed off to get the 'brown stuff' which John was going to use to cover the gazebo that came to grief in the winter winds.  We had priced it up yesterday and found it was cheapest at One Stop and called into the shop to buy it on our way back from the airport only to find that it was Wednesday and half day closing!  Anyway I got it today, it was even cheaper than we had been quoted yesterday and I wasn't about to argue!

We had a really good session at pickleball - it is good to have regular players and even thought I think Jeff could play us all off the court if he wanted to he is a good sport.  Just occasionally he can't help himself and lets fly but we forgive him although I don't forgive him his looping spinning serves!!  We came home via Peyia and a quick visit to the UK shop there for a couple of bits and pieces.  I had to do a detour in Droushia as they are putting in the telegraph poles to provide Andreas with electricity and the digger was right across the road.

John had been busy getting prepared for his DIY job tomorrow which is tackling the cover for the gazebo now that I had been able to buy the 'brown stuff'.

We were stood outside looking at the task in hand when we were bombarded by the pair of Greater Spotted Cuckoos.  We guess that they must be a mating pair - at least that looked like that was what they were doing!

At one point one of the birds was walking nonchalantly along the pavement of the new road.  It had caught Chivers' attention and he jumped into the field and looked like he was about to stalk it.  How awful would that be if, now that we have managed to identify the bird and now that we have seen a pair, Chivers managed to catch one and drag it through the cat flap?  

We needed to try and distract him because we remember the episode when he caught the magpie and played with it mercilessly until it died and we didn't want a repeat performance.

We needn't have worried because he suddenly got very excited about chasing a bee or a fly - not sure what it was but it was enough to turn his attention away from the bird on the footpath.  Minnie just stared at him from the safety of the fence with a look that seemed to say 'you will get stung one of these days you duffer!'

The other job that John had done was to repair the two fly screens that he made for the little windows that are either side of the wood burner chimney.  Flies are beginning to be a right old nuisance at the moment and now that it is warmer and we have the windows open we have to try and stop them getting in.  I had the misfortune to find that a fly had managed to get into my peelings bucket and lay eggs and I had a perfect batch of maggots for fishing - disgusting.