Spring has sprung

We are now enjoying much warmer days followed by cool nights and cool nights means that there is a lot of condensation around in the morning - the windows of the conservatory are obscured in the morning - on the outside thank goodness and not the inside, in fact we have had very little problem with internal condensation this winter with is a bonus.  John's thinks it is the new little space heater that I purchased which has made the difference, certainly it warms the room quickly and circulates the air which is good.

The damp conditions mean that we have plenty of visitors in the garden not all of which are welcome although I don't mind snails too much and the one which was making its progress down the conservatory door was tiny but I bet it has a voracious appetite and I will rue my decision not to pick it off and sling it over the wall into the field beyond which must be a snail's heaven - a veritable smorgasbord to a mollusc except they run the risk of getting trampled to death by a herd of marauding goats or worse eaten alive!!!

So the hazy start this morning gave an ethereal look to the view the other side of our wall - the foal was grazing and the mist was clearing as the sun began to rise.  The horses are moved gradually around the field to ensure they get fresh grazing each day - this is a good time for the horses - soon they will be moved around fields with very little to offer by way of nourishment, often with little shade and a water container that they manage to kick over.

I love this time of year - everything is beginning to take off in the garden and we are preparing for visitors and getting our seating areas sorted out.

For the first time this year I have freesias flowering, the bulbs which I must have planted around the base of the 'lime' tree (I say lime because it smells like lime and the fruits are the size of miniature limes but the colour of lemons) have sent out shoots and I look to have about half a dozen flower stems ready to burst open.  These are John's mum's favourite flowers so I hope she gets to see this picture because whenever I see freesias they remind me of her.  My osteospurmum which is purple on one side and yellow on the underside has been nibbled - it was probably that teeny tiny snail which ended up on the conservatory door!!



John was keen to get the cushions out for all the various seating areas - we have a couple of coptic storms left so will need to bring them in during that time but as we keep them stored in George's during the winter (with his permission) like to remove them as soon as we can just in case he decides to come out for Easter (which is unlikely) or someone else from his family comes.  The roof terrace has benefited so much from being tiled and is a nice space - we may well have to replace the material panels which are only there to afford a little privacy but they came from Jumbo so weren't expensive.
The steamers have had their cushions put back and that area is ready for visitors - it can be accessed from the guest bedroom via the side door and benefits from the early morning sun.

As we learned today that it looks like we are to have some unexpected visitors (which is really exciting) we need to ensure that this area is looking at its best - I don't suppose there is any chance of my natural stone outside shower surround being done by then is there John?

Anyway we are very excited that my bessie UK friend Hazel's son plans to visit the island with his girlfriend and we have invited them to come and stay with us if they would like to.  Fingers crossed they can sort out the flights etc.  John has such fond memories of Jordan as a very small boy kicking the shit out of his shins when John carted him unceremoniously off to his bedroom because he was being naughty and trying Hazel's patience to the absolute absolute limit.  In those days we wouldn't have been surprised to have found three sixes tattooed somewhere on his scalp but now he is a fine upstanding member of the community and a doctor to boot - all testament to the upbringing Hazel gave him.  As much as she is proud of him and his achievements he is proud of her and everything she managed to do for him whilst a single parent.  I am proud of her too and whilst I am sorry she will not be accompanying them I really hope that she will come on her own soon and we can spend quality time together - we have so many random memories of our years together that we always end up in fits of laughter remembering the scrapes we used to get into.

We managed to get Dad to come out with Mum and I this afternoon after pickleball - Tala Monastery cafe or the Tala amphitheatre cafe is always a winner as you can sit inside and as the wind this afternoon was cool that was not a bad thing.  There were lots of cars at the monastery but the occupants must have been inside the grounds as there were only a couple of people having a cuppa.

We called into Chocco's to get a copy of their new sandwich menu because we are planning on ordering sandwiches fresh for our return from Limassol on Tuesday when Dad has his check up.  It would appear that the operation on this eye has been successful - at least he has not been left with worse sight which is such a blessing and given time and the right prescription he should be able to go back to reading - he has found an old pair of glasses which is helping him in that respect so he is able to do a sudoku if he wants.

John and I had a fair few errands to run before going home - this included a trip to Paphos Home Market which turned out to be an expensive one!!!!  We had discussed replacing the old table and chairs which is on the front patio because it is getting rusty - we just went for a little walk around the outside furniture to find they had a lovely little set for only €99 it was so lovely that we decided we would buy it because it was only going to be on offer until Friday plus the girl managed to wangle delivery for only €15 sometime in the next couple of days.