Bumper Parcel Day...

Before going down to the Akamas Spa this morning for our knock about pickle-ball training session on the Tennis Court we decided to put together the patio heater we had bought the day before.  It was all good, instructions in English - all parts included and easy assembly - fantastic!  We are going to have to find a way of deflecting the heat generated from the polythene on the roof but apart from that - all systems go - we could even eat out there on Christmas Day!!!  Joking (or maybe not???).  We have had to chuck some covers on the furniture if the cats are out there unsupervised - dirty feet and the fact that the wicker is like the best scratching post ever means that if we are going to keep them looking nice we have to do something to protect them.

It was a very warm day today with a warm wind - almost humid even up here in Droushia.  Pickle-ball left us both feeling a bit sticky and we had a good work-out.  Even though I used to avoid PE (as it was called in my day) like the plague I have at long last found a sport that I really enjoy even if I am not particularly good - my vision being a bit of a stumbling block!

There was a great deal of excitement when we visited the postbox because we had had nothing for days, probably because like everywhere else at the moment the Post Office had been on strike!  Today however there were cards and parcels.  One parcel in particular brought a little lump to my throat - Vix had put together a calendar for next year which was full of photographs of times we have all spent together it will be a fantastic year-long reminder of good friends.

In another parcel was a special pad that I had bought for the cats which absorbs and retains their body heat - we are concerned that they might get really cold at night when the heating goes off.  I know you are asking - how would they survive if they were still feral and outside all the time??  but they are not feral - they are our babies and we love them to bits!!!  The initial test drive of the pad proved to be a success.  

You can see that Chivs has put on a real growth spurt - he looks like he is going to be a big old cat and is now tipping the scales at over 2.5 kilos (the majority of which appears to be his testicles but they are destined for the chop straight after Christmas!!).  Min is just going to be a short-ass like me - we are uncertain of her weight as she is terrified of scales for some reason - but after collecting lacerated hands today for our troubles we think she is about 1.9 kilos which is a steady increase hopefully due to normal growth and not the unwelcome attention of the un-neutered tomcat Domino who lurks about next-door.

We decided to spend a quiet hour or so before we went down to Emba (we were going out for a meal with Mum and Dad and Costas and Jackie).  John was indulging in a bit of internet poker playing and had pocket aces when we had a power cut!!!  He was extremely cheesed off - it never happens when he is holding a hand like a bag of spanners apparently!!!  Even though the power came back on really quickly John had the hump and decided to give it all a stiff ignoring!!

We think the weather over the next couple of days is changeable and the cloud formation as we drove down to Peyia seemed to bear this out.  Two sets of clouds and the sun going down made beautiful shapes and colours in the sky.  You have to be quick here if you are going to get a photograph of the sun going down as it happens so quickly one minute it is daylight and the next darkness!

It is all looking very festive at Mum and Dad's - even Mum seems to be dressed in Christmas colours!!!  She is busy leading John astray by getting him to drink Commandaria - which is a type of fortified sherry-type wine made here in Cyprus.  Dad had been given a bottle as a Christmas gift from his dentist - maybe it rots the teeth just sufficiently to keep her in business - who knows??

We were down in Emba early enough to have a best of five in Crib which was full of the usual moanings of 'pull stumps', 'I haven't had a turn-up all evening' and 'it would be nice to see what a dozen looks like once in a while'.  It wont mean anything to you if you don't play crib but if you do you will know what I am talking about!!

We had arranged to meet Costas and Jackie at Duomo's and had a good meal (except for the mashed potato which was a little on the cool side).  It was great to catch up with them and we always have a good evening.  Costas regaled mum with his slightly risque jokes - which are even funnier because he tells them in English!

Our build-up to Christmas continues ...