Coptic Storms...

As the evening progressed last night the wind got up - odd in that it was a warm wind.  It got stronger and stronger and kept me awake during the night. Not so John, super cider soccer Sunday had taken its toll and he was away with the fairies!

We were experiencing the March 10th Coptic Storm which had arrived a little late.  This storm is called El Husson or El Hasson and is an equinox gale which apparently lasts double the usual time.  It has brought with it Saharan dust so today the skies are leaden even though it is relatively warm.  Mum tells me that the smoggy atmosphere wont improve until the skies release the dust and then everything is covered in a blanket of red.

I had to smile this morning as the wind had wreaked havoc on the hoardings for the 'prestigious' development which is supposed to be built across the road from us.  Nothing seems to happen there except people go in pinching stuff and the hoardings get blown down on a regular basis.  The man with the little white van is obviously employed to make sure they are put back up - he clearly has created a job for life as he never seems to sort them out properly!  Today he braced just one panel with a bit of wood and a stone he found loafing around - I give it a day or so before it is back flapping in the wind or strewn across the road!

John is about to give me a run for my money by creating a group on Facebook called We Love Droushia - he does Facebook - I don't! He has belonged to one called I Love Pissouri which gives all sorts of information and photographs etc about Pissouri and he was encouraged to start up his own.  I have told him very firmly that this is his project and not mine as I shall stick to the Blog until I get bored or run out of something to say! If you want to find the site it is here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/256231164461446/

We were going to do some indoor jobs today but as it was fine, windy but fine and slightly chilly up here, John persuaded me to be his Part IV whilst he tackled the humungous logs from the load we got delivered by Dimitri when Sean and Sharon were here.  John was keen to get them cut and stored out of sight as poor Simon and Mel had some 'liberated' from their house at Christmas.  

It bothers me that he uses his foot as a support - I can just see some horrendous accident happening but he says he is fully in control.  Fortunately the chainsaw is back and working but John prefers to try and split with his axe, bolster and Sharon's blingy gold splitter - there is quite a lot of wastage with the chainsaw unless you have a hamster and want some sawdust.  

I was amazed to see that throughout the whole exercise a small tail-less gecko clung on to the chopping block log for grim death.  I hope that the missing tail wasn't caused by a wayward blow from John's axe.  I took the opportunity to ensure that I removed it to a safer location whilst John was taking a well-earned rest.

We are hopeful that Sharon and Sean won't need to use any when they come back in April but at least if they do they will have plenty and all cut to the correct size for their wood burner.  When you only come for a week or so you don't really want to have to spend a day sorting out wood do you?  As we were sharing the load John was completely anal in his 'one for us-  one for them' routine!  

On our walk back down the road John had me picking up screws which the Sri Lankan workmen had discarded when they put up the monstrous garage next to Sean and Sharon.  Not because he was concerned about them causing a puncture or that they might get themselves attached to one of the cat's magnets but because he is a pikey old git and thinks he might find a use for them - he will be straightening nails next!  Actually come to think of it I have seen him straightening nails already - now that is very sad isn't it?

I don't want to steal John's thunder but on the way down to Polis to get some food he asked me to take some photographs of the village for his Facebook Group WLD (We Love Droushia).  The weather conditions were causing a strange light so I suggested that maybe a sunny day would show the village off a little better but I took some anyway.

This is the corner where the coffee shop and the Stathmos Taverna meet - unfortunately the owner of the coffee shop died quite suddenly and was buried the week before last but we are glad to see that the coffee shop is still trading.  I have no idea who the dog belongs to but I just expected it to run up to me and say 'SAUSAGES' - either that or give my leg a nasty nip!!

My final photograph for the day is the river that is currently flowing through Prodromi - not having noticed it previously I am assuming that in the summer this is dry.  Dry it is not at the moment and on the other side of the bridge it burst its banks and flooded the road that takes you the back way into Polis.