March 1st - is Spring around the Corner?

Ok so we are now into March and we are hopeful that the 'worst winter in 30 years' will soon be a distant memory.  There is hope...  (With apologies for the quality of the pictures but these were taken on the bloody Blackberry) ... but the picture on the left was taken yesterday morning and the picture on the right was taken this morning.  Don't let the sunshine fool you though because the wind up here today was biting even though Dad seems to think we had more actual sunshine up here in Droushia than they had down in Emba.  Can't tell you if it was enough to provide us with water to shower as we went down for pickleball and the quiz so tea and ablutions were courtesy of Mum and Dad!

My poor old plants don't know whether they are coming or going as they are having all weathers thrown at them.  This morning I  have removed ice from the geraniums and snow from the succulents - some of them are definitely not going to survive this onslaught even though I have brought them inside to try and save them - I should have done it earlier - lesson learned!

The Troodos are covered with a large amount of snow again and it is probably beautiful up there if you can get there - still if you want a view of snow capped hills you don't have to look too far at the moment as some of the hills near us now have a smattering - I can't say that I have ever seen them with snow before but in fairness we haven't been out here and up in Droushia at this time of the year.

Our weather station sits on a post in the garden which is outside the back door and as I have said before is the area where we get the most sun so the readings could be a bit misleading but out of the wind at just before nine o'clock it was a pleasant 13 degrees and by just before eleven o'clock had risen to 17 degrees - in the wind it was a very different story and as we play pickleball at a hotel on the coast we didn't know what the conditions were going to be like.

We dressed in layers for pickleball (always best) and packed copious amounts of layers for the quiz at Sid's Taverna which is never warm.  After a quick lunch and tidy round we had to say goodbye to the cats and leave for Emba.

You can tell it was cold as Minnie Mou decided that climbing on Chivers and depriving him of his body warmth was the way to go.  She HATES being cold!  Chivers is very obliging - in fact she is doing exactly the same today and he is just lying there letting her get on with it.  She will no doubt reward him with an ear clean later on!

There were six of us for pickleball today as Mum has returned after her wrist operation.  It was great to see her back and she certainly didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects - she is still the mean player that she was before.  We had to contend with quite a stiff wind which makes playing interesting and we were all wrapped up in multiple layers gob-smacked at the sight of  holiday makers in swimming costumes - they must be mad!!!

After an absence of several weeks Spyrou's Neighbours returned to the quiz minus Dad who finds it too cold and who was poorly after we went the last time.  The cryptic quiz was replaced by a cryptic crossword which would have been right up Dad's street so I had to step up to the mark with the aid of John to try and complete it - which we did eventually - in only our team and one other managed to complete it all successfully for which we earned a bottle of bubbly.  I am sure it will come as no surprise when I tell you we romped home last night some three points clear of our nearest rivals and picked up a bottle of 'Bacardi' into the bargain.  The jackpot remained untouched last night and our tickets to try for the prize question didn't even come close - still never mind an enjoyable night all the same and an uneventful drive back to Droushia where we were greeted with much enthusiasm by two (apparently) starving cats - my arse!