Everything is ready in the house - we just need Hazel to arrive.  We had planned to go to down to Polis to get some shopping for the week then come back and have a spot of lunch and a quiet hour or two and then tootle off down to Paphos and the Mall calling in to a number of shops en route before finally setting off for the airport where she was due to arrive at 7.55pm.  We had not, of course, taken into consideration that this is Saturday and most of the shops on the Mesoghi Avenue including all the ones we wanted to go to would be shut nor had we bargained for air traffic controllers buggering up the flight schedules although, to be fair, Hazel was only around 30 minutes late arriving.

So, as I said, the house is ready and we did our shopping in Paps which was somewhat busier than we are used to because there were a whole load of bloody tourists milling about in the aisles looking bewildered and aimlessly picking up tins and boxes and peering at them and then putting them back.  The produce from Sainsbury's seemed to entice them in like moths to the flame - at last!!! something they recognised even if it wasn't something they actually wanted!!  We had a very good natured Greek lesson as our fruit and veg was weighed but I am buggered if I can remember the word for sweetcorn even though I repeated it over and over again!

John likes to make sure that the horse is as ok as she can be so our shopping included 'B' grade cucumbers and apples and he filled up the water container for her as it was very hot today.  She drank it all in one go so we hope that the boys will be round later to replenish her supply.  She is now used to John and even seems to recognise the sound of Kenny.

We checked the post and also went and checked on Dad.  It would appear that there is something about his grave in particular that the birds like so I decided to give it a good rinse off with the hose before Mum goes tomorrow particularly as there was one massive poo on the headstone.

The plants in the trough are surviving but are not flowering at the moment - too hot I am guessing but it still looks neat and tidy.

An update on Aunty Joyce - she is now at home recuperating which is good news - progress is slow but in the right direction thank goodness although they still await the results of the op she had.  Hopefully she will be well enough to attend a forthcoming family wedding we certainly have everything crossed.

As you can see from the photograph it was a glorious day and without much shade in the cemetery it can get pretty hot so we didn't stay too long - I am sure Dad would understand!

The day seemed to run away with us a bit - our quiet couple of hours didn't happen and having had a spate of late nights it was beginning to catch up on us.  The forecast is for very hot temperatures once again and we are all struggling a bit, particularly the cats who will insist on joining us on the bed if we are having a lie-down but then jump off onto the cooler tiles, jump back on, jump off onto the cooler tiles, jump back on, jump off.... You get the picture???

I am including this picture in the blog because Hazel is a pescatarian and we had stopped at the fish counter to get some fish for her for tomorrow - we had opted for salmon and some sea bream and I had some prawns in the freezer at home but absolutely nothing like this whoppers 'Jambo' sized apparently - not sure how much one would have cost but would have been interested to know.  I have never actually seen any quite so large!!

As I said our trip down the Mesoghi to get some things sorted was a waste of time as I had forgotten just about everything shuts in the afternoon.  So we ended up going down to the Mall earlier than anticipated but managed to waste time in Jumbos and John bought me a new mop bucket for my anniversary present - I am such a lucky girl!!

We moved on from the Mall to sit outside Bona Mare and tap into their wifi to check on Hazel's flight progress and then John dropped me off to wait for her arrival whilst he sat it out at the picnic site until he received a call saying she was there with her bags in hand.

As I said she was about half an hour late but by the time we got home, got her settled and got the wine open the travelling was a distant memory.

It was another late night - I shall be pants tomorrow when it comes to doing lunch!!!  but it is so lovely to have her back here.

We have said that when she has less commitments with regard to her escorting job (escorting special needs children to and from school) she could come out more often and at different times of the year.  I think she would enjoy the winter (if it is not raining) when we can have fabulous bright days when a walk along the beach is such a bonus and then coming home to something bubbling way in the slow cooker and the wood burner lit and kicking out heat - its wonderful.

Her week is going to fly by but we will make the most of it and have fun fun fun till some bugger takes the T-Bird away!!!