Time at home

It was a bit of a day today.  There was a cool start to the day and some heavy overnight condensation which was good for the garden.  

Our sago palm which is in the background to this photograph has produced a baby which is growing at an alarming rate.  It isn't a plant I am particularly fond of.  It is very spiky and the new leaves this year will die next year and need to be cut off.  The jury is out on what we should do with it but I fear it may never come out of the pot it is in and I really like that pot.

Anyway I had an early morning swim before we got ready for Nicky and Mark to come for coffee.  They have been out and about a lot recently so we manage a quick 'hello' and not much else!

They are testing the market with the sale of their remaining property in Cyprus which is at Mediterranean Valley in Chlorakas and which used to belong to our friend Hilary's mum Eileen and which was next door but one to the town house that Mum and Dad bought as their original home.  It is being prepared for sale and fingers crossed they are successful as that is one less thing for them to have to worry about.

Just before they arrived we found the unmistakable evidence that we had a big old caterpillar in the vine above the dining table.  John was sitting there when a bit of poo bounced off his nose!  Fresh poo too!

It took us quite a while to catch sight of the offender - not a massively big hawk moth caterpillar but big enough.  We remove them along with a selection of vine leaves to somewhere where their poo cannot do any harm.

They are amazing creatures and turn into beautiful large moths.  The colouring on this caterpillar is not as striking as that of an oleander hawk moth caterpillar but it is quite spectacular and those two dots at the front are not its eyes but markings to make it look scary to its predators. 

Nicky and I spent a while trying to get some good snaps of it with our mobile phones which was a bit of a challenge as it kept falling off the leaf!!!

Nicky and Mark returned home and we then learned that Lakis had been unwell yesterday and feeling fluey so they had all done Covid tests and Lakis had shown positive.  They had even gone to one of the chemists in Polis for another test and Argy, Sotiroula and George were fine but not Lakis.   John and I got out our home test kits and tested ourselves - it is the first test that John has undergone.   We shoved the swab well up our nostrils, so much so that it triggered off a good old sneezing session afterwards.  Our tests were fine and as we have plenty at home we shall do it again if we think we have any hint of any sort of symptom.

Richard came for supper this evening - he has had to cancel his weekly bike ride this week because he has a nice little job at Sea Caves for three days which is too lucrative to turn down.  Well that is what he said - we think he was just scared because John had mapped out a route which was somewhat longer than the others they have tackled.  Even though it was a very cool evening with rolling mists and condensation we sat outside regaling him with stories of our escapades when living in the UK.  Our starter was a little kebab made from the leftover breaded chicken from the other evening.

Our main course was dry fried crispy chili beef which went down well.  We sat outside until quite late and had to remind ourselves not to be too noisy because our neighbours Gregoris and Dora had arrived this afternoon.  I think we did ok.  We heard them moving about outside quite late and we don't think it was because we were keeping them up.  We haven't seen them for ages but apparently they are here for a week so no doubt we will catch up soon.  Congratulations are due to Dora who was promoted to Head of Customs and Excise for the island at the end of last year.  Bet she could have helped me with those bloomin' batteries I got for John EVENTUALLY!!