Well, All-Saints went off very quietly - much quieter than usual, although whether that was due to covid or the 3-day weekend which allowed people to schedule visits more easily. That and the regular large taxi-buses from the village. As it was such a beautiful day, we cleaned both patios - which also gave us a good view of anyone going to the cemetery on foot. I was trying to pull apart the left-over pallets to make kindling (astillas in spanish), but had to be a bit careful as it is a “holy day” regarding work noise. G, the clockwork mouse, decided to paint all the back-wall pillar-tops (probably as they hadn´t been touched for nearly 20 years. Late on a wusser came up over the “cat-rescue” wall (so called as Deneta used to go over it then squawk until we put over a ladder for her to get back). Today´s cat must have been some athlete. Phoned a pal in Mijas golf and he told me he had taken his friend to airport and (unsurprisingly) reported very quite - people and flights.
The second was very misty below - always a beautiful sight that demands photos.
Ignoring the view, I got to work with the electric saw and a crowbar and turned one pallet into firelighters. Thence mowed lawn and cleaned pool edges with new trick- bought a plastic squeezy bottle of acid and squirted it onto tiles, then hosed them off. Seems effective. I had to replace the new ends on the hose after the “new” one fell off and soaked me. Such is life.
G has taken a liking to the rotary clothes line we used during the building work - but seems to have as much trouble with that as I do hose-ends. I fancy putting a tower wind turbine there, but it will have to be at least 5 metres and day-glo coloured for full effect. Called my electrical man, but he is only into solar. A bit like talking to Shell planners - always on wrong energy path.
The next morning it was misty again and G was a bit put out to be in sunny upland clothes in a cold fog down in the boondocks. I contented myself with a first coat of paint on the repaired wall patches.
As the forecast was for heavy rain, we put fertiliser on the orchard and plants - and that was enough to put the rain off. We both got a few flu-ish symptoms and put them down to the recent jab (we hope).
Anyway, the rain did arrive overnight, accompanied by a full Trollenberg (as we call a heavy low-cloud). That should wash most of the 15/15/15 in.
My builder finally came for his pay and I was delighted he only added 150€ for all the mods and additions. Good guy, good work and good workmen. I convinced G that another lockdown was probably coming, so she rescheduled her hair appointment for today.
My web man is still telling me he will sort out the website “this weekend”. Hmmm.
A Black redstart came and sat on the rejas in front of one of my cameras - he got a selfie (well, I got one of him).
They stay for a few weeks at this time of year and are very cute This one also seems to like the new top patio and stands atop the corner pillar to survey his domain. As the redstart arrived, so more money departed. The taxmen taking his second tranche at dawn on the designated day. Death, taxes and passerine redstarts hey?
Quite a windy night, but with a warm wind from the east. G got me to set up zoom for some volunteers meeting she had been conned into by the hospice, but it turned out to be the annual presentation. She had to sit there for 90 minutes, bored out of her tree as the camera was on her!
Her trip to feed puss yielded the news that the heavy drilling equipment in the valley above the stable had been taken away. It was only a low level rumble, but constant for nearly 7 months and accompanied by a stink of diesel fumes as they started it up at 8 in the morning.
I joined a new (to me) global website to share info on wildlife. I put up photos of the brown hairy bugs we have seen on and off for many years and was informed within hours that they were fake firebugs. Can´t say I have ever seen the beetles they turn in to, but there you go.
After the winds, had to clean patios of dust, but rewarded myself with a trip to the Niño for a coffee and chupito. Now even less tables and no standing at the bar. Covid really is death by a thousand cuts for bars. Juan is defintely worried they will get worse in the next few days and possibly force him to close.
We watched the Festival of Remembrance on tv and I finally (3rd attempt) managed to get the Legion site to accept my donation. I tell them not to communicate, but this year they sent me a card with poppies inside. Nice but a waste of their (my) donation.
G upset as helf her electric blanket is not working. I took the second control to my workshop and eventually managed to pull it apart (why do they bother with those stupid triangular screwheads?). I had to make the screw-driver first! Anyway, proved the controller is kn……..d, so her tribal name is now “half-blanket”. Half blanket, half hot water bottle, to give her her full title. We went to the Niño, mainly to give him some support. Only 4 pairs of diners and all others spanish. That is a first
On Sunday, we watched the Remembrance service. My wood supplier actually contacted me to see if a I wanted to place an order. His salesmanship got him 110€ worth of business.
One of G´s pals has had a problem with her cooking facilities, so bought her a pressure cooker online. It arrived within 36 hours. Between order and delivery, hear that municipal lockdowns / border closures are upon us again for a fortnight, with restaurants to close at 1800. Why even open?
The firewood and pressure-cooker arrived almost simultaneously on Monday morning. The wood guy is great as he brings it in one cubic metre bags and swings them from his lorry onto a pallet truck - thence to our wood store - all in moments. Last year he was whinging about coming all the way up here for a couple of bags, but due to his tele-sales work, his lorry was fully loaded and he was a happy bunny.
A pal ´phoned me to ask what sort of iPhone I fancied (or, more accurately, what he should buy). Seeing as it is VAT-free, it seemed silly not to take advantage of his offer of one for me too - so spent £1000 to save £200. Something amiss with my maths there.
The next task I had set my self was to oil the chairs on the top patio (having humped them up there from where the wood store now is). Actually a pleasant task and they look fabulous, despite being pretty old. (With thanks to my old and late golfing pal Winalot* for repairing them). While I was up on the patio, found a large weird beetle on its back. Turned it over to help it, only to note that as it quickly flew away that it was a (very large) palm weevil beetle. A pest to be eradicated really, not freed from a rollover.
I may not have mentioned too frequently my current alcohol free diet(!), but heading for one week and seeing the effects - if only when I go to the recycling and dont have any bottles! A friend tried to lure me to the Niño for a “coffee”, but I demurred as I was making lentil soup (how are the mighty fallen).
Somehow managed to miss the England rugby game as it was supposedly in Amazon - not sure why that is. Amazon good in some ways though, as aordered a case for new phone on Fri and they actually delivered it on Sunday. Wow! Saturday was dull and damp, but the forecast is good for a couple of week, so Indian summer here we come. Sometimes the south of spain is a good place to live.
* Named Winalot as his initials were PAL and he used to win a lot of our money too
Comments