September 09

Well we had rain this month - and not just a shower - it tipped it down taking everybody I can think of by surprise.

We've had a pretty good summer all in all. Richard got a brace for his leg which is working out well. I've been going bowling with "the girls" every Tuesday. The group is changeable depending on who's on the island at the time and who's working and the numbers tend to range between 4 and 8.

Tzouma is happily still with us and seems to be popular in Tzouma's, her namesake, with the fishermen and some of the visitors. Somehow I think she feels it is her second home, I can't imagine why. She remains skinny and I saw two different groups of Scandinavians pointing at her and commenting - I was longing to tell them that no, she wasn't a starving stray, she really does have her proper figure!

I've been making postcards and bookmarks for Leros Animal Lovers' weekly bazaar and they have been selling well I'm glad to say, as have the T-Shirts and knick-knacks. The cartoons for the postcards were extremely kindly donated by Rupert Sutton. He and Liza have Liza's Gallery in Denmark. Soon the cat-trapping will start again as it seems every female cat of 6 months' upwards has been producing kittens - in the summer! So we really needed the bazaar to do well as spaying costs a great deal of money. Please feel free to donate!

We haven't spent much time at the Savana Bar this year and it will be closing mid-October! I don't know how this happened! Maybe I'll make up for lost time in the next few weeks.

A number of friends and good acquaintances are here at the moment. They are a mixture of owners of holiday homes, rent all year and visit a couple of times a year and some who frequently take rooms in the same place every year. Captain John, Reg and Jane, Mischa and Els from Amsterdam and their dog Poesjok; Johnny and Anita, Pernille's parents with family. Then there's Brian and Lou, a couple I met last year in Panteli and have got to know them better this year. Brian tells me he's taken a video clip of Tzouma so when I have it I'll post it here. Fin and Karen are here too although I haven't seen them yet. He's a Scot and she's Irish - a wonderful combination! They have a house in Rachi but live in the UK.

Last Saturday Anne and I nipped over to Kalymnos for a few hours. She was taking some clothes to George who'd been away for a few days - so we had a morning of retail therapy! Excellent! It had been raining but luckily had stopped by the time we got there. We took the hydrofoil (large bus on steel "legs") there and back - it only takes 45 minutes. We bought a loofa (memories of childhood1) each and I got a €5 backpack. Prices are much cheaper there for loads of things. We had a nice lunch after the exhausting shopping and it was time to catch the Flying Dolphin (hydrofoil) home. Kalymnos isn't an island I'd choose to live despite a large enough population for anonymity - I'm thinking of the neighbours. They have I believe around 40,000 - Leros is about 8,500. It's a village! I actually love the village atmosphere. If we do sell and have to leave Panteli I'd certainly miss it, partly because of everyone knowing your business! I don't think I can explain it easily. Everybody asks after Richard, for instance, if he hasn't been out of the house for a couple of days. I'm talking about the Greek locals. It's nice. Of course the downside is that if we were seen p***** as f**** our reputation would plummet! Hmmm. I don't think... Oh well!

So winter's on its way. I had to put a shirt on this morning while pottering and making coffee - sign of the season. Then of course the clouds dispersed and it's a beautiful warm day in the mid-20's. I had a bacon and egg breakfast this morning with the Captain at Tzouma's and we chatted to Brian who was there too. The bread was "Sunday" bread ie yesterday's but we do nicely with dipping it in the egg. Fresh tomato arranged artistically around the plate.

I walk the dog every day, at the moment Vromolithos but as soon as winter's here I hope to go on long walks (with Liz as I get lost!) once a week. Anne more often than not comes along and we usually swim. The water's absolutely lovely at the moment.

The neighbours are as jolly as ever but I'm happy to say we don't speak now. Ever. Life is good!

Kalo Ximonas!