Surprise Surprise!

 Thursday 3rd November 

So some sad news last night. One of our neighbours contacted me to let me know, that a dog I used to walk had just died. I had not seen him since the pandemic, as both parents were working from home. Pego was a Pug, I think it’s fair to say he was a bit overweight, we often joked about it. He was so affectionate when I opened the door and he liked to chase bicycles! The family have two boys and I imagine they are missing him as much as his parents. 

It may be that we see rain at the weekend! A look at a few different weather sites seem to think this is really going to happen on Sunday. It’s not going to be a deluge like the UK has been seeing in the last month, but anything is gratefully accepted!

Today a big lorry reversed up the track by the house and deposited a huge pile of aggregate at the top of the track. A bit later the guy with two horses arrived and he is taking the aggregate away from the houses. It will be interesting to see where he is taking it.

So I am just back after a walk to Livadi, and as usual you never know what is heading your way! I am typing this in, on the roof and it’s mid twenties again. This little mini heatwave will be here for a few days. There is just a gentle breeze. When I got on the roof, a truck ( small one ) came up the track

and I leant over to have a closer look. I must know one of the guys, as he asked how is the winter on Serifos? I said I don’t know yet! It’s a joke here, about how nasty the weather is in the winter months. I asked the guy what he is up to, as he parked outside the taverna. He is moving the tables off the  terrace, I said do you want a hand? He said no thanks, and I said I don’t want any money. He laughed.

I decided to ask at the garage about a car to have here. The owner, speaks good English, he has a Renault Megane 2008 for 2,500 Euros, and a Jeep that is more, that’s probably overkill to be honest. 2,500 is  a bit more than I want to spend probably,  the price looks about right on the internet. He has my number in case he has something else come in. He said a cheaper car will probably spend more time in the garage than on the road he said. I walked down past the priests house, there was a gaggle of cats, feeding off the food he had left out for them.

There was a lady sitting outside a house in Kato Hora, she had a tourist guide, so there was a fair bet she was a tourist. She was from Germany and here for a few days. It is a lovely time to come, if you can put up with a lot of things closed. Further down the open bag of cat food, that  someone had left out is getting eaten slowly but surely. When I walked along the straight flat stretch of road, heading into Livadi the field where the horse was, had the farmer in, making up what looks like a bonfire with fig tree trimmings, canes and all sorts. I wonder what he will do with the plastic rubbish, will he try and burn it? 

The garden centre is closed again, I wonder if the lady owner is in Athens like everyone else. It’s been closed all week I think. I should say I have had one last look for the letter I sent myself, I think it’s lost now. I   decided to go to my original bakers to share my bakers purchases between it and Grans. They had several of my favourite pies, so I had one with a coffee. I sat on one of the benches and listened to my latest Greek chapter, trying to remember the new words. It’s not as bad as I first thought, I will listen to it again and I have written the new words down in my Greek note on my phone and iPad. 

I thought with no wind, I would get some nice reflections of the boats in the harbour, but I unfortunately the sun may be in the wrong place.  There were no ferries heading in, but I had a look at the ferry area, where there were several people fishing.

On my way back, I saw a dog in the back of a truck, this is quite a common sight, it’s a good job the golden Labrador wasn’t on patrol. The truck lurched off, the dog hanging gamely on.

As I walked along the slip road a Jeep stopped and a lady got out. She had seen me with Ronnie, and like everyone else it seems, litter picking. She asked me if I would be prepared to feed some stray cats, that she feeds outside her house, while she is away? Of course,  no problem at all! I explained my career in the UK, so I am fairly well qualified. She is American, and here all year. She told me that we had met when Zoe was in town, and yes I remember meeting her going down to Livadi with a captured cat. When we were chatting, Vasileas drove by in his Jeep and he waved and sounded his horn, so he is back from Athens now. That’s the thing about this place, it’s just a constant surprise of what will happen if you step outside your door!