Steptoe’s son

 Thursday 11th January 2023

If the weather predictions are to be believed there is a subtle shift in our weather. Since I have been here, it’s mostly been dry, peppered with the very occasional wet day or night that blows over quickly. But the next two weeks, it’s still dry but a lot more periods of what I would call nuisance rain, nothing worth shouting about, but something you don’t want to be out in. But let’s see.

Something I forgot to mention yesterday. The local go to place on the island, for Government stuff, is called the KEP, I got my temporary medical registration when I first came here. So I popped in and of course word blindness came over me, but I managed to finally say Good Year to them. They smiled and wished me the same, I also managed a,  how are you ? Got a reply and they asked me same too. I must seem a bit strange, but it’s important to me, I think if I am in a jam or need advice, I might need them!

Back on my communication bandwagon, I sent an email to someone who don’t normally contact, my friend on Sifnos tends to contact them on our behalf. I decided to send them an email myself, saying that I did not expect an immediate reply, but that’s what I got, which was a really nice read, with news of themselves, children and grandchildren. I need to answer the questions, they sent me in their email.

Photo Interlude -  Hora just before dusk last night

The meatballs were good last night, my freezer section is getting nicely topped up now. I have room for one more meal, Aubergine curry which I will make tomorrow. Todays it’s kedgeree. For yesterday and today, I have some rolls I bought at the supermarket and had cheese with them. You can’t eat my favourite pie every day of the week, I don’t think that’s very healthy. 

On the TV front, I watched the pilot of the BBC series Waking the Dead, when on Sifnos. I agreed with my friends there, it was a bit wooden. But the subsequent series were very good. The brooding Boyd, the clever dick Pathologist played by Holly Aird, the excellent Sue Johnson is their Phycologist, Claire Goose and  Wil Johnson as the other members of the team. Over its series, some of the team changed, the original line up was the best. I am watching other things as well, even the The Apprentice, which hasn’t changed a bit, looking it’s age now.

Photo Interlude - Dandylion type flower

Today is a bit of a rest day from going round the island, there is final area near my friends house that has been used as another rubbish dump, which I am clearing up, as best I can. It’s a matter of moving a load of metal to my metal store, then rubbish, that  I can take away to the dumpsters. The rubble, has to stay out, it doesn’t look so bad once the other stuff is taken away. This is the last area I will clear, I have said this before, but if I come across other areas they will have to stay as they are. I hope my metal recycling chap comes soon, as my little ruined building is getting full. This is it, after most of my friends metal was relocated to it.

As is with this island, unexpected things happen all the time. The first was when during one of my carrying the metal visits to my store, I met one of my friends. We shared a joke about me doing this, I often criticise myself, but my friend countered this, saying it was a good thing to do, exercise, fresh air and so on. I did say I had planned to have a coffee break in Marinos, they had a job to do in the KEP and said when they were done, they would message me. So we met a Marinos’s coffee place and we got his usual welcome. He wanted to know the place I have been posting  photos on Facebook. My friend also explained what I was up to. I think he looked  pleased. We both had something we wanted to discuss with each other and my friend kindly let me go first. 

My friend feeds a huge tribe of stray cats near their house, and also the ones, I looked after when they went away. I got quite attached to them, when I did this and I said I would be happy to help feed them, as long as my friend knew, I wasn’t trying to muscle in on their kind work. Well my friend was happy to let me do this and I will start my duties soon.

The topic, my friend wanted to tell me about was their idea of a blog. My friend knows I have one. They have started getting it together, it will be about living on the island as an Ex Pat, what you need to do, challenges and so on. The blog will have other topics as well, in a series of tabs. It will be a lot more professional than mine! My friend wanted to know about how I approach peoples security, do I name any one and so on. It was a very interesting discussion and I said I was more than happy to have a look, when they have got a bit further in its development. Meanwhile, we are probably going to do a walk Saturday which will be nice.

Photo interlude - One of the areas cleared ( there is a steel girder I can’t move )

So the rest of my time today, has been clearing the area, it took longer than I expected, these things always do. The metal is moved, I have covered the worst of the remaining rubble, that consisted of ceramic tiles with rocks from the surrounding area. I have about eight small black bags of rubbish to move to the dumpsters, one more bag of metal and my bucket with more metal in it. I will  move these when I feed my friends stray cats, it won’t take long. During  my work, I met one of my friends neighbours, she knew my name. Despite the fact her English isn’t brilliant, we had a nice chat, I hope she is happy with how it looks. Also later on, an older gentlemen arrived, I think he asked me what I was doing, . I said I spoke a little Greek, then I said “ok” with a questioning tone and he nodded. So he is happy too. 

I have just had my dinner and I feel very happy, I think I have paid back the kindness shown to me in a tangible way!