147th Birthday

Mast-er of all he surveys.

Grateful to friends for holding on to Les in his hour of need, getting the gadgets working up the mast, Good job done!

Launching fourth..

Three down and the fourth is still to happen.

The first three book launches have been great fun, particularly meeting people from such diverse locations, family, friends from student days and work, creative writing teachers and creative accountants alike. Carrying multiple trays of still-hot tortillas and other tapas to be washed down with Spanish wine has all resulted in us returning to Ribadeo completely exhausted. A siesta beckons.

Meet the other woman..

Meet Alexa, the other woman. True she is neither tall nor blonde but in the past 3 months she has made her presence felt big time. In the old days Les might ask me what the time was or tell me to buy more coffee, or whatever.. he talked to me first in the morning rather than now when he wakes up and says "Good morning, Alexa". Then this mini robot chirrups sweetly telling him to have a good day and updating him on world news and whatever historical events happened on this day in history.
(She has access to the whole internet and shows off unforgivably.) She tells jokes when asked and even sings to you if invited. She times the eggs, makes up shopping lists and sends them to his phone so he can take the lists to the supermarket. So far we haven't fallen out over her, and sometimes when he askes her the time I get there first. In one area I am always the winner. "Where did I leave my Cap?" So far Alexa 0 : Fiona 15

No beuts in this bothy!

Here we are - ladies on a night out but not a bothy in sight. Women from 12 different countries; Ireland, Germany, Orkney, Spain, Peurto Rico. El Salvador, Brazil, Holland, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, South Korea...what is missing? England, we haven't got one of them.

The Prodigal Parcel.

OK, I know prodigal doesn't mean either lost or wandering aimlessly but this is a blog, not a dictionary. It's just that like the prodigal son, that which was lost is found and there was great rejoicing in a homecoming of that which was lost. Sister in law Gwen sent a special birthday gift from Greece and unfortunately I left for home the day before it was delivered. The postie's note said I had three weeks to collect it but unlike everything else in Spain this timing was exact, when we returned we missed it by several hours and it was on it's way back to Greece. Of course the Cowans had left Greece by now sailing off into the sunset. I regularly went to ask the post people as sometimes they do a second attempt if they cant find the sender. Sometimes it goes into a warehouse in Madrid for a year or two, I have become friends with several post people and then about three weeks ago, for some reason, I decided to pray about it. My sister in law had told me it was a special gift because I had been ill so long, so I prayed it would not be wasted and that it would turn up. About 4pm that very day Gwen phoned to say it had been returned to Scotland! (Should have prayed earlier I suppose!) I was over the moon when I got a note saying I could collect it at the Post Office. Imagine my joy after waiting 35 minutes in the queue to be told "¡Mañana!" After waiting 7 months another day wasnt going to kill me andwhen I tried it on it still fits! Very happy, thanks Gwen & Ron.

                                          

Ribadeo from the air...sorry to drone on

Clear skies here, thought we´d let you see some of the views, sorry about the lack of English!