End of Season

End of season is here, with most bars and cafes on their last legs. Weather has changed, today a north wind is blowing and it is all black clouds with a hint of rain. Time to put the duvets on again but I try to hang on until November...

We are off to lunch at one of our local restaurants where a menu can be had for 8 euros. Then next week they will pull the shutters down until mid April 2009. We seem to have two years in one on Menorca. Peaceful winters and hectic summers with visitors galore. This year we had quite a few to meet up with, entertain and enjoy as well as our new grandson and Tabitha visiting for the first time.

Winter will be good as we have our dog to walk. You wouldn't believe it but I do the morning walk sometimes, I love it esp as the sea is rough and she goes slightly hectic and wants to jump in. I have to hang on there or I would be in too. A few boats from Mallorca are moored near to us as it is too rough to go over at the moment.

I cannot put any photos on unless I get rid of the ones already on my camera. I will have to have some printed off and put into the album, but with the crunch, will have to wait until pension goes into bank, that's if the bank is still open!

We still have ideas of selling this place, it is reduced now, a little bit, to tempt people. If it does go we will rent here until we know where to go next. Also Valentina is not able to travel for six months so we might just stay longer. Or longer and even longer as one of our party is keen to stay on this lovely island, mention no names!

I have added Samantha my third cousin (Beck line) for people to see how creative she is, Sue would be keen to see what she gets up to as Sue is a quilter and creative too. Angie, Sam's mother is into the family tree, she is my second cousin... I think, if you can work out how many times we are removed, we did while we were in Perth last year. Oh yes - this time last year we were with you Sam in your house. It was so nice. Wish we were there now. Mica still makes me smile? Wot? You say.

Sue and Peter are Brits we have known since 1981. We met them in Nigeria, but they were married to different people then... blah blah blah, novel coming up here. They now live in Mackay, Queensland and we didn't get to see them last year, hopefully one day?

Well must get ready to eat. Thanks for reading, see you all next year, not going anywhere else this year and a very quiet Christmas it looks like being. Too bad. Sweden in a year - eh John?

Breakfast walk

We are having breakfast at 8.30am on Paseo Maritimo. Coffee and croissants. As you can see Valentina is a well behaved dog and doesn't run off or pull. Except when she sees cats.

Most mornings since Brian has been back have been like this, clear, warm and relaxing.

A boot sale has started in Cala Blanca, opposite where Damien's house is. So we are off tomorrow morning to sell some old stuff and books and videos. It is every Sunday and I have heard it is popular with the locals before they go to eat in the hotel nearby.

Valentina goes walkies

This is two minutes from where we live and her place first thing in the morning and afternoon.

She likes to look out to sea and also loves being on her long lead to meet people.

I have found out, yesterday, I know the people who owned her the last three and a half years. She is five. She started out as a 'supposed to be working dog' but never started. She used to escape and they were frightened of her being shot. She lived near Cala Morrel.

They gave her to their parents, who had a small holding nearby. They chained her to a metal barrel and there she stayed in winter, summer for three years.


The woman who rescued her used to go to the small holding and she fed her sometimes, only the last six months or so though, as she has just come to the hospital to work from Madrid. She brought her down our way on a day trip, to see if she could find new owners. Well she did.

She is chipped, has her own passport now, previous owners never bothered. She has had one set of jabs. Has put on weight already (hope she isn't pregnant).

The people in the small holding are relative of Irene's Toni. What a coincidence? She wouldn't go there for a family paella as she hated to see Tina like that and had considered taking her herself. Irene couldn't believe I had got hold of her and I am not letting her go now.

Since the last blog - when I asked for suggestions of names for her, Fia phoned with 'Precious' Hayley liked 'Molly' I liked Georgina. Only trouble is she only obeys commands with Tina. So Adrienne said why not call her Valentina, so I have.

She hates cats, mopeds and flies. She loves people, children, sleeping on sofas. She likes to go to the vets, which is a first for us. All our other dogs shivered. She knows they are going to give her a biscuit first before being pulled apart.

Enough of this silly talk. Let's get on with the book.