Starting and finishing with flowers

 22 - 30 May 2021

Out of the blue, we got a call from a friend who was looking for somewhere to stay in Nydri, so we immediately offered the house, and she agreed to water the cats and feed the garden, while we made rapid plans for a few days away in the boat.

In the hedge, near the washing line, we are growing an incredible number of wild blackberries.  I wonder if I will get any, or just the magpies?

 

Another rapid-fire couple of paintings.  These are for a friend who has an obsession with the Moonflower - a rare jungle cactus that recently flowered for the first time at Cambridge Botanic Gardens.  She wanted one to keep and one to gift, so I made a very similar, if not identical, pair.  

[Moonflower I & II, Acrylic on Canvas Board, May 2021, 16x24cm]

With all the paintings finished, I was free to help get the boat ready.  I measured, and then Dave cut, glued and varnished these new shelves for the boat fridge - something else that had disappeared in the shipwreck.

I also measured and made a window covering for the heads, to give us a bit of privacy.  It is velcro'd up, and came down a couple of times, but then decided to stay up.  Slightly strange.

Off to sea we go.  But not without trauma.  We were to set off at midday, after reflexology therapies each.  Dave went to the pontoon early to get diesel delivered, but then found that screws in the top of the diesel tank had worked loose and fuel was flooding into the bilge.  By the time he had pumped it out and I had helped clean up, we were a little frazzled, missed our therapies and only good for puttering round to Sivota

Next day we had a long and fantastic sail over to Kioni, testing Dave's one-line reefing, which worked a treat.  Luckily Kioni was empty, as we found another problem with the new anchor chain extension, which was so twisty, it took us several goes to moor up.  At least it was a quiet time.

Later, I had a swim.  It was bone-chillingly cold, but very clear, and work has been done to make it easier to get in the sea near Kioni harbour.  Bracing.

 

The first evening was very blustery, and following hard on too many expresso martinis (one each!) resulted in a poor night's sleep, so we decided to stay put, and have a day exploring, which we have never done in Kioni before.

The lovely little coastal path we found on the walk round to the windmills at the head of the bay.

Back home, and very excited to see three waterlily flowers all blooming at once in the pond.  Wow!Also, the bougainvillea by the front door is in wild, majestic flower, another first.