My Birthday Again

 17 - 19 Feb 2021

Every year around this time I have a birthday, and I never seem to tire of the excitement

Dave being very lovely ...

... and making me my favourite smoked salmon and scrambled egg breakfast.

This was followed by Greek lesson, after which we invited teacher and fellow student to stay for lunch and wine was opened.  The rest is a bit hazy.

On more sober days, we have started trying to empty these big sacks of building materials, distributing gravel around the house and pebbles around the pond, so that we can finally be free of degrading polypropylene sacks.

In the pond, the inexorable cycle of life continues with new tadpoles

Dave at work on a shelf for the Solarium to raise the seedlings into the light and away from whatever is digging in them at night.

We have (noisy) new neighbours.  But they are very colourful.

And I finished another painting, this one for my brother,

 (when we can get things delivered to the UK once again).

Chasing Paper

 15 - 20 Feb 2021

We were talking to a friend who had just completed the post-Brexit process of applying for a non-European residents permit, which reminded us to get going on this.  We had asked at the police station in Lefkas around 6 January, when they’d said come back in Feb, and then we had let it slip.  

Laurie gave us the list of requirements for those of us with existing 10 year permits, all of which were doable.  We rang for an appointment on Monday, and were given an appointment on Friday.  This was remarkable, because everyone else we know is having to wait weeks.  Maybe there was a cancellation.

So we set out to collect

• 4 passport photos (untouched by human hands!)
• copies of passports and existing residency permits
• 5 years of tax receipts
• AMKA tax number confirmation 
• Proof of payment of €16 admin fee (this involved the excitement of online Greek government admin website and internet banking in Greek - but ultimately successful!)
• Proof of residential address - this was the one that proved tricky, as we have no bills in Dave’s name.  We had taken our marriage certificate on general principles of ‘take everything’, but they wouldn’t accept it untranslated.

Luckily, the very helpful clerk at the immigration desk agreed to give us another appointment the following Wednesday (because we had already started the process) rather than make us wait until April with the new bookings.

On Weds we picked up the translated certificate - not without some stress, as the translator had promised it for 9:30, but only arrived at her office at 9:40, and then started the translation.  We were terrified of losing our appointment, so Dave stayed to wait for the paperwork, while I legged it down the road to the police station to get my application under way.  Dave arrived, breathless, clutching the translation, just in time.

Now we have one more appointment next Monday, for fingerprints to be taken, and then we wait for the cards to be issued.

Meanwhile, among this crazy paper chase, Dave realised that his driving licence had expired.  Under Greek rules, you renew every three years from age 65.  Oops.  A new paperchase was underway.

This time we needed:

• 4 passport photos (these were still on file at the photographer’s from the week before)
• A medical certificate from our GP - we called for an appointment and they said come immediately!
• An eyesight test certificate - the GP told us where to go and we just walked in off the street.  Dave wasn’t even tested, just asked if he wears glasses for driving)
• Another exciting foray into the world of administrative online payments, €98 this time.
• Copies of passport and driving licence.

The appointment is on Monday, we’ll see how it goes.

One surprising upside was that, being at the GP, I decided to ask about the pain in my hip, that I’ve had for a few weeks.  It was diagnosed and prescription given and it went away the next day, so I was very pleased.

Dave with the precious file of all imaginable documents, in Nydri High Street, (which is currently being massively overhauled) after our second visit to the photographer.

The bonfire

 7 Feb 2021

There has been a pile of old wood at the end of the garden for about two years.  It is wood that is no good for the stove or the garden: treated or varnished, rotten pallets, chipboard or plywood.  As we had friends here liming the house (needs doing every year, and we’re not so nimble on ladders as we were) we thought we could usefully take ourselves off down the garden and finally get started on the scruffy heap.

Part of the heap

Including old garden furniture.  This is the last of the outdoor sofas from the Biblos Bar of legend that was in Nidri High Street

. 

Fluffy caterpillar rescue service.  It was heading into the fire pit when I spotted it.

Some of the wood was good enough to give away, and we invited Robbie round to collect it, so he was there for the ceremonial chainsawing up of the Last Sofa!

We shared a drink with Robbie, and a picnic lunch down the garden, and a good time was had by all.

Growing things

 1 - 4 Feb 2021

Now that the almost non-stop rains of January are behind us, we decided to get some seeds in tubs ready for planting out in March or April.

Anemones are in flower everywhere around the garden, vibrantly pink.

Dave at the seeding table for our mega-planting session

Camomile daisies are also rife

and the borage in the apple tree beds is flourishing

Growing things, indoors and out. 

 In the Solarium, the chayote vines have outgrown their short sticks and had to be supplied with longer ones, and a few little moringa trees have started too.

Along the floor, our collection of seed trays

Plumbing Chores

 31 Jan 2021

Plumbing probs have been stacking up, and we had run out of excuses, as well as finally remembering to buy a new tap for the kitchen sink

I did the running around for tools, while Dave crammed in under the sink to get the old tap out and fit the new one.  It is such a joy to have a new tap.  The old one was spitting water in all directions, and I didn’t dare swing it round to the second sink in case it fell off.  New one is great!

While we were tackling plumbing we also managed to clear the blockage in the shower drain.  Dave took the head off the shower and sent a strong jet of water down. Luckily it shifted whatever was down there, which is a relief, as the shower tray was getting very slow to empty.

While I’ve been painting in the studio, Dave has been working on the yacht mainsail, upgrading the mast sliders for next season.  He has turned one end of his music room into a sail loft.

Pond life and other animals

 28-30 Jan 2021

Walking down to the pond, we were surprised to see all the goldfish clustered at the surface.  They must’ve been warming up.  We hadn’t realised there were quite so many!

The pond is a little murky after all the rain, but we’re hoping that as the plants take off in spring they will gobble up the extra nutrients

During an exceptionally blustery day, I went to the kitchen sink and saw this wonderful creature through the window.  It was being buffeted even as it rested there, and stayed long enough for me to get the camera for a long shot (through rather grubby glass).  We did the research and Dave identified it as a Levant Sparrowhawk.  We’ve seen our local sparrowhawk several times, but only as a grey blur between the trees, so it was great to get a good look.

When the sun came out briefly we took off for a walk, having forgotten that the route we decided on passes through a ‘dry’ stream bed.  It wasn’t very dry!  Dave had sensible waterproof boots on, but I had to hop from island to island, and did get my feet wet.

I took a pic of this stretch of the path because in previous years it has been covered in multicoloured plastic shot cases discarded by shooters.  One of the very real benefits of this lockdown has been the ban on shooting.  Hurrah for the blackbirds and thrushes, less plastic in the environment,  and not feeling at risk while walking in the hills.

Back at the pond, the tadpoles are getting bigger.

Gravelling

 27 Jan 2021

We are getting about one dry day every week, which means a mad scramble to get washing on the line and wood stores stocked up, not to mention the excitement of hot water and free use of all our electric appliances.  And the opportunity to get some jobs in the garden moving along.

These steps by the front door have now bedded in and need weeding and a top up of gravel.  I did the weeding, Dave shovelled, barrowed and raked gravel.

Last spring I threw thousands of creeping thyme seeds all round these steps, to give them a bit of herby softening.  I thought not one had come up, until Dave spotted this , and its smaller sister nearby.  

Raking the new gravel down from the top.

Late afternoon, when I went to put the kettle on, I was amazed to see this bird through the kitchen window.  We didn't dare go any nearer, so I took a long zoom shot (through a dirty window).  It was really blustery outside, and we thought it was maybe feeling a little buffeted.  Dave thinks it is a sparrow hawk.  We know there is one locally, because we see a streak of grey feathers from time to time.  A great privilege to get a better look.

All the rainy days have the advantage of pushing me into the studio to do lots of painting.  This took little over a week, which is really quick for me!  It is for my grandson (who actually wanted a red tractor - oops!) although I don't know when the EU-UK postal situation will improve enough to send it.

Feeding the soul and feeding the soil

 17-20 Jan 2021

Sunday 17th was a glorious day: cold, sunny and dry; unlike all our recent rain and storms.  We declared ourselves on holiday and went for a long walk from Dessimi over the saddle to the east side of the island, overlooking Skorpios. 

We reached the sea to find it startlingly turquoise, with snowy mountains in the distance, but so bitingly cold and windy we couldn't stay long before heading back into the more sheltered interior.

On the way back, the view over Dessimi bay towards Atoko.

When the cat makes you feel guilty but you don't know why!

We had an unexpected flurry of potato plants, must be from spuds left in the soil.  Dave thought he'd check them out, but they weren't any good to eat.  Next time we'll pull them up when they first show.

Our prize cabbage - ready to cut and turn into sauerkraut - our favourite.

The new barbeque still doesn't have a downspout and water butt, but as it isn't mosquito season I left a large bin under the hole in the gutter to collect rainwater.  The bin was overflowing, so I dipped a bucket and added 10% worm juice collected from the worm bin - and distributed it around the garden.  Our stocks of worm juice weren't used up by the time the butt was empty, so I'll let it refill, and do some more. 

Worm juice doesn't do any good in storage!  Worm juice on the left, Comfrey-steeped water in the white bucket on the right - all waiting to be distributed into the soil.

Making Payments

7 - 16 January 2021

We are at the final stage of getting our house permit signed off so as to make the building legal.  There are four remaining tax invoices to pay, at four different locations in Lefkas town.  The tax office, the council offices, the national insurance building and a bank.  This is a prospect to fill anyone with dread - long queues, no-one to ask which queue to join, invariably being turned away with disdain at the wrong window ... We expected the worst.  

What a pleasant surprise to find that Covid has streamlined the whole process.  It was mostly a joy.  At the tax office we were logged in and temperature checked, then found the payment section virtually empty.  We strolled up to a few windows until we found the right place, were issued an invoice and made the payment.  Slick.  Gobsmacked!

The council offices were much the same, except that a new receptionist took our info and while we waited she arranged the invoice issue and then directed us to the payment window.  We were able to re-credit our electric car charging card while we waited: a double win.

At the bank we were just lucky.  The queue outside was 6 people when we arrived, and 12 when we left.  The bill to pay was 1.89 euros, which seemed a little unnecessary, but we needed it receipted.

At the national insurance office they wouldn't let us in, but there was a phone number on the window, and we were told to ring the next day.  In the end, we were able to do the whole transaction by email, so that was even better.  All done - hurrah!

Meanwhile, the mushroom bale in the shed has produced a second flush - Dave demonstrates the size of the mushrooms.  Each one a meal in itself!

A bit of excitement: we went out for a takeaway.  While we were waiting, we asked for a glass of wine, so we found ourselves in a restaurant, where we were served a glass of wine and allowed to sit in a corner (with our masks around our chins - just in case).  They made the pizza far too quickly, we thought.

I've been working hard in the studio, developing a new direction for my painting, a little childish, very colourful, fantasy rather than realism - and this is what emerged.

Our annual pilgrimage to the best place to rake up a big bagful of leaves for the compost.

T-shirts on the line, looking like a colour palette ... hmm!

Out and About

1 - 6 January 2021

The nice weather continues, so we were pottering about in the garden

Almost half of our cauliflowers have been ravaged by Cabbage White caterpillars.  The weather is so warm they are having a second season - in January!   Shocking, and deeply worrying.

The cat catching the sun on the back terrace - this wants to be a painting.

I love it when we have rainbows over the house.  When that fine drizzle and sunshine happen together I leap out of the house with a camera to try for a good rainbow pic.  This one wasn't quite high enough.

In the living room - a very bold gecko on the door frame

Rose pruning time.

Both roses

This wonderful fruit/vegetable is called a Choco or Chayote.  It is a perennial vine, and the fruit are edible, in the cucumber family.  We were given a big bowl of these by Kostas the farmer, and after distributing them among our gardening friends - and eating one to try it out - we planted the remaining three.  They were already sprouting when they went in the soil, so are definitely keen to grow.  We'll keep them in the solarium until April as they like it hot.

Tadpoles in the pond.  Last year we only finished the pond in March, and got tadpoles in early April (presumably when the toads found us).  This year they've started very early, and maybe second-generation home-spawned toads!