Sunday, Sunday

Is there any enthusiasm out there for a ZOOM supper?  My idea is that we all cook the same recipe at the same time.  Actually I don't think we should eat on ZOOM, it might be just not too good, never mind dropping bits of food into the keyboard or onto the screen. But we could all cook the same recipe.  Any takers?

Whilst thinking about food, is there anything to the linguistic idea that WE (well not me or probably you) eat game, THEY eat bushmeat? 

 I finally found the insect / leg shot: any idea what this is?  Unfortunately my lovely lower leg is rather more in focus than the insect.  Could it be a lonely locust? You don't really get the full effect because I was screaming 'get it off me!' Incidentally, I am enjoying my all-terrain Crocs - they are all I have worn apart from smartening myself up to go shopping last week.  


Sign of the day.  Anybody?

Sunday, Sunday

Is there any enthusiasm out there for a ZOOM supper?  My idea is that we all cook the same recipe at the same time.  Actually I don't think we should eat on ZOOM, it might be just not too good, never mind dropping bits of food into the keyboard or onto the screen. But we could all cook the same recipe.  Any takers?

Whilst thinking about food, is there anything to the linguistic idea that WE (well not me or probably you) eat game, THEY eat bushmeat? 

 I finally found the insect / leg shot: any idea what this is?  Unfortunately my lovely lower leg is rather more in focus than the insect.  Could it be a lonely locust? You don't really get the full effect because I was screaming 'get it off me!' Incidentally, I am enjoying my all-terrain Crocs - they are all I have worn apart from smartening myself up to go shopping last week.  


Sign of the day.  Anybody?

Put Down Your Camera

4 April 2020

I was going to make this a blog without photos, taking the advice of DAVID HOCKNEY that we should all put down our cameras and start drawing-Well, I have made a beginning but I haven't yet decided whether or not you will see 'olives in the wind'?

OK. That's an early attempt at painting with my iPad.  Not quite David H. But it was a good break after Greek over Skype.  Apparently memory is improved if you can empty your mind followung trying to learn somethng.  In this case, the nominative and accusative cases. Today was my second Greek lesson of the week. A three round wrestling match with the nominative and the accusative. Nothing conceptually dicticult just endings to remember.

The view today is no view. Today there are strong winds from the South and our view has completely disappeared in a cloud of Saharan dust. Normally we would see the sea and the harbour from here. You can see a cute olive tree. On the plus side, it's a warm wind so maybe no need for the log fire tonight. Shame since it is much easier to light when it is windy. 
Later -Actually, we did light it.

As I write this, I am waiting for the start of Lois STEINBERG's class on a Zoom from Urbana, Illinois. The virus lock-in has been a bonus in terms of classes while we are in Greece. Now I have a choice of international senior teachers, right here in the room!  I hope some of the teachers keep their Zoom classes in place if & when all this is over.

Here is my set-up at the kitchen end of our ground floor living room. 2 mats to minimise reorganisation whilst the class is going on.

We had a long-ish walk this morning, starting out past our neighbour Max's house. She's in lock-in with her 4 dogs. Like Juliet she appeared on her balcony to wave and have one of the "I'm Ok, are you ok?" conversations that we are all having at the moment. Her partner died recently so her isolation must be truly poignant.

Almost time for class. Al is about to be evicted from the sofa to his makeshift studio upstairsand I am headed for my mat.

Later - Al has made a playlist for these times:
https://open.spotify.com/user/lghm7q60oeer9x6dc50ogmzp4/playlist/3xvN6U4DvpEY7vTBF4vkvU?si=hCNA_6Q9Qgq_b4QORSPpsA

I am afraid you have to wait until tomorrow for the leg and giant insect photo.  Goves you something to look forward to 🤪 

Put Down Your Camera

4 April 2020

I was going to make this a blog without photos, taking the advice of DAVID HOCKNEY that we should all put down our cameras and start drawing-Well, I have made a beginning but I haven't yet decided whether or not you will see 'olives in the wind'?

OK. That's an early attempt at painting with my iPad.  Not quite David H. But it was a good break after Greek over Skype.  Apparently memory is improved if you can empty your mind followung trying to learn somethng.  In this case, the nominative and accusative cases. Today was my second Greek lesson of the week. A three round wrestling match with the nominative and the accusative. Nothing conceptually dicticult just endings to remember.

The view today is no view. Today there are strong winds from the South and our view has completely disappeared in a cloud of Saharan dust. Normally we would see the sea and the harbour from here. You can see a cute olive tree. On the plus side, it's a warm wind so maybe no need for the log fire tonight. Shame since it is much easier to light when it is windy. 
Later -Actually, we did light it.

As I write this, I am waiting for the start of Lois STEINBERG's class on a Zoom from Urbana, Illinois. The virus lock-in has been a bonus in terms of classes while we are in Greece. Now I have a choice of international senior teachers, right here in the room!  I hope some of the teachers keep their Zoom classes in place if & when all this is over.

Here is my set-up at the kitchen end of our ground floor living room. 2 mats to minimise reorganisation whilst the class is going on.

We had a long-ish walk this morning, starting out past our neighbour Max's house. She's in lock-in with her 4 dogs. Like Juliet she appeared on her balcony to wave and have one of the "I'm Ok, are you ok?" conversations that we are all having at the moment. Her partner died recently so her isolation must be truly poignant.

Almost time for class. Al is about to be evicted from the sofa to his makeshift studio upstairsand I am headed for my mat.

Later - Al has made a playlist for these times:
https://open.spotify.com/user/lghm7q60oeer9x6dc50ogmzp4/playlist/3xvN6U4DvpEY7vTBF4vkvU?si=hCNA_6Q9Qgq_b4QORSPpsA

I am afraid you have to wait until tomorrow for the leg and giant insect photo.  Goves you something to look forward to 🤪 

Bad News

Nothing personal. in case you're concerned.  It's the title of yesterday's BBC Podcast - The Coronovirus, in which Adam Fleming talks about death.  Here's the link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05299nl

Death and dying are much avoided topics, but this frank discussion with palliative care doctor Kathryn Mannix is really helpful.  She has gently pushed the boat out onto the Styx for thousands of people, or maybe better to say she has watched the current take them.  Either way, she seems to know what she's talking about and is clearly not scared of death herself, since she is about to leave an early retirement and go back to the NHS during the Covid-19 emergency. 

You might be wondering why this photo of a white blurry dot in a blue sea.  Well, this is the only view of the Kissamos ferry that we are going to get for  quite a while!  This is what we can see from our window / balcony, every Thursday and Sunday.  Although passanger services have come to a halt except for residents of Crete coming home, the ferry chugs bravely on, bringing supplies.  I think that much of the produce we buy is grown here, but there's all that pasta...

What does this have to do with a woman in pink, a bike and a weird Kooky road sign?  The woman is my friend and long time adventurer, Marylene.  She and partner Marcos escaped on the last ferry out from Italy, with the aim of touring Greece and visiting us here in Crete... well, best laid plans, but she reports that they are well and ensconced on a Pelopponese campsite. They will head back home to Spain when they can. At the moment they are happy campers.

I was going to show you a photo of a giant grasshopper, locust thing that planted itself on my leg, but the photo is on Al's phone and he can't be disturbed.  Just have to wait until next time.  It will be worth it.

Stay safe, people.  Thanks to all those who comment, publicly and privately!

Bad News

Nothing personal. in case you're concerned.  It's the title of yesterday's BBC Podcast - The Coronovirus, in which Adam Fleming talks about death.  Here's the link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05299nl

Death and dying are much avoided topics, but this frank discussion with palliative care doctor Kathryn Mannix is really helpful.  She has gently pushed the boat out onto the Styx for thousands of people, or maybe better to say she has watched the current take them.  Either way, she seems to know what she's talking about and is clearly not scared of death herself, since she is about to leave an early retirement and go back to the NHS during the Covid-19 emergency. 

You might be wondering why this photo of a white blurry dot in a blue sea.  Well, this is the only view of the Kissamos ferry that we are going to get for  quite a while!  This is what we can see from our window / balcony, every Thursday and Sunday.  Although passanger services have come to a halt except for residents of Crete coming home, the ferry chugs bravely on, bringing supplies.  I think that much of the produce we buy is grown here, but there's all that pasta...

What does this have to do with a woman in pink, a bike and a weird Kooky road sign?  The woman is my friend and long time adventurer, Marylene.  She and partner Marcos escaped on the last ferry out from Italy, with the aim of touring Greece and visiting us here in Crete... well, best laid plans, but she reports that they are well and ensconced on a Pelopponese campsite. They will head back home to Spain when they can. At the moment they are happy campers.

I was going to show you a photo of a giant grasshopper, locust thing that planted itself on my leg, but the photo is on Al's phone and he can't be disturbed.  Just have to wait until next time.  It will be worth it.

Stay safe, people.  Thanks to all those who comment, publicly and privately!

The Spider and the Bee

As you probably know, we are alowed to walk locally, for excercise.  So every day we try to explore a different path through the olive groves.

This morning we followed a track we hadn't tried before. There's a basic rule, that it's almost impossible to get really lost - there are enough landmarks to aim for.

Today we ended up scrabbling up a bank, having taken a wrong turn in the maze.  Walking between an avenue of olives, Al saw a big, fat spider in a web, slung between 2 trees.  Looking closer we saw an insect caught and wrapped.  Then in front of us, a bee flew into the web.  I had the camera in my bag, and we watched as the unfortunate insect quickly attracted the spider's attention.  It embraced the bee for a few moments - probably injecting an immobilizing agent.  It then efficiently wrapped the bee in a silk cocoon, food for later.  Take a look at the unfolding story.

The spider

The bee is caught in the web

The spider tackles the bee

Wrapping

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