Some weeks leave one feeling a little uneasy and this is one of them. Where shall I start? Possibly at O Regresso in Salir after a good dinner a few days ago. The restaurant is at the bottom of a steep awkward drive. As I drove out of the gates, turning right into the road, a policeman on the pavement a few metres ahead pulled me over. He chided me for careless driving - pulling out in front of an approaching vehicle.
SAWFLY ORCHID
I was dumbfounded, as were my three companions. None of us had been aware of an approaching vehicle. So I apologised profusely and promised to drive with the greatest care - and he let me off with a warning.
YELLOW BEE ORCHID
That was just the start of things. I confused two elderly villagers, both named Jose, and reported the death of the wrong man - for which I have apologised. Even so, we were pleased to attend the funeral and to join other expats in showing our faces and expressing our sympathies.
O BARRI, WHERE WERE YOU?
The episode doesn't end there. We returned home to find that Barri was missing. Our hearts sank. Every manner of evil possibility ran through our minds. It was impossible to relax or think of other things. We hunted uphill and down, under bush and behind boulder.
BUSHES AND BOULDERS
There was no sign of her! Late pm, as I checked the upper fence yet again I came across the dog waiting outside the gate, as casual as nonchalance herself. We have no idea how she got out or where she went. And she's not saying. Most unsettling!
On the digital front life has not been easy either. For the past two months I've exceeded my 30GB download quota with my satellite wifi provider. In terms of a new contract agreed with them, I should still get a guaranteed minimum download speed. Instead the system's been crawling along (severely restricting my blog photo options) - and I've been complaining.
On Thursday the provider updated my software and supplied me with a key to authorise it. It didn't work. Long phone conversations followed. In short, the antenna needed micro-adjusting (a fiddly spanners job that I managed) but the software still wouldn't play ball and I gave up. A technician is due to sort things out on Saturday morning.
It's not been all mishap. In-between times and showers we have joined friends for leisurely luncheons.
Served alfresco in spring sunshine. The couple, Mike and Lyn, are frequent visitors to the Algarve and knowledgeable about flora and fauna, embarrassingly so. They have recently extended their home on the Isle of Wight. We shared ideas on how we might update our kitchen. Stay tuned!
We also went hunting for orchids with them in Fonte Benemola, a wilderness open to the public.
MAN ORCHID
It's an area where delicate man orchids thrive.
DAFFS
Let me leave you with the scene below. Centre-right is old Ono, now half blind and deaf, who has put his chewie down on the pad in front of him to contemplate before he consumes it. Centre-left is the all-consuming Mini who has long since eaten her own treat and is anxious to acquire Ono's. (She's lightning fast!) Ono is giving her the look. He was once top dog and he hasn't forgotten although at 17 he's having to come to terms with senescence - and he's not the only one.
(PS: Our clocks go forward this weekend.)
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