Friday I took neighbours Joaquim and Maria to Mar Shopping to help him find a phone to replace his push-button Nokia. It was Black Friday and we were hoping for a bargain. So was everybody else; there wasn't a vacant spot to be found in the vast car parks. Eventually we did what everybody else was doing and double parked. Vodafone were most helpful, assisting Joaquim to choose a phone, setting it up and transferring his contacts.
The weekend brought intermittent drizzle and mist. Barbara gave me some cat biscuits to leave on the verges for our latest ratty captive (number 11 or thereabouts) when I set him free in a field beyond the village. Ratty leapt out of the trap and shot into the undergrowth without so much as a backward glance at any biscuits. I left them anyhow, as instructed. Meanwhile, I have begun inducting Joaquim into the workings of smart phones.
Sunday we joined the crowds enjoying a walk along the promenade at Quarteira, a town 40 minutes away on the coast. We came across the little hotel where we had stayed half a lifetime ago while workmen were restoring the cottage at our home to be, the Quintassential. It was mid summer then and we'd had to choose between oppressive heat with the room window closed and the racket from a band below with it open.
Since then the town has seen an explosion of low-rise apartments, many of them rented to holiday makers in season. We stopped for coffee and a cake at one of the numerous cafes. On a nearby town square, a Christmas party was in full swing.
Monday, when Joaquim came around for a lesson, I found that his grandsons had already loaded his phone with useful apps and shown him how to use them. It soon became apparent that he needed no further coaching from me. We agreed that he would call me if he ran into a problem. Otherwise, he was up and running.
With him, by way of thanks, Joaquim brought a substantial bag of his own (hand-picked and shelled) almond nuts and a bottle of wine, along with the promise (which he kept) of a bottle of quality medronho. What more could one ask?
Tuesday half a dozen pictures arrived - as requested - from Natasha of herself and her surroundings at the gymnastic competition in Tokyo.
And of the young competitor himself. We've yet to hear how things are going.
Also Tuesday Luis the electrician arrived to replace a faulty light switch for the patio lights, a minor job that took him only a few minutes. Except the lights still didn't work. "Somewhere, you've got another light switch that's turned off," he informed me. I didn't believe him but I checked the adjacent guest room anyhow. And there, behind the curtain, there was indeed a second switch for the same lights. And the problem was solved. I can only think that someone must have bumped the curtain, turning it off. Twenty years we've been here. Live and learn!
Later we went walking among the olive groves in the valley, and I wished we'd had a dog with us. It doesn't feel right without one.
Not that there's any shortage of dogs to choose from. But since the demise of Ono and Prickles, we've fallen out of the habit. We considered taking Mini with us. The hard bit would be explaining to the others why they weren't coming.
Wednesday and Thursday merit little attention. Slavic put in a useful morning's work. He's losing two of his regular employers, which is a bit concerning. My back threw an unexpected wobbly, for the first time in months. I've no idea what upset it. Jodi did what she could. And Joaquim called for help one evening when his new phone wouldn't work. I went down (the short-cut passage) with a torch, upsetting all the local dogs. The phone had lost its connection. All it required was a reboot. Wish I could reboot my back.
CAT BURGLAR?
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