A Brilliant Book!

I started this one, mainly because it felt nice, and now I'm really hooked. Who would have thought that Vlad the Impaler would keep me interested? I won't give the game away but would recommend it to anyone as, from the first page onwards, it's well riveting. Well written and well presented.

I've just had another two days without the internet. Telefonica put their hands up to this one and repaired the line. Well done them but it still didn't work. Brian decided to sort it out this afternoon and checked out all the internal connections............still no joy. I was prepared for another long weekend without my computer fix but having gone to bed in a sulk earlier, I realised that the box thingy wasn't closed properly. Fixed!!

I wouldn't like to be in Brian's shoes in the morning!

Who is Spoiled?

The latest member of the five o'clock club seems to have made herself at home. Mick took this photo of Clio, over the weekend, during one of her rare quiet moments.

We get a beer each and the landlord brings a dish of water out for her!! Spoiled already and not nine weeks old yet.

She's too young for her injections but I can't leave her at home just yet so she gets carried around everywhere. I also want her to get used to people and children.

My blog seems to have a bit of a Clio theme lately. Happen she should start her own............I can hear you all groaning already!!!

Busy, Busy

The plan was to leave home at 11.45 today as both our teams had bowling matches to make up. Being really idle, which we are well good at, we left it until the last minute to sort ourselves out. Not very clever, as Doreen rang to request our presence......half an hour early!! Chaos! How we both managed to get showered and dressed in twenty minutes, I'll never know.

Taking our eyes off Clio for all that time was a bad move though. She managed to drag a plant from the balcony into the lounge and tear it to bits. Soil and leaves everywhere......she is so evil! I packed a bag of grub etc. and dumped her onto Maz and Bernard for the afternoon. They said she was really good but I don't believe a word of it.

After playing two matches it was really good to flob out in front of the tv this evening. I really like 'Britain's Most Favourite View' and even though my own personal favourite was St. Ives, I enjoyed looking at Stonehenge. I remember taking Mark and Sam there when they were youngsters and in those days, we could walk around it. The pics I have are slides. Maybe I'll get around to having them turned into prints one day.

You Would Love Her But........

She is really wicked. There seems to be a cycle of sorts.........plop, piddle, bite Mummy, drink, eat, bite Mummy and then sleep. The trouble is that the sleep bit doesn't last as long as the rest of it and I'm really wrecked!

As I'm sitting here, quietly typing, she's sound asleep at my feet but as soon as I move towards my bed, there will be bloodied toes! GRRR!!

I would love it if someone could send some Calpol.........not for her, but for me!!

My Heart Goes Out to Her

How could any mother come to terms with such a senseless death of a young son?

She is begging for justice but, as it's reported that the offenders were just a couple of years older than young Rhys, I doubt that she will have her wish.

I've blogged similar issues in the past but this really is ENOUGH!!

Poorly Me

I think I'm getting a cold. You know the symptoms, sore throat, tiredness and that 'heavy' feeling. If I was in England I could curl up under the duvet with a hot drink and a good book but as it's so hot and humid here at the moment.............not a good idea! I'll just sit here for another hour or so and then, hopefully, get some sleep.

After waiting, rather impatiently, for a week, I can collect Clio tomorrow. Her six brothers are a little too boisterous for her and so it has been decided that it would be better for her to move in with us, even though it's a little early. I'm sure that Libby, her mum, will be glad to get one puppy off her hands! (Should I say paws?).

Items collected so far...............a lead, a bed, tennis ball and a cuddly toy!

The X Factor

A programme which we have never watched before but as it was sandwiched between 'You've Been Framed' and 'Millionaire', we decided to give it a go.

The first fifteen minutes or so were so funny but 'im indoors was reduced to tears at the end. He made me promise not to blog that............I lied!!

I'm very thankful that my daughter, Sam, didn't choose Newquay for her summer break. I know that she has stayed in that hotel before, with her mate, Tammy. She's off camping this year and having fun. Strangely enough, the Police Officer who is investigating was an old colleague of mine. Not how I would have liked to see him again but a very nice chap.

Meet Clio

She's a six week old Cocker Spaniel and is due to move in during the next week or so. I only went to look at her (honest!) but ended up making her my own.

At this point, Brian chuckles and goes back to watching 'Match of the Day'!!

Anyway, she is so lovely and I'll struggle to pass the time until she can leave her mum.

I'm sure that Joe will be pleased to meet a new Cyber friend.........

Shooting Stars

I read in the local paper that it might be possible to see shooting stars between midnight and dawn, so I took up my position on the balcony around five past twelve. I don't remember seeing them before, even though Brian insists that I have. Anyway, I got my wish as twenty minutes later I saw one! Pretty brilliant.

I stuck it out for another half an hour or so but didn't see anymore. My neck needed a rest too!

It seems that they will be in action for the next couple of nights. Wednesday's will probably be eclipsed by the annual firework display in the nearby village of Alcala. I can definitely see that from my balcony!

Not Nice

Tenerife suffered some pretty horrific forest fires earlier in the month. It's alleged that a disgruntled worker started the blaze. As six homes were burned down in the village of Masca, I trust he gets his just desserts. No loss of life thank goodness.

We were fine down here by the coast. All that reached us was a rainstorm of ash and lots of thick smoke. Have a look at http://www.tenerifenews.com/ for a more detailed report.

Router v Telefonica

Two whole weeks without an internet connection. Talk about tearing your hair out! To be really honest I never thought I would have it ever again. I must admit that I'm still a little unsure and don't really trust it to be on tomorrow. The new router seems to work.........so far!!

Just in case, I'll play catch up.

I won the photo competition with my sunset pic and my choice of subject for the next one has produced wonderful photos of summer gardens. I didn't get chance to enter this time but I've voted for a nice shot of a garden bench with flowers all around it. I really hope it wins.

Five weeks ago, when I lost my Topsie, I never imagined that I might want another dog but the house is so quiet and empty that I've started a bit of a search for a puppy. I've phoned all the distressed dogs' homes but nothing yet. Happen sometime soon.

Happy Birthday to my son............and now it's time for bed.

This Week

It hasn't been too bad, on the whole. Ros and I beat Wigan Pier at the bowling on Monday which was a real achievement for us. I really love it when the young lads look at us old grannies and think they will end up with an eight nil victory. Lots of life left in us yet!

Wednesday was Maz's birthday. We had a 'Tenerife Day' getting rather piddled from visiting half a dozen bars. She managed to make it until past midnight but us part-timers only lasted until around eight!

I had a chat with my brother, Ray, earlier. He's taking his family to Spain for a holiday. They fly from Blackpool next Monday and I hope they enjoy it. I'm feeling a little sorry for Auntie Pauline as she is looking after Shadow, a black lab, two goldfish, one mad rabbit, a cat, one hamster and two goldfish for two weeks. Rather her than me!

It's closing day for the photo competition tomorrow and my sunset is in joint first place at the moment. I'm so excited.........well, I will be if I win!

How Strange

There is quite a lot of building work going on in our part of the village and this is one of three cranes which I can see from my house. It is really puzzling us, as to why the seagulls only land on this one. I know, we need to get a life!!

We do have proper television at the moment as our mate, Mick, has lent us his digibox for a little while, as it's surplus to requirements at the moment. I've never been addicted to day-time TV before but it could happen!

Bowling was a disaster......................we won't go there.

Bye Ann x

Five o'clock club had a leaving 'do' for Ann on Thursday evening as she went back to rainy Manchester on Friday afternoon.

We've enjoyed around seven weeks of her company and I'm really going to miss her. I'm sure Charlotte will feel a little lonely without her Nan too.

Charlotte lost a tooth on Thursday and the Tooth Fairy came to visit during the night. She left a Euro under Nan's pillow before realising she had the wrong bed!! Two Euros for Charlotte!

Actually, she did ask a question which proves an active mind.......'what does the Tooth Fairy do with all those teeth?'. After a one or two stupid suggestions, I came up with the concept that they are given to little babies. She seemed quite happy with that and Caron owes me one!!

Well Cool, Sophie!

Such a laid back position in which to eat one's lunch!

Many thanks to Karen and Simon for their letter and photos x.

I'm sorry that I didn't receive the emails but my internet connection has been belly up for ages too. An email to follow.

So Flippin' Hot!

We are experiencing a calima at the moment. Horrid dust which is blowing over from Africa and is creating a film over the entire island and trapping the heat in.

I took this pic about an hour before sunset and it's really obvious. In fact, the weather reports are predicting the hottest summer ever with temperatures reaching over 50 c.

I'm worrying about my camera as I'm sure that the x-ray machines at the airport have messed it up...............terrible lines across all my photos. It needs a mending man!

Television

We watched the Bernard Manning thing earlier. I never really rated him as a funny man because I'm not a great lover of stand up comedians but I must admire his guts for arranging his own funeral before he went. Fancy picking your own coffin; I think I will leave that chore to my nearest and dearest! As for picking on the Asians and Blacks..........he did the same with the English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish. Everyone to their own thing. Poor chap didn't look well!!

I've just downloaded a series called 'Lipstick on Your Collar'. We watched it around ten years ago whilst we lived in Cornwall and really enjoyed it. It's a seven episode thingy which I'm looking forward to seeing tomorrow. Lots of fifties music to enjoy.

Apart from that, it's the normal stuff like Corrie and Eastenders, but I do enjoy Saturday Kitchen. Well strange as I can't cook to save my life. I'm well up on the theory though!!

This and That

Nothing very mind boggling, I'm afraid, as it's been fairly quiet around our neck of the woods this week. That isn't always a bad thing!

We had a 'Tenerife Day' yesterday. A nice walk around the village, stopping where you fancy for refreshment and a natter. My friend Maz has had a cancer scare recently and, thankfully, got the all clear a few days ago. We had a beer to celebrate!

Today was our usual Sunday trip to Fanabe for bowling. Doreen and I had to play Jeff and Brian grrrr!! We won the first quite easily but Brian came up with the 'bad back syndrome' on the second and really put me off. He did mutter something about his foot sticking during practice so happen he did have a problem. No need to spoil my game though! Anyway, we managed a draw which is quite a good result for us. I had two high game scores too!

Talking about trips...........we have a new bus service. The Titsa Bus Company finally realised that a more direct route between Los Gigantes and Los Christianos was necessary and the 477 was born. It runs every hour weekdays and takes less than half an hour as opposed to the hour and a half we suffered before. The magic bus!

Finally, the photo competition has resurfaced. The subject.........whatever blows your frock up! Suggestions will be gratefully received.

Better Late Than Never!

Having had a couple of weeks without my internet connection I've been sadly lacking in blog updates of late.

(Apart from a couple of sad ones.)

Shona came to stay for a week towards the end of last month. We had a pleasant time doing the usual stuff and I missed her to bits when she left. She brought this photo of her and her new grandchild, taken the day after she was born. Such a sweetie!

Caron had an appointment in Los Christianos yesterday which we used as an excuse for a day out. She dropped her mum, myself and Charlotte off in Las Americas to give us a change of scenery. Nana and I introduced Charlotte to the delights of window shopping. I'm none to sure that she agreed with the concept!! Not to worry, we all got together, later, for lunch. A nice day!

The Hard Part

You would not believe how much stuff my little man has collected over the past ten years. I made a massive effort to take his food bowls out to the bin today, along with the food he hadn't eaten.

I've just put his bean bag and his toys, along with his lead, in a black bag, ready to take out tomorrow. His collar is tucked away in my 'precious drawer', to be kept forever. His ball is behind my computer desk and I can't bear to move it just yet.

My house feels like the heart has been taken away. Poor, poor, Topsie xx