just had a bit of shock, Pippa had been barking, i had been telling her to be quiet! men working next door on their roof terrace fixing some leaking pipe work...

then we heard a noise seemingly on our steps by the back door, so up we flew, Pippa then came flying back in the house! thank goodness really, although she can get out the back through a doggy gap in the locked rejas, no one can get in, and yes indeed there was a man on our steps....

he had climbed over and had already cleared our terrace, moved furniture and swept!!!! and was about to start fixing up and i guess re painting the neighbours house from our side!

but you know a knock on the door would have been nice, something to say he was going to be there, can you imagine if Pip had bitten him, as it was i picked up Pippa and walked up to him, he backed off up the stairs, and i am saying no no, you pet her... well i said touch her, so she would know he was a friend, and i am saying amigo amigo to Pippa...

this will be fun, i am going out later and leaving her in the house with him up there! good luck both!

yesterday afternoon, lots of helicopters were going over head with those huge water carriers, everyone was twittering about it, at that point i couldn't determine which direction they were heading, apart from skirting round Alhaurín from Malaga, and disappearing round the corner towards the water tower near the BP garage...

turns out there was a fire near Voltacado, where Pippa was born! and when Franco was coming home, already still with everyone else, via Mijas pueblo, the road was closed! they were turning everyone around telling them to go via Malaga or Marbella! so Franco used one of the many tracks, a bit worrying, and he came to within 100 yards of the fire, so maybe a little more than that, but was close one way or another using that route.

and this morning the road to the coast via Mijas pueblo is still closed! because of fire damage, and may remain so for a couple of days, don't know... or know if anyone else knows! so Franco used the track again, its the one with the bulls held back back a thin electric wire... it comes out at Mijas Golf, then its just turn left and down to Fuengirola! what a nightmare!!!

they said recently in the local papers we are to expect more fires this year due to the extra vegetation after all the rain we had earlier in the year, we have plants, (weeds) where before there were none, everything is lusher and greener, and already drying up nicely!

cant remember all the things, but no parking in forest areas, in case starting a vehicle sets off a fire, the usual no smoking while walking in fire hazard areas, which is almost everywhere now! obviously no BBQ's now out in the countryside, a few other things i cant think of just now...

meeting my friend today in Alhaurín, told her she would have to come up from Malaga direction, she said well what about the Fuengirola road? i laughed... well she has been away a while, and the road has been closed for a while longer than that!

i spoke last evening to the woman, who was a toddler last time we saw each other... it was strange, i said i had been concerned when i had told her Mom, my Mom's friend from way back then, and she said yes her Mom has Alzheimer's, i am so sorry... its so sad, she is losing her Mom before she has gone, my Mom had trouble with reading a book, concentrating on a puzzle and didn't want to watch TV in the last months, due now, we know to the renal failure, but until then was sharp as a tack!

was chatting last evening to Baz on Skype and then Tim, my cousin in Florida joined us! i am still amazed by technology! three people three countries... Wow....

earlier on i had continued after that first call above, on my phone around to family and friends, everyone sounds so close, next door almost...!

i remember the first time i spoke with my brother in California we couldn't both talk at the same time, each would have to finish, then the other reply because if you spoke at the same time it cut off the other person, not the line, but the sound and you would miss what the other had said! and you can imagine how hard that was for me!

the photo above... the painting that was ours and is no more... someone else has it now, and they better take good care of it too!

TTFN
Marian