The next two days

Tuesday, a lazy day. 

The pool guy drained the pool over the weekend, and didn't clean out all the mud and debris before starting to refill it with fresh water. We don't get that, but he's the pro. The pool is filling slowly, slowly; might be done just in time for us to leave. It's hot out. It would be good to be able to use the pool.

The yard has been fairly neglected. The local caretaker only works 5 hours a month - how can it be expected to to keep a yard this large looking nice with just 5 hours a month (one hour a week) to keep the weeds down and the house in shape? Can't be done. Get serious. Well, the place isn't being rented out for the season yet: perhaps there's a big clean-up all at once just before the clients arrive. We don't count. This is JP's son's & ex-daughter-in-law's property, but it was JP who renovated the whole place a decade ago. A lot of work that was. He put a lot of effort into it, and while now he stays for free whenever he's down here, it's particularly hard for him to see that it isn't cared for in the way he would care for it.

So that’s for the morning – yard work & lazing around. Grilled stuff and ice-cold rosé for lunch. Bridge in the afternoon at a club about half an hour away.

Wednesday, the morning spent strolling about, the afternoon grilled sardines with JP’s brother and his wife.

Heywaitaminute ! R was just reassuring JP that Caroline had been found after all. Caroline was missing ? I thought Caroline had been placed with in-laws, happy as a clam.

Well yes, he had been given over to a nice lady in need of a large, calm, lap cat. And the cat skipped town after a day or two. Was gone a week before coming around all thinned out and contrite. Everybody is very happy he’s back.

A-huh. Nobody ever told me that sweet Caroline had gone missing.

Didn’t want to worry me.

Didn’t want to regret not giving me the cat after all. 

Anyway, it’s just some dumb cat.

Some dumb cat! oh, you think.

Then after a long siesta, once the edge is off the heat of the day we go down to that neighborhood winery we like so much to test the rest of their wares. They've got a great leg of Spanish ham out today, and our friend behind the counter just keeps shaving bits and more bits off as we make our way through their collection of reds, and revisit the rosés. Ohh, yes that is nice. Box that up for us, too.

We end up such good customers he throws in a magnum for us to enjoy later in the week.

We'll be back. Indeed.