Saturday, November 15, 2014

La Casita progresa

Mixed weather this last week.  Some rain, not torrential, and some brilliant sunshine.  Temperatures start the day around 25 C and climb into the low 40's by the early afternoon. The pool has stayed warm of course, so there are some days of immersion and exercises!

The big tree as seen from the back of the garden.
Electrician Guillermo has hung lights from the branches.
Our neighbour's house is behind.


Guillermo's son, Bernardino, helping his father
with the lines and the hanging strings.

Nothing has changed re our indoor cats.  They are healthy, and we have noticed that Cagney has not grown his undercoat this year.  He doesn't need it here, and I had read that cats will adapt in this way, but this will be his first time ever without that heavy weight.  Fredi spent all the last week back and forth to the culvert to feed her kittens,and yesterday we noticed her trying to coax the little ones up and out of there.  They couldn't make it - too big a jump.  So Chris found a piece of wide lumber (actually, a black painted shutter we did not use) and used this as a stairway for them.  Later, as it was getting dark, we saw the three little creatures coming up to follow mom.  They were frisking about, and obviously enjoying their freedom from that dank culvert.  This morning, only two kittens were back on the patio, so we think one managed to escape his mother, and dove back down into the dark. Fredi has gone down the hole a few times, but no wee kitty! We fret over things like this.

Our casita was painted light blue today; still needs a second coat, but with the window in, and the door to come, it is looking quite attractive! Still requires some gravel and the plants around, but I am pleased with the effect.  We have to obtain some bushy plants to help with privacy and to screen the garden from being seen all at once.  A design issue!  Mauricio tries, but he doesn't get my design ideas...I told him no even numbers, only 3's, 5's, 7's etc when planting groups of the same plant.  So, we have four palms together.  I will fix it later.

The "outhouse"


We spent most of Thursday in Chitre - our long trek to the dentist and to shop.  It is the equivalent of driving from our Canada home to Vancouver and back in a day, shopping in between.  We hit three grocery stores that day. I was so tired, I almost forgot to eat dinner, and went off to bed at 7pm!

I've put together some plans for when in Canada next, and a pal is arranging a book-signing at a local tea shop for me.  What a great gal she is!  With a few lunches with friends and the family, plus a few appointments, time will fly by. No car accidents or special tests this time please!


Looking towards the pool from near the tree.
La Villa de la Torre is in the background, and the Pacific beyond that.

The large house that many call "The Castle" is owned by a Vancouver businessman.  He designed it himself from mediaeval sketches and has incorporated "authentic" furnishings, flooring, and light fixtures.  It is a lovely house!





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