Thursday, 19 June 2025

More of Our Summer

 


Good morning
Kalimera
From our neighbourhood

Summer is here.  It has been a bit cooler this week but the Cicadas are trilling merrily away and I enjoy the birdsong at 5am.  Days are long.
It's midsummer next week, the summer solstice,  celebrated on the 24th June here.  There are different traditions in different parts of the country, most pagan.  It was once time to light bonfires at crossroads and burn the MayDay wreath.  Fires are frowned on now at this time of the year.  Our children and grandchildren used to jump the bonfire to bring good luck 


We have our TV outside for evening watching, with a cover to protect it from the searing midday sun. Our Greek MasterChef is coming to an end so it's less boring as we anticipate the winner and we watch Greek Chase and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I'd be glued to CSI and Bones but...we have different preferences. 





My garden has become a toilet for nieghbourhood cats.  
I keep a bag of rotten lemons to throw at them and hose them when I can.  They hightail it over the fence only to return again a little later.
We used to feed 3 or 4. Then new neighbours moved in and gathered all the wild cats that roamed free. We estimate there are about 14 and lately we've been hearing kitten noises. 
The neighbours have a much larger piece of land but our garden is the main attraction 


Fly swatters. 
 Flies can be annoying when we are eating outside in the evening. My brother Tony suggested I tried these.  They're like fans and generally work well.  From a Chinese online shopping giant for a few euros


My solar fountain.  A present from my dear daughters.  







18 comments:

  1. I love K's fancy BBQ outfit there 😄😄😄

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  2. Shame about the cats. The lemons should help to deter them, but it's sad to hear that yet more kittens are being born.

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    1. I always miss the target with the lemons 😁 but they get the message. There are dozens of wild cats further up by the taverna and wherever there are rubbish bins. It's a big problem. Volunteers feed them all

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  3. Even with stray cats, you have a wonderful life.

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    1. So many stray cats. No rats or snakes though

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  4. I love your big bowl. Very rustic; very me!

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    1. The bowl belonged to one of Ks aunts. She kneaded bread in it. I took it to do the same but it's too big and very heavy. An heirloom

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  5. Bought two lemon trees to plant here - to remind me of Greece (and all the lemons that friends couldnseem to give away...) I swear it will never be so bright or so citrussy as your garden there no matter how many big pots and blue ceramics we add to it. Love K's bbq kit.

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    1. Your garden will never be as dry and brown as ours either 😁

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  6. Summer Solstice arrives today in our little part of the world, the sun is already baking.
    What a beautiful fountain, the bowl is sweet.
    Sorry to read you are having problems with the cats, that can be annoying, and without intervention the problem gets worse.
    Hugs,
    Jo

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    1. There is a cat problem all over the island. All they have spaying programmes they still seem to multiply

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  7. We always watch the Aussie version of Masterchef every year, we love it, I didn't know there was a Greek version, I will have to look it up.

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    1. You'll have to learn Greek though. Or maybe they have subtitles

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  8. Very strangely, I haven't heard any cicadas yet, even though the temperatures have been as high as 35°C
    Jane in Corfu

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    1. The Cicadas were late this year and they're not very loud yet. It's not a deafening chorus..... though it probably will be soon

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  9. I remember the cicadas in Greece.
    Not sure what you can do about the cats. Maybe sit somewhere they can’t see you ready with the hose. I know cats definitely don’t like being soaked like that.

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    1. The cats hate the hose but have short memories. We need a dog!

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