Pinney Posts

 Last few days have been dedicated to the purge!  We have been politely warned that all the local population 'purge' their intestines on at least a bi annual basis.  What they are rooting out is anything that might take a fancy to living there!  Grossed out yet?  I was.  But also pro active enough to buy the tablets and do the deed.  Luke was forced, kicking and screaming.  A lifelong nature lover to the extent that everything has a right to life... No way.  Tablets taken.  One a day for three days.  Then the weekend was planned around places within easy reach to previously researched toilets.  Nothing dramatic happened.  Nothing. We started French lessons last Friday.  It was pretty much a recap and I can confidently get to the airport on a bicycle now.  Or even on a horse.  Luke was keen to explain that he do both of those things confidently in Spanish.  I came away with 2 new phrases that I pulled fr...

 The urban myth of crocodiles in the public lake is true.  Shockingly true and it was a whopper.  We know this as we re enacted the size and our distance to it in the swimming pool.  It was the length of an arms out stretched floating Luke, plus a tail.  Easily over 2m.  The secondary, drying up,  pool with easy fish and frog pickings must be empty now as all the birds were at the bigger pool.  The bigger pool was lower.  Perhaps the crocs are now easily visible because they need to hunt.  Gulp.  No more just opening your mouth and letting the fish swim in.  About 10m away! We need to add caution here because by the time we left the park it was between 4 and 5m and had tried to eat us!  Not true but the spreading of the urban myth is that easy.  It was an exhilarating experience and had I been able to run our morning walk, I would've achieved a pb no problem.  I was on high alert and mentally planning shinning up...

 Here are the much anticipated walk in the woods bird photos! We need a proper camera.  The birds in this tree are called piapiacs - related to magpies. While we were there a bird of prey stopped for a rest and unsettled them.   Art in the woods. Now we are at the end of the rainy season, this seasonal lake is drying up.  There are now so many fish and frogs in a condensed area.  Easy pickings for the birds.   Somewhere in this photo there are waders and pied king fishers.  The king fishers are black and white.        Here's one the large millipedes and some sort of strange growth on Luke's face! Also, a new species?  Yesterday a large fly landed on a painting a student was doing.  I pulled it off and it had acquired one green wing and one orange one.   We have also been told of an area to go to  find crocodiles.   Am I up for a close encounter?  Not sure.

 We have an acting consul?  Really?  A list is kept for British citizens?  Evacuation plans drawn up... Well that is news.  Sadly the biggest part of the news is that he died last week.  Which is how we found out that we needed to be signed up somewhere.  Despite having asked the question many times before arrival.  Maybe he wasn't taken seriously due to being French? This means there is potentially an opening.  I'm not up for it, too much to do already but I do like the idea of a once in a lifetime title and plaque outside my house.  There would be no car and driver, no mansion.  There would be £1000 a year and invitations to the opening of an envelope.  I love a buffet.  Could I live with a photo of King Charles framed on my wall?  Could I honestly work with the present foreign secretary over matters of our security? There is no way Luke could get through a swearing in ceremony without saying something trite.  ...

  One of the main thrills of being somewhere so different is the wildlife.  Although as common place as sparrows (which I love) the birds in particular really have our admiration.  A safari or visit to one of the nature reserves is out of the question, how I wish we had visited 20 years ago!  However, our local woods is an amazing spot and one we love.  We have been getting up early for the past 2 Saturdays to walk up there in the relative cool.  6am and there are plenty of people out exercising.  The 'fast walk' seems to be favoured over jogging and we have viewed more than one fit personal trainer getting behind well fed middle aged couples. So the concrete animals are outside of the zoo, in the woods.  It is always hard to tell the age of things here as the elements take their toll and what looks to be 40 years of wear and tear could just be 5.  We have looked through the bars and seen a bit of a distressed hippo, unless the hippo is actua...