Trust no-one

Kittens Gabriel and Joseph turned up a few weeks before Christmas together with a tabby we call Barry.
Despite being fed, watered and loved they are still quite wary and spend a lot of time staring with slightly suspicious looks on their faces.

Quilt

My Aegean quilt - finally finished

Putting on the binding was the easiest part!

Close up of the middle squares

Feline photos

We've got a lot of cats, really a lot, like 15. They have sort of accumulated over the last five years and it seems quite normal now. Because we have an acre of garden and the weather is good a lot of the time they spend most days sleeping in the forest, eating, sleeping a bit more and if they are being useful killing the odd rat or two. And they do have a large utility room with comfy cat beds for when it's cold or raining. Joyce, Sebastian, Niles and Luka are more inside cats and as I type this are dozing gently on the sofas.
Maybe if you are not a cat person they all look the same but I was thinking yesterday how you can tell so much about a cat's personality by their expression. For example, this is Alix. She's a bit of a loner, bit crabby and quite aloof:

and Ferdinand is a young male who is at that difficult age and rather demanding:

I bottle fed Luka from three weeks old and even though he's two years old he's still a mummy's boy and loves me a lot:

and finally Wilfred; we don't know how old he is as he just turned up in a terrible condition a few years ago and had obviously been in the wars. He's kind and gentle but still has a slightly depressed air about him:

Don't worry, I'm not going to run through the remaining eleven! Well not today anyway.

60 minute makeover ( I wish! )

After a whole month in England having a wonderful time seeing family and friends, and eating far too much, it's back to island life. We spent most of yesterday at our church community centre which we've been helping to create over the past few months.
When we started it was an empty couple of rooms that needed a complete makeover. In the absence of a reality TV team it's been a major job but the end is in sight. Guy climbed up a very, very high ladder to fit speakers, a projector and screen (following instructions from Father Avraam!) . I made helpful comments.
There are big plans for the centre - apart from coffee after services and holding meetings and talks there will be a small library, youth groups and a summer creche. And when the kitchen is finished we will provide meals for some of the islanders. I wish I'd taken photos before we started as the change is amazing. But this is what it's like so far:

Check out the sweat! It was very hot 

Now which bit goes where?

Happy priest with new sound system

Hot

Men making fire

It's so hot here, 40C yesterday afternoon. We went out on the boat with a couple of friends and headed off to a small beach on a neighbouring island for a barbecue. Being on the water was absolutely the best place to be, and then we spent most of the day just wallowing in the water thinking how lucky we were to live in such a beautiful place. The only hitch was the disposable barbecue we had didn't want to light so Guy and Chris spent a very very long time trying to coax some life into it while Nicky and I made helpful suggestions. It managed to cook a few sausages but gave up on the pork chops.
I'm up early this morning (6am) as it's the only time of the day when you can get things done around the house without melting. So now it's off to feed the hens followed by a spot of ironing!

Haircut

I finally got round to giving Nancy a haircut. Her fringe was so long she could hardly see and after every walk I had to spend ages getting bits of twig and forest out of her coat. Also it's so hot here she is more comfortable. It took a long time and lots of treats to get it done and I think she looks beautiful!

Before

After ( this is her long suffering look)

Seeing the world without a fringe

Happy Anniversary

Two years ago today we were all in Dublin for Jennie and Shane's amazing wedding. Happy Anniversary!