Nerves...or something.

All right, this is going to be a quickie post, considering I’m at least and hour behind and really should already be getting ready to go to bed by now. Ah well, I can hardly not do my post today. That would just be…well, inconsistent.

For some inexplicable reason I forgot to set my alarm last night, which means I wake up an hour late and “run after time” for the rest of the day. I remember vague dreams this night, something about driving in a car and then being unable to take a curve due to this massive bump in the road that scrapes the underside of the truck. Very frustrating.

It is often an indication that reminds me I’m dreaming. The depth of sight isn’t the way it’s supposed to, just like when I dream of reading something and realize that I can’t make out the words that seem alien to me. When I realize as much in the dream and recognize it as such, the anxiety that this causes often disappears and I am able to alter the events to my liking. That is a good thing most of the time, since when I don’t I end up feeling frustrated when I wake up.

But let’s get to the day before I get completely distracted and start “yapping” about dreams for pages on end. I really don’t have the time…even though I might be a more fun read that just another recount of the day.

So, after letting the dogs out and quickly going through the morning rituals, I head on down to the house, keeping Trin Trin the Monster Boxer on the tight leash.
She has that CRAZY look in her eyes today, and I am just in time too, when the door opens and a couple of big brother’s cocker spaniels are right on the threshold. If I hadn’t kept her close to my heel things might have turned out as a disaster.

There is very little time today, what with the looming appointment at school, less than three hours after waking time. I can honestly say that I am both dreading and looking forward to it. Dreading it because I’ve heard horror tales about these particular lessons, and looking forward to it because I really do enjoy this part of our “education”.

But anyways…rather than plunge back into an editing session–which we really should have done, but simply couldn’t get ourselves to do in the little time we had available–I spend a frivolous hour or so online to go over the messages and chat sites before we shut down our computers and take the opportunity to do some studying instead.

The hours pass really fast, and soon I’m heading up to my cabin to change clothes and then head for the car.
First thing we do, once underway, is head for the deserted windy road leading through Valtocado. It has been more than seven months since we’ve last been behind the wheel of a car, and rather than face our lessons blindly, we decide to do a quick practice drive.

It goes well, but it almost makes us late to arrive at the school where teach is talking to one of her colleagues. As we wait for our instructor, I hand her the questions I remember from the exams and she takes them gratefully while making some joke about having send me back home if I’d forgotten them again. Hah.

Our instructor arrives then and I get in behind the wheel of the car. For the next hour I try to divert my attention between the lesson and the actual rules of the road, and find it all to be a bit confusing, even though I do relatively well.

Basically the man is showing me the things I need to do in order to make the exams. Other than that he says I did well enough.
Once big brother has had his lesson and we have returned to the school, we are both exhausted for no good reason whatsoever and are more than happy to head back home to unwind.

At the school one of the boys who did the exams with me is waiting for his very first lesson and he is mighty nervous, looking terribly pale and about ready to bolt. Big brother and I share a few reassuring words with him and wave him off when he and the instructor get in the car and are on their way.

Time to leave for home ourselves and we sigh in relief when we get into the car.
It was stressful. Not so much the driving on itself, but the not knowing what to expect, I’m thinking. And that’s fine. This means that next week will be a tad easier because we know what he wants now and can set our minds to that prior to starting.

Once at home I get online for a bit, trying to let go of the stress and then decide to just take it easy for the rest of the evening since my head feels numb. There is a long session of hanging laundry somewhere during the evening–five batches have been tossed in the machine during the day–but other than that the evening was really quite uneventful…activity wise.

We did see a couple of movies today. “Get Smart” which was surprisingly funny…or my head was so numb that I thought it was…and “The life and death of Bobby Z” which wasn’t bad either, though not stellar by any means.

Big brother and I do talk quite a bit during the evening, but to write it all down would really take too much time, so I guess I’ll just leave at this and finish today’s blog by saying that the evening ended much like most of my evenings do with a trip up the mountain, feeding the dogs and then doing some reading.

If all goes well, we’ll be heading into the “jungle” tomorrow and get some actual work done. Yay!

Jungle fever continues.

Strange dreams during the night, and incredible soreness all over my body when I woke about two hours before the alarm went off. I found myself almost incapable of movement during the short waking period. Groaning, I rolled over and fell back to sleep for blissful sleep some more.

When the alarm goes of, I’m feeling decidedly better and just slightly stiff when I roll from the bed and head out of the bedroom in order to let the dogs out. They’re ecstatic, of course and dash away to leave me to the morning rituals.

Rather than go down to the house immediately, I set out up the mountain instead so I can have a short visit with grandpa’s guest. There’s about half an hour of chatting before it’s time for me to head back down where the dogs are impatiently waiting for my arrival.

No laundry today, apparently middle sister is forgetting to throw anything in during the night, so that saves me a chore today. Still, throughout the day I throw in several batches, lest the dirty laundry pile will grow out of control.

After feeding Yadzia, big brother and I set to editing to get through the hours with effective edits until the younger sibs arrive. We’re running a little behind, what with my visit up at grandpa’s, but still we manage a few pages before it’s time to start on the garden again.

Though the sun is shining, it is decidedly cooler today as we once again start hacking our way through the bushes, clearing more away until at last we round the terrace and can move from one side to the next without obstruction. Quite a few of the planted bushes survived underneath the thick carpet of vines, and as they are removed more and more of them are revealed.

It is quite a relief to see that the Oleanders, eucalypts and even the Jasmine has survived a full year of neglect. Several trees have died however, one of which is completely covered by vines. I jerk on it throwing my weight into the task and literally fall on my butt, laughing when I’m immediately overrun by the jubilant dogs who love nothing more than have a human on the ground.
No harm done in the end, my knee protests a little, but it doesn’t prevent me from continuing with the task.

At long last we reach the last section of the large U we’ve created around the old pool, coming up against where the old pear tree crashed during the last storm and landed in a tangle of thorn branches that belonged to one of our largest bougainvillea. Though the tree is dead, some of the bush’s roots are obviously still alive with young sprouts proudly appearing from the mess we remove.

With a small handsaw, I remove most of the of the thorny bougainvillea so big brother can come in with the chainsaw and cut through most of the pear tree’s large trunk until we’re be able to remove it…not now, of course, but the next time we head down to the garden.

While we’re working on the tree my phone rings, identifying our teacher, who informs me that if we want to we can change our Monday appointment to tomorrow.
Rather than say yes immediately, I call out to big brother, asking him what he thinks about it, agree, and tell the teach that we’ll be there tomorrow on the time she indicates.

We wrap up today’s gardening around dusk and head up to the house where little sister has dinner waiting for those of us who are work weary and more than eager to fill our stomachs with the pasta and sauce standing on the counter with our arrival.

It’s “House” and “The Mentalist” evening, and it keeps us nicely entertained throughout dinner and the resulting relaxing time. We’re all pretty much beat and we’re definitely planning on an early night, which means that today my blog will be posted a little earlier than usual.

Jungle fever!

So, I wake right on the dot this morning, knowing the instant I open my eyes that it’s going to be a busy day. The dogs are making a racket and I lay in bed for a moment longer, stretching the kinks out of my back and hoping, against hope, that they’ll calm down some.

They never do, and in the end I roll from under the blankets to head towards the door, scowling my displeasure at the Dane bouncing in front of me. Two other of the pack are snarling at each other, drawing my attention just when I’m bending over the stirring mass of fur to unlock the door.

Sitabah (weimeraner) and Labhana (black Labrador) have been having an ongoing tiff for weeks now, and while I throw the door open, the two of them attack each other, resulting in a fight that has them literally going at it with furor for a full five minutes.

None of my usual attempts to get them loose work, so I give up and just let them fight it out and hope that the damage won’t be too bad. Rather than stay there–possessive dogs fight harder when their master is around–I head back into the cabin, keeping a weary eye on them through the open window.

The growling and hissing finally stops and I step outside to see them whirling around each other, tails and ears held high, trying to put their snout on top of their opponent’s shoulders, now that neither has won the battle, but weariness made them stop instead.

Their paws and necks are filled with small puncture wounds, but all things considered the damage is minor. Thankfully.
With the dogs in tow, the two females still trying to pretend to be the victor towards their opponent but keeping enough distance not to start another fight, I arrive at the house.

Big brother is already in the living area, his dogs making a racket when I open the door and keep Trin Trin firmly on her leash to prevent her from pouncing on the lively Cocker Spaniels that are feinting attacks during our entrance. Another fight this early in the morning is really not something I want to risk right now.

I spend a little time on chores, feeding Yadzia and having breakfast, but then I put the coffee on and set up the computer for the day. My eyes remain half shut throughout the first couple of pages, but the coffee kicks in and allows for proper focus as we set to the task in full.

For several hours we edit, finishing the second chapter, and are pleased with the results of the rigorous changes we decide on. The story is improving every day, bringing the errors down to a bare minimum.
The sibs get up at their usual time–little brother explaining that for the first time in years he actually slept through the night–and after discussing what’s on the schedule for the day, I head on outside with garden tools and gloves to tackle the disaster area of the lower garden.

The dogs rush on ahead the moment I open one of the three gates, and I head down to the old pool with one of four sickle knives grandpa bought this morning for this very task. I stand on the terrace surrounding the old pool for several minutes, wondering where to start, before I sigh and climb down the stairs to just pick a random spot and have at it.

One by one the sibs join me, steadily getting into the task as the familiarize themselves with the handy tools that will literally cut through anything–and are therefore dangerous to use when working amidst a large pack of nosy dogs.

For hours we make a joined effort to cut our way through vines and undergrowth, hacking away and digging in until we’ve created a path that will at least allow us to get from one part of the garden to the other. It is no easy task, working side by side with dangerously sharp instruments, and it shows when, by trying to evade a curious dog, middle sister’s sickle knife slices through the sleeve of my T, and draws first blood.

Another curious dog–things would be so much easier if they could stay at the house, but they love their freedom so much–earns big brother a nick in his upper leg, and middle sister damages her trousers with the sharp device too, when a vine suddenly gives way and sends the point right into the thick fabric.

No major disasters occur, however, and work continues as usual. A job isn’t well done until at least some blood is drawn. Hah.
Blind and deaf Bommel gets lost in the meantime, needing to be fetched by little brother, who literally needs to carry him over where I’m stuck in a massive collection of thorny undergrowth.

The poor Bobtail carefully makes his way towards me–the last few feet that is–and flops down on my shoes, content to stay right where he is no matter that he’s in the way.
Sitabah and Labhana, both injured from their morning argument, sit at a discreet distance from each other, licking their wounds and watching ongoing battle against nature with interest while ignoring the presence of their present enemy.

While big brother uses the chainsaw to cut through the trunks of dead trees, middle sister and little brother help me cut a way through the mass of fines and branches that keep the old tree in place. After a while the trunk is sawed in two and it’s time to wrap a rope around it so we can drag it down the mountain.

Big brother climbs down to a lower level of the terraces that make up our property, taking hold of one end of the rope, while I brace myself halfway to add my bit.
The darn trunk won’t give, however, what with vines and other branches keeping it firmly in place, so both younger sibs begin to hack away at the dead wood while big brother and I literally throw our full weight into it.

Finally the dead tree begins to give way, every muscle in our bodies straining and screaming with every inch it moves from its place. My shoulder blades are burning up by then, abdominal muscles so tight my stomach hurts, but at long last the tree begins a slow slide down the mountain with every vine that is cut by sharp sickle knives.

We breathe in deeply, cheering our success for a few minutes until the next chore needs to be dealt with. Dusk is only half an hour away, and we really want to remove a dead thorny bush as well…even though we know it will be a difficult task with the relentless vines that resemble some alien species trying to take over the world. Hah.
The bush doesn’t cooperate any better than the tree, but after several minutes of dangling on the rope it gives and rolls down to a halt on the terrace where big brother waits for it.

With the sun disappearing behind the horizon we call a halt to our efforts, slowly and wearily making our way back to the house with the dogs in tow and Bommel carried by big brother since the poor old dog won’t be able to find his way.

Since not all dogs enjoy wandering now that age has gotten the better of them, little sister has stayed inside the house with mom, and she has prepared our dinner by the time we arrive sweaty, dirty and more than a little sore from our work. We wash up and then enjoy the pizzas she’s made with exhausted enthusiasm. It always amazes me how good a meal tastes after hard work.

The progress is discussed in minute detail, over the meal. As well as plans for tomorrow, while semi-cheerful complaints are shared about sore joints and muscles, unfamiliar with the industrious labor of the day.

I relax for a bit, watching an episode of “Criminal Minds” and then start on the surprise birthday treat for one of grandpa’s acquaintances that’ll be visiting tomorrow. Ladyfinger pyramids, stuck together with sugared coffee butter and a chocolate cream icing. It’s a task I wasn’t looking forward to, but since I promised, I do it anyway.

Once I’m done, and little sister offers to do the dishes, I settle behind the computer. I find myself to be so physically weary that I can hardly concentrate enough to use the keyboard, but still big brother and I manage to do a bit more editing before the evening is over.

I have to admit that I am rather relieved when the night is through and I can head on up to my cabin to tackle the last chore of the day by feeding my dogs and stuffing medication down the throats of four canines suffering from Leishmania.

A good day. A hard one too, but lots got done and that is always a plus.

Running behind. *sigh*

Late, late, late. It appears to be a constant state I’m in these days and if it keeps up I’ll be forced to change my routine with posts for the Blog since this is getting to be annoying. Every night when I come up to my cabin for the evening rituals, I have no other choice but to hurry through the procedures just to get everything done. Very annoying.

But, be that as it may, today was a busy one.

Two of the younger sibs and mom have to go to the embassy to get their paperwork in order, so they can get their new passports, and a month from now, two at most, big brother and I will have our turn. Hopefully, by then things will have quieted down a bit, and if not…well, we’ll see how it goes.

My day: I wake early, as planned. The dogs were quite restless, starting up a long-distance back and forth orchestra with the main pack in the house several times, when the sibs and mom depart. It took a little while for things to quiet down again, but when they did, I managed to fall asleep until it is time to rise two hours later, and hour and a half earlier than usual.

I’m still in the midst of the morning rituals when the departed family members return, looking haggard and relieved at the same time. They give their report of their exploits and how the silly bureaucrats kicked up a fuss again, forcing them both to get new pictures ‘cause they had to be just so. Aaargh.
Now, the sibs are both attractive young people, but somehow this photographer always manages to make the likenesses look like mug shots. It’s an art, I guess, and not everyone bothers to treat it as such…photography, that is.

While poor middle sister and little brother head for bed to get some much-needed sleep, big brother and I start on our day.
First we start checking out our own pictures, which we took this week, feeling pretty confident that they’ll fit the “high” standard the embassy requires, but it ‘ll remain to be seen. I’ve a feeling that the bastards just made some sort of deal with the photographer and will simply send us (and anyone else needing a photograph) over, no matter what.

After going through our paperwork again, making sure that we’ve prepared all we can, we set up our computers to get more editing work done.
It goes well, the quiet of morning allowing us to immerse into the book I wrote years ago and improving on it continuously until three hours later it is time for a short break, Yadzia’s feed and my own. Hah.

The break doesn’t last long, and we continue with the chore of dots, commas and whatnot until the younger sibs arrive from their very short rest, of just a few hours and start on their day.

It is around this time that big brother and I decide to head outside to start on one of the many chores that need to be done on the property. First thing is the upper fence that the dogs have been attacking for weeks now. What with the new roll of fence we bought recently, we apply a long strip against the old, effectively blocking all the holes in the rusty metal until we’re pretty sure the dogs will no longer be able to break through it.

They’re a smart bunch, though, so we’ll have to wait and see if it suffices. Knowing Prama and Tadayka, the youngest members of the pack, they’ll find a way, somehow, even if they have to chew their way through.

While big brother starts to work on the satellite dish that provides grandpa and our invalid tenant with TV, I head down to the lower part of the property for a quick inspection of all that needs to be done down there.

It is a daunting sight I admit, as my pack rushes down through the under growth with enthusiastic exuberance. Weeds come up to my chest, ivies have grown through, in and over trees and bushes alike, and the old pool looks like some ruin in a horror movie scene. It’s fun, actually. Reminds me of when I was a kid and I was watching “The Secret Garden”.
But anyway…there are many, many hours of hard labor ahead, that much I am certain off by the time I’ve made a list of everything that has priority.

Since daylight is still available, I decide to tackle one of the big jobs immediately. Due to a parasite problem that is raging all along the southern coast of Spain, our three gorgeous palm trees have given spirit and are now limp, composting heaps. One of them, the biggest–the one we were most proud of since we planted it ourselves almost thirteen years ago–has basically fallen over the main path and I spend over an hour removing the nine feet long leaves until we can freely move back and forth.

By the time I’m done–and the desperate escape of three rats housing inside the dead plants–I’m pretty much exhausted and head up to the house in the gloom of dusk. Big brother has finally solved the satellite dish problem by then too–bugs got into the receiver and nested there–and we convene in the kitchen where little brother has just finished making fries and nuggets for dinner.

Famished, I sit on the corner of the counter while I eat, bringing both brothers up to date. We’re all pretty tired, and decide to relax a bit since this is the hour when the best shows are on TV anyway. Chilled now that I’m no longer active, I bundle up in my vest and settle on a chair with needlework on my lap. Might as well repair some stuff while I sit, and after I’m done, Trin Trin crawls on my lap for a much needed petting.

When “NCIS” and “Burn Notice”, both excellent episodes, are over, the TV goes off, and I get the laundry I forgot to take down this morning. Afterwards big brother and I settle behind our computers for another short hour of editing before the night is over and it’s time for me to head up to my cabin for the night.

After I’ve fed Yadzia his special mix of kibble and tuna, and supplied the other dogs with their meals as well, I manage to read a chapter of my relaxation book, before I settle on the bed for my last foray onto the Net.

A busy day for sure, but at least we got some stuff done and have a good idea of what lies had.