Zora?

Sascha bravely said he’d be out on the Promontory bright and early this morning however I suspect his resolve and his expectations might not be the same. I watched the final, feature-length episode of MASH which finished around 23:45 so I was somewhat later to bed than usual. I woke up early so was en route for the water heater at 05:15. Skinny was ready to roll just as on the previous days, so I set off with all six dogs for the Early Walk. There was no sign of activity when we passed Sascha and Steffi’s caravan so I suspected he might still be asleep. I finally saw him out on Grammeno Beach nearer to 07:30 than 05:30 as he’d hoped. I thought his expectations were a little rash. He is on holiday and 05:30 EEST is 04:30 CEST.

Our walk went well. I released Oskar and Charlie, retained Fido and Obi but passed Luis to Ursula as he can be quite hard work when he’s not motivated to walk very quickly. Throw a ball for him and he’ll dash about but walking for an extended period is another matter. We fell slightly short of the daily 5km Early Walk goal but were suitably exercised anyway. The dogs behaved generally well however Oskar can still be a little vocal towards Skinny which could still cause possible conflict. This is especially the case when there is any excitement between Skinny and Heidi. Digging in the sand is not a big deal but rolling around together can get Oskar going.

After the usual Pilates and running, I didn’t go for a shower right away as I wanted to see how the hot water lasted by having a later shower. I finally showered around 10:00 and can report that the water was still suitably warm enough for an enjoyable shower. Breakfast followed and then some gentle emails and news reading. For a Monday, it’s been quite a quiet day.

As forecasted, the sky clouded over and it was dull in the morning however not cold. The top temperature is 25.8℃ which is 1.1℃ lower than the maximum for the year which was on 26 April. There is still 97% moon so we’re able to see even though it is only just starting to get light. Stargazing is a little difficult as the sun is only just below the horizon when we go out. The forecast for the next few days is cloudy but warm and I can live with that. No wind or rain is fine by me. The Summer Solstice will be upon us in one month’s time.

Maria came bearing a parcel from China which contained two, small 12volt solar panels for charging my small batteries. I have some LED light strips which I can now power and keep charged using the sun.

The day brightened up in the afternoon with good sunny intervals which generated some welcome hot water in the camping’s new thermosiphono ((θερμοσίφωνο) water heater). I decided my hair needed cutting as the difference between the area with little hair was becoming too great in comparison to that where some hair remains. Even putting on an old pair of shorts and taking a(nother) shower after, I still had hairs in my clothes!

Tea time was soon upon me so I joined Tony and Ursula for tea and the remains of the cake. I was able to announce that I’d vacuumed inside the van and under the awning. There was already a load of dog hair so I’d added mine to it when I cut it. We would be eating together later as Ursula was preparing some food. Cleaning the area was well overdue. When dogs swim in the lagoon then roll in the sand it brings a lot of the Promontory back with them.

The Evening Walk was a solo affair as Ursula was cooking the meal. We passed Zora on the way out without incident. Five dogs in one hand and Skinny in my left. Maybe tomorrow I’ll put two dogs on the same side as Skinny. Things are slightly more complicated at present as there’s a German motorhome north of me with three medium-sized dogs. My lot are generally reasonably chilled but it doesn’t take too much of an excuse to spark them off.

The Evening Walk was brisk as I wanted to get back reasonably early as Ursula was cooking. It was without incident and included a chat with Sascha on the way past his caravan. We may go out together in the morning if he’s ready at 05:30 when I pass by his van. If things go according to plan, we’ll have two girls and six boys. It could be an interesting walk.

Tony and Ursula brought supper to me which we ate after I’d fed the dogs and put them into their compounds to make coming into the compound less stressful. The Black Dogs ended up incarcerated inside the van due to a certain pair of very similar dogs making a din at the gate. The Brown Dogs were fairly reasonably behaved so allowed to remain outside with us. Skinny was in his compound as we’re not ready for that level of integration just yet.

The supper was extremely tasty and I’m extremely full so I suspect it will not be long before I’m in bed. It’s a warm, still, evening so I’m wearing thin shorts although I have a fleece on. Maybe the weather is finally stabilising and beginning to warm up…

[posted automatically in an unfinished state. This is the final version]