The excitement of clean sheets and an evening shower caused me to dissolve into a deep sleep which even blocked out the buffeting of the wind on the tent outside. Luckily, I’d managed to get the Sail Shade up otherwise it might have been a different story. The alarm dragged me from a profound sleep so it took a couple of minutes for me to decide who, where and what I was. In the end, I concluded that getting out of bed might be the best option. It was much warmer than when I went to bed as I’d even chosen the THICK blanket as it felt so chilly at bedtime. In the morning it was baking!
I found my clothes and went outside to put on my socks and boots aided and assisted by Skinny, Isabella, Obi and Charlie who’d been banished from the van for being a smelly-fish-dog.
We set off for the Promontory to find a couple of vans in the Grammeno Beach car park. An English van has been there several days. I didn’t look at the other one. The easterly wind was very strong as we crossed the beach but it was mostly sheltered on the Promontory as we walked down towards the end. I parked all but Isabella, Skinny and Obi who joined me for a couple of circuits and then we went back to the camping via Alonáki Beach where the waves had overwhelmed the brollies and sunbeds set out there. Even though the lower row had been pulled up with their accompanying umbrellas above the top row.
We returned to the camping, I put the dogs inside the van, fed the cats and set off with only Skinny and Isabella to walk up the Valley. The walk was pretty uneventful. The guard dog by the ReadyMix depot was guarding but not barking. There was a very minor goat encounter however Isabella was quickly reminded of her invisible tether so responded obediently to my command.
In case you wonder about the severity of the electric impulse provided by the evil electric shock collars, I might explain. Before putting the collar onto the dog I push the electrodes into my hand once the receiver has been turned on so that I can see that the light is turning from green to red when the button is pressed. I usually set the transmitter to level 2 which I cannot feel. If I move to level 3, I can feel the ‘shock’ but am happy for it to continue as long as you like. At level 4 it’s just annoying and I’ve not felt the need to go to level 7 as I don’t use it. The device will only transmit the activation signal for around 20 seconds then it automatically cuts off and disables itself for a further 40 seconds. Even if you were particularly persistent you can only stimulate for 20 seconds in every minute. If the dog is trained, the stimulation level is correctly set and the collar properly put on the dog, no more than 5-10 seconds stimulation is required to get the dog’s attention and have it start obeying your command. Often, a brief press of the button to give a ‘nick’ is all that is required.
We walked 6.14km during our walk which took us back along the beach where the waves were pounding the shingle and the water had invaded the mouth of the river causing us to skirt around the edge or get our feet wet. Isabella just walked on through it.
The canoe staked to the beach for several days was full of water and had been turned around by the waves. Isabella found the disgusting fishyness discovered by Charlie the previous day and was able to get a quick roll in before I clocked what was going down. I quickly got her to come to me but she was still very smelly. She was less than impressed when I hosed her down once we were back.
I battled the strong easterly into Paleochora to get some shopping. Very important as there was no chicken for the Doggy Dinners. Such extravagance: €2.75 for ten day’s worth of chicken portions! I did the shopping and immediately headed back as I needed to get on. The ride back was very rapid and I overtook a 4×4 towing a caravan as well as a large truck lumbering over the rough roadworks.
I fed the dogs, had breakfast and got ready for my weekly call home.
The remainder of the afternoon was particularly uneventful as I fell asleep and had a text conversation with Ursula. Her finger is still broken.
There are quite a few punters in the camping more than at any time since last September. Technically, the maximum number is limited to one hundred…
My supper is ready, the doggies are fed, Luis is quietly asleep on a blanket at my feet and Skinny is under my chair. Obi is voluntarily in the van and the other involuntarily in the SDC, Oskar wearing a collar so we can have some peace. Isabella is in there because she’s a nosy bag and followed me in the morning when I went there to collect the bowls.
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