A STILL OVERCAST SUNNY MANILVA ON SUNDAY.

SUNDAY 8^th/ SEPTEMBER 2019.

We all had another nice lie in this morning, ‘ Scooby’ slept all night on his rug, he’s going home later today, after freshening up Brenda took him out for his first walk of the day, we then had our usual ‘light’ breakfast of ‘Weetabix’ for me and Brown toast with fresh fruit ( the last of the Nectarines) for Brenda, with mugs of strong/hot tea.

In ‘ Doggy World Heaven’ next week little ‘ Miss Bella’ is with us on Monday and Wednesday- all day- as It’s a local ‘Bank Holiday’ on Tuesday in Gibraltar, then she’s back on Friday morning for her first three- night sleep-over with us! Watch this space.

This morning has started again, grey & overcast, there is a stiff breeze and the threat of the ‘ wet-stuff’ is in the air, our neighbour, Anna and the local street cleaner are both forecasting ‘ Rain’ as well as all three of the forecasts that I follow! The sun is attempting to break through the heavy clouds, by lunchtime it’s due to only reach 24 degs+ and overnight down to 15 degs+ - the first time in over three months that it’s dropped below the 20 degs mark! ( thankfully) Tomorrow, at the start of the week, it’s going a little warmer as the breeze drop, from Tuesday onwards it’s settling down, with just a few patchy clouds, hovering back up in the mid/high 20s, with a light breeze at times, overnight also going a little warmer, the following week is looking similar, for now, watch this space.

Just a very quick update on the sports results; at the Rugby, England beat Italy 37-0 & Ireland beat Wales, again, 19-10, meanwhile at the Football, England, a young team beat a old team, Bulgaria 4-0!

Over at Monza, at the ‘Grand Prix of Italy’ Charles Leclerc, in a ‘Ferrari’ – is on the pole position later today, after a bizarre/farcical end to qualifying, as all the drivers, failed to get around to start the final lap, after watching each other, to catch a slipstream at the high-speed Monza track!

Yesterday evening, over in Everett, Ontario, Canada, Sandra & Bill were getting rather excited, as the young Canadian girl ( 19 –years old) ‘ Bianca Abdreescu’ in her first ‘ Grand Slam’ tennis match, beat a stunned Serena Williams, going for her 24^th ‘Grand Slam’ win, 6-3,7-5! – to win 3.1 million!

Here at the ‘ Vuelta España 19 ‘ today’s ‘ Stage 15’ goes from Tineo to Santuario Del Acebo, over a very hilly 155 kms, with a mountain top finish.

See below;

At the moment the ‘ Second Chef’ is preparing all the ingredients for the ‘ Ensaladilla Rusa – Russian Salad’ as well as poaching the ‘ Chicken Breasts ‘ in a savoury broth, to have this evening for our supper, when cold, then sliced and served with a Mixed Salad also!

This evening after supper we will settle down to watch the next exciting/gripping episode of the excellent “ Peaky Blinders “ – will the ‘Billy Boys’ strike and take revenge?! Watch this space.

“ Countdown 23 Days “

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A OVERCAST AND DAMP SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY.

TUESDAY 10^th/ APRIL 2018.

I was up early this morning to welcome back little princess ‘ Reina’ for the day, as usual, she shot upstairs and joined us on the bed for a little lie in, she then goes in her duvet for the rest of the morning, we then after a quick freshen up had our regular light breakfast of ‘Weetabix’ fresh fruit, toast and tea, before getting another day on the go.

PS; ‘ Scruffy’ is joining us for the day, on Wednesday morning, as both Rose & Adrian are back in Hospital for check ups.

Overnight the rain returned, and has not stopped since, it’s grey & overcast and it looks like it’s in for the day, the temperature is down to 14 degs+ as there is also a light breeze, tomorrow could be dry but then the wet stuff returns on Thursday & Friday, still cooler than normal for the time of the year, when we are out & about!

From Saturday and over the weekend the forecast is showing that the sun will break through, with a few clouds, then next week is looking dry, warm & sunny, reaching the ‘ heady heights’ of 22/23 deg+ by the middle of the week, watch this space.

After breakfast I put on the waterproofs, in the April showers, and went along a muddy ‘ Calle Mar’ down to the butchers, for this evenings supper and to stock up, the ‘ Contractors’ workmen have just started to lay the smaller side flags, at the top of the street, the large flagstones were dropped off over the weekend, it’s going to be a slow process, as they are laid, by hand, individually! Watch this space.

For our supper this evening we are having ‘ Pan-Seared Escalope’s of Chicken Breast’ – finished in foaming ‘Lime & Balsamic ‘Butter, with Finely Sliced French Green Beans and ‘Pommes Rissolees’ – Baby Boiled Potatoes, tossed in foaming ‘Parsley’ Butter until crisp & brown! On Wednesday we are having ‘ Braised Steak in a Mushroom & Onion Salsa’ with Brenda’s famous ‘ Mashed Potato’ – Thursday is going to ‘Homemade Burgers’ which is picked up from the butchers earlier, as he was making them, a choice of Beef, Pork or Chicken- with the toppings of choice! Friday will be a ‘ Fish Supper’ depending on the Market selection, as usual ‘ Saturday is ‘ Steak Night’ and then on Sunday we are having ‘Lamb’- TBC, watch this space.

Yesterday afternoon we made contact with Tim, on the ‘ Skype’ video, over in Old Colwyn, North Wales, Thea was out shopping, we had a good catch up with all his news, since they arrived home before Easter, after a terrible journey, up from Portsmouth, on the English Motorway system, he can’t wait to come back to Spain at the start of September! Jo is back in Madrid, for another year, teaching at a private school, Ben is working locally with his Health & Fitness business, they have both settled back into life in Colwyn Bay, with all their friends.

Tim’s first daughter Stacy, is getting married in September, after being with her partner for many years, his first son Simon, who lives down in London, his wife, is expecting a baby in the next month, he’s been married for a few years, this will be Tim& Thea’s second Grand-Daughter !  One bit of sad news is that their dog ‘Jasper’ – who is 12 years old, has an incurable disease,  which we are very sorry to hear.

Last night we settled down to watch the final episode of “  Marcella “ – starring Anna Friel in the title role, as the Lady Detective with lots of personal problems, the main villain, a seemingly mild- mannered ‘PTA’ mum, turned serial killer, was apprehended early on, and Marcella’s son was saved from his fate!

Then ‘ Marcella’ underwent hypnosis and discovered that she had smothered to death her own baby daughter, years ago! This is where the plot went ludicrously over the top, as she, overcome with guilt, staggered to the top of the Police station to throw herself off, only to be saved by a colleague, she then bonked him over the head with a toilet basin and handcuffed him to a sink, before cutting off her hair and slashing her mouth wide open?! The episode ended with Marcella sleeping rough, approached by a shadowy operative from a mysterious department who informed her that she was dead, before offering her the chance to work undercover because “ we could use a dead police officer” ??!! 

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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A STILL VERY WET, AT THE MOMENT DRY, SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY.

THURSDAY 15^th/ MARCH 2018.

I was, as usual. up early this morning to see little princess ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day, after drying her off, she shot upstairs and claimed her spot on the bed, before going into her duvet, later, after we all had a little lie in, ‘Chico’ slept, all night, on her duvet, meanwhile ‘ Scruffy’ ended up in ‘Chico’s’ bed for the night.

He’s staying with us now as Rose has been taken back into hospital, she went across to the ‘Emergency Dept’ at the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital on Tuesday morning, very early, to have her dressing seen too, then yesterday lunchtime she went back for an appointment with the consultant, she was then re-admitted for more tests to check out her ‘Hernia’ operation, from a couple of months ago, Adrian is also still in the same Hospital recuperating after his second ‘Hip-Replacement’ operation! Watch this space.

Late last night the wind had got up and was blowing more of the wet stuff towards us, it then rained all night and was still heavy this morning when we got up, after freshening up we decided to have our breakfast, ‘Toasted English Sausage Butties’ smothered in ‘HP’ Brown sauce with mugs of steaming tea before we ‘braved’ the wet stuff and took both the dogs out for their first walk of the day, we walk them 3/4 times a day, we also got the shopping list ready for tomorrow morning when I’m back out on my travels, down to Sabinillas, for the weekly shopping, hopefully in the dry! Watch this space.


See below  ' drone ' pictures of the Llandudno Pier & the Great Orme, North Wales,with a calm sea.

This morning the wind has dropped a little but it’s still raining at the moment, very overcast with more black clouds on the horizon, the temperature is now 16/17 degs+ Tomorrow’s forecast is showing the return of the sun, just for the day, then over the weekend we are in for more of the wet stuff, also going a little cooler, then next week is still looking dry, sunny, hovering on the 15 degs+ mark but down at night to only 5/6 degs, still not back to normal for the time of the year, before the ‘Semana Santa ‘ Easter celebrations/parades start on ‘ Palm Sunday’ Watch this space.

As usual, later this afternoon, we will be watching the ‘ National Hunt Jump Racing’ from the ‘ Cheltenham Festival’ with the ‘Ryanair Steeple Chase & Sun Bet Stayers Hurdle ‘ the two top races.

For our supper this evening we are having, our favourite, ‘ Grilled Chicken Wings’ served with Diamond Cut Green Beans & Baked Potato, on Friday it’s going to fish from the local market, then on Saturday, our regular ‘ Steak Night’ before on Sunday, for a change, we are not roasting, it’s going to be ‘ Medallions of Pork Fillet ‘ – which will also give us ‘ Escalope of Pork Schnitzels’ for Monday! Watch this space.

This evening after supper we will channel hop ( over 500 !) and find something to watch.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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