Catch Up

Hallo.. sorry for the gap. Not a lot happening - well lots of little things.

We went through a really hot spell... accompanied by snakes, scorpions and family visits. It is the time of year when Mohamed's family make their annual trip to Ait Iazza, this year involving stop offs with us - though the news of scorpions and snakes puts some off!

The weather has cooled again thank goodness and it has been a few days now since I saw a snake - though Mohamed found a skin near where we park the car. I will try attaching a photo of the last snake I saw... it was huge! I am still trying to identify it, and it the meantime have been given some stuff to paint across the threshold - apparently the snakes don't like the smell. It smells a bit like it is a mixture of tar and burnt stuff... I don't blame the snakes for not liking the smell - who knows how effective it will be.

We also did a quick trip to Marrakesh... and yes it was a quick trip. The new road is open - dual carriageway all the way. It just took about 2 1/2 hours maybe less if we pick a better exit off the road into Marrakesh, the road does a huge loop all round the city.

and I think that is all my news...hope you are all well out there

close encounters

It was too hot to sleep indoors last night and too many mosquitoes to sleep outdoors! Not much sleep.....

Yesterday we went and got some drinking water and when we arrived found 3 large birds of prey circling around in the sky above the spring. I thought at first they were buzzards but the wings were not quite right... having looked them up I think they might have been Booted Eagles... but not 100% certain and of course I didn't have my camera with me.

So this afternoon I was just about starting to feel alive again, after some restless sleep, when what should come down the stairs but a snake! It was quite a big one - well very long anyway and moving quite quickly. Needless to say Mohamed's mother was all for killing it. I don't think it was a venemous snake but I didn't really want to take any risks of it getting loose in the house - so I opted to contain and remove it. I managed to cover it with a plastic tub and slide something underneath and get it out of the house.... sorry although I thought of it + I didn't stop to take a photograph! I was more worried that Marmela was going to get herself into trouble with it as she wanted to investigate. It certainly wasn't very happy and was hissing a lot but not striking.

I have tried to find out what it was online but without much success. Anyone out there know anything about snakes?

Today's quote "He that has light within his own clear breast May sit in the center, and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts Benighted walks under the mid-day sun; Himself his own dungeon. " reminds me of last week when I was sitting reading Crime and Punishment in the Gendarmerie Royal (with my back to the little holding cell). By coincidence I had been talking about it (C&P) when my Dad was over as being one of the "classics" that I had not yet read. Next time I was in Aswak Asalam (supermarket) there it was - that was the coincidence part!

I have also just finished reading Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. I think that it should be compulsory reading for everyone. Go out and get a copy if you haven't read it already ... or borrow one or look at his website www.badscience.net

I am just about back to where I was last Monday - technology wise that is. The motherboard on my pc died and after looking into how and where and how much to fix it we settled on buying a new 2nd hand pc and then sending off for a new motherboard (haven't actually sent off for the new motherboard yet but will do). It means next time things go belly up I will have a proper back up. So new pc plugged in and we have scrambled through all the unpacked boxes to find keyboards and mice etc and then downloaded the various softwares I need to work with..... as I said I am just about back to normal.

Mother-in-law is here again before the crowds descend on her for the summer. She was driving me crazy the other day when she found a snake in the garden and wanted me to kill it. When I refused she then had to spend all day watching it in case it sneaked into the house and under the bed so it could crawl in and bite her while she was sleeping..... I have looked it up and as far as I can tell it is a totally non-venomouse species. Anyway it looked pretty full up with the lizard it had just eaten so I don't suppose it would be much interested in eating her (well not for a day or two anyway).


Well I have a little bit of work to do and then I must clean the cooker... oh the joys!

Anyway today has been overcast all day. We have had more trouble with the car.... I am seriously thinking of getting it fixed and then selling it and buying an Renault 4 - at least then when it breaks down we will be able to get it fixed anywhere.... and I have very fond memories of driving round the Picos with Malcolm (and Eve and the boys during the holidays).