franco the hero... when he and maria, his sister, got down to the apartment saturday morning, early about 2am, they were settling her in and could hear this mewing noise from the bathroom ceiling or terraza area, hard to work out exactly where...

the noise the mother was making sounded like a baby in distress, she was moving around everywhere on the roof crying and worried... they thought maybe there was a cat in the ceiling of the bathroom, somehow!

and by 5am there were 3 cats mewing... mommy and two babies! franco had to move a part of the boiler away from the wall and some bits and pieces, and there was the drain with no grill on it to catch leaves or rubbish or small kittens it turns out... because firstly franco saved one that was head down into a drain up on the terraza, he was holding on with his paws out to save him self from falling further, franco lifted him up and put his somewhere safe... then he dropped a long long length of string down the pipe that goes 20 feet through the apartment and the one beneath and then onwards out into the sea i guess, taking rain/washing water from the terraza away with it...

and after a while of coaxing and pulling out came the small fragile body of the other kitten! looking like a drowned rat! the string was around his head and both front paws... as if he had looped it over to help the rescue mission!

then... the first kitten had gone missing again, he had gone into a flower pot head first and got jammed in, so franco had to pull him out by the scruff of his neck!

the mommy cat carried each one away holding on by her teeth to their necks, then a final thank you and good night to maria and franco!

we saw the mother cat later, when i was there, but no sight of the babies, hope they're safe now? and not up to any more mischief eh!

we were out all day yesterday it seemed.... i got the bus down to fuengirola first thing, collected my new glasses! only got one pair for now to see how i get on with them... bit blurry to start with have to be careful how quickly i move my head about!

then a shorter bus ride to calahonda and ice cream in hand, i headed off to maria's place.... once there after our 'hello's' we went out for groceries, after a breakfast, i had had mine of course, would'nt leave the house without it! then to lidl for food, well in theory, as most of the shelves were bare, no food, no milk, no fresh vegetables... this transport strike is killing spain at the moment, no fuel, no vehicles to transport any thing, its crazy...

back to the apartment, and then off to ikea.... maria had a small list of things to buy, now her place is all done up beautifully, there are things to be changed and re newed... coffee table, small cupboard, rug and cushions etc, we were all tired and debated weather to go today, but it was the only day to go really and i would never turn down a chance to go to ikea, especially as i now pass the place morning and night, before its open and after it has closed!!!

we had ice cream and drinks when we got there.... shopped.... and then had a light snack on our way out!! then it was back to maria's and then home, must have been about 8pm i think, cant remember!

so today we decided to give the market a miss, i had to have one day where i did'nt have to get up early! and franco has certainly had a lot of missed sleep the last couple of days too!

i could'nt believe the time when i came down stairs this morning... 950am! unbelievable pippa even let us sleep in that long!

we went out to buy some fresh fruit and bread from the little store near alhaurín golf, they dont have to rely on trucks and gasoline, everything there is grown or made on the premises!

then before coming home we went to see a friend and enjoyed some relaxing time on her terraza, with a cool drink and good conversation...

now home, in the cool of our house, its over a hundred up on our terrace now, at 4pm...

just checked out the web came down at torre where i will be tomorrow, of the three torre web cams its the first one, bit of building work going on down there, and a kiosk in the centre of the view.... there used to be benches there on the path but now only earth under the palm trees? i will have to sit on that wall on the left for tony to see me tomorrow afternoon! it says 'live' but i think its about every minute it changes!

The glory of the world is transitory,
and we should not measure our lives by it,
but by the choice we make
to follow our personal legend,
believe in our utopias and fight for our dreams...

TTFN
Marian

well to begin? had three days of my new job.... just as it was last time, long day... 40 hour working week, but 67 hours from door out in the morning to door back again at night!

but as i just said to barry, i do get a three hour rest on the beach every day! eat sleep read.... then back in to the shop at five! so that'll do me very nicely thank you!

last time i was sitting on a bench trying to get some shade, but not easy to relax on a hard bench, and definitely so sleep, so this time i already have it sussed out, after eating my lunch i am going to sleep, i set my alarm so i wake up, but am waking up naturally after an hour or less, so having some energising sleep for the afternoon.

had such a laugh on friday afternoon, i wasn't sure if i could make it through as we had woken up at 5.30am! for franco to leave at 6.30am! and i hadn't been able to go back to sleep, and i had only had half hour super nap on the beach before being woken by a girl asking me if i wanted a massage(!) but then the boss in the estanco got out a Duracell rabbit! like the one on the telly with the little guys falling of the cliff at the moment... sorry i digress... so she gets out this rabbit(!) and puts him on the counter, standing about 18 inches high, resplendent in his shorts and joggers top, cd player in the hand, camera round his neck and a earphones hanging round from his ears....! then she puts in the batteries and off he goes! music and swaying hips.... we, the boss marie, and her two girls who work there, and me... in hysterics! marie was mimicking the rabbit, then two of them, then three, and well who am i to spoil the show, so we were all doing the bunny swing!

customers came and went realising that yes, it was friday, it was late and we were all un poco loco!

the rabbit was put away, back in his box and we were still talking and laughing about 'him' when a customer came in and caught some of the conversation about.... a rabbit and batteries... he was stunned! misunderstanding... and somewhat embarrassed! will leave the rest to your imaginations.....

i met a lot of nice people, strange seeing the same ones so much in one week, in the last promo i was in five different estanco's in the five days, so didn't see the same people unless they were here for two weeks, or lived here, of course!

this time they come in every day buying cartons and cartons of cigarettes and rolling tobacco to take back home! which is great for me! and a gift for them!

and as last time also, i wonder if i will see someone i know from back in blighty, in the five weeks i only saw one person i knew, which was good, hope to see someone else i know this time too, and wish i would see someone i know from here too! seems very strange being in a store and not seeing all the friendly faces i used to see every day... where are you all you alhaurínos? oh i know up here in alhaurín! of course.... this week i am in the other estanco of the two i shall be doing the promo in, this one is along bajondillo... the one with the web cam from here in my links section, so no doubt i will be calling tony and saying... hey look here i am honey! like a loony standing by the street web cam....

well for now.... i am done... have a story of franco being a hero, will be blogging that later, just need a break!

TTFN
Marian