All kinds of avoiding actions this morning even to write this. (Have just, eg, made a second pot of coffee which I do NOT need.) A summer holiday lethargy has settled over the world. All my kids (natural and, as it were, adopted) are away. Noone sends emails. Here it is summer and not summer. No sun up here yet this morning, Most days there are this pattern - early glimpses of sun then mostly cloud which gradually lightens till at lunchtime there's as much sun as cloud - even, on rare days, hardly cloud at all. Towards evening the cloud comes back till the sky is wholly covered; except on rare days where the sun remains and we eat outside, in front of the house where it is still sunny and we are (mostly) protected from the wind. Two days like that last week. Down on the coast meanwhile it is mostly all sun and too hot for me. I'm glad to come back up, though, most days too, here and there, I could also wish for less wind. There were some quieter days last week. This week it is windy again,  but' not the gales of two weeks back.

This morning not even the patches of blue sky and sun.  Almost midday - it  appears to be lightning up, and the island is clearer; but nothing more. I just saw a hoopoe flying its loops over our land. The pig people made a bonfire earlier, which has died down somewhat, but is still sending some smoke drifting across. After one of the family cooperative (Dionysio I think) wheeled his squeaky barrow along  the wall with pig feed, the animals set up a hideous squealing as if one of them was being removed, or worse still slaughtered. (This happens. Once a small pig with its back legs tied was wailing in the road; two men were trying to load it into the boot of one of them's car. We also think we have seen a slaughterer there in an apron. Even though I suspect, everything ought to be sent to the slaughterhouse down on the road to Tahiche, almost opposite the animal rescue place...)

Went swimming yesterday - fears for its effects on my sore rib not realised.  In fact yesterday was first day when Granny didn't feel wholly miserable with it. This makes a difference to spirits.

Cleaner came and went - the usual inadequate (on my part) communication in limited Spanish. Cat sits on windowsill yowling to come in.  Dog lies on sofa outside. Beloved is down to other house with other dog.  I am left space to write in - but only write this.

Yesterday I erradicated, sadly, my dad's old phone number and address from my addressbook. Had difficulty not lifting the phone just to try if he was still there after all.  When he was so not there, his old self, even when alive, why do I miss the thought of his familiar body there just the same?

Yesterday I bottled a compote of figs with lemon and almonds.  To judge by state of tree when I inspected it earlier I will have to pick more this afternoon.  Jam with orange and ginger? Groan. Grannyp.