Howling Winds!!!

It’s 5 pm and the only thing left for the weather to do today is hail! We’ve had rain, sun, wind that makes you work to walk through it; and since noon we’ve had winds registering at 45 knots! Just now the winds are a bit more quiet; maybe my words have embarrassed the gods of Mediterranean weather. I probably shouldn’t complain and make them angry. This morning Sharman, Sophie and I had a lovely walk for 3 ½ hours with weather that changed from a bit of drizzle to warm jacket shedding sun, and then back to clouds with wind. And the forecast for the next 3 days is sun. But the winds this afternoon were ridiculous! Everyone was out checking boat lines and cockpit cushions and anything else that might blow away and the marina workers were racing around looking after everything. Outside the marina walls the Mediterranean must have been beyond fierce. Now the thunder has started and the skies are getting dark.

Across the dock from us this boat was rocking pretty wildly; it’s owners home in Germany.

The marina crew checking on bow lines which must be secure as well at the lines attached to the docks keeping the boats from swinging into each other.

Dark clouds coming with the rain.

Hold onto your hat.

Randal had been checking on our friend Eve’s boat and is on his way back to DoraMac holding on to his hat. He was still wearing his gym workout shorts.

Tomorrow the weather forecast is for sun so at 8 am Sharman and Sophie will start out on their daily walk. I have begun joining them and we’ve gone exploring all of the paths through the hills between Sipahi to Deks and along the coast from the marina to Yenierenköy. We walk for hours. Randal prefers to skip the walks and goes instead to visit the gym that has just opened. There are treadmills, stationary bikes, Universal machines, and weights. He works out for about 90 minutes. Sharman uses the gym too and maybe one day I’ll go and see about making some arm muscles to go with my leg muscles.

    Yesterday we did our first Deks walk since Denise’s return from England. We were sad and happy at the same time. Sad for her family back in England but glad that she is now back because we’ve all missed her and the fun she brings into our lives. Sharman and Sophie and I walked to the walk. Randal rode the motorbike and Rob, Julia, now back from Thailand brought their neighbor who is has a school holiday in England so is here for a few weeks. It was a picture perfect day….literally.

Cyclamen Repandum or Spring Sowbread

There are loads of wildflowers and hopefully I’ll learn the names of many more.  Heidi has loaned us a book of Mediterranean flora and fauna.

Some of the yellow is gorse with its lovely fragrance that reminds me of forsythia or lilac but don’t touch the spiky thorns. The yellow might be fields of buttercups, mustard or rape but I’m not sure yet.

7 year old Frank, Julia’s friend visiting from England with his parents; he kept up and everyone enjoyed his company.  It was fun watching him navigate around, over or through the mud.

Sharman, Denise, Julia, Frank and Randal

We’ve hiked to this small church in the woods once before and it is always a surprise to new walkers who haven’t been there. It’s not in any walking book, but Denise’s husband grew up in the area so knew of the church.

Denise now has the phone number for “Dynamite Dave” on her cell phone. On our walk back from the church a truck came along. The men wanted to know if there was “more tour group” because they were going to dynamite up further into the hills and didn’t want to scare anyone. It was for a quarry. Denise said she would call if she thought we ever needed to let them know about our walks.

Almost back at Deks

I wondered what was making Frank’s left sweater pocket hang to his knee….his rock collection.

Rob and Julia came for an afternoon visit.

Rob’s phone rang and it was a call was from England to plan their visit home this spring for their daughter’s June wedding. R and J had been very kind and had loaned us their car while they were vacationing in Thailand.

Our new diesel stove pipe and Randal with his heat gun to check temperatures around the stove and saloon ceiling making sure nothing gets too hot but so far so good.

It’s now almost 8:30 and the winds are definitely calmer now, thank goodness! Maybe I’ll be able to watch Once Upon A Time which is on here at 9 pm Fridays. If the boat moves too much the signal fades in and out or won’t work at all. But it is repeated Sunday night.

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A while ago I wrote an email about watching the birth of a calf and being invited into the family’s home for coffee. I said that one day I’d make them an apple cake. Well I did do that….and it was a good thing to have done even if a bit awkward. When I knocked on the back door I woke up the dad who was napping and the young woman wasn’t quite sure what to do. But the mom, who had been helping with the birth, so not in the house when I’d had coffee, was very interested and remembered me and my camera. They invited me for coffee again but I didn’t really want to impose. I had translated the words, “I made you an apple and walnut cake” so they at least knew what I was bringing. When they see me in town or walking they always smile and wave so I guess the cake was ok. Since Denise is back Turkish lessons will start again so I will try to learn more phrases to use when I walk around Sipahi. Problem is that they all seem to fly from my head just when I need them. Actually I understand more when they speak than I can respond.

Ru