Wrapping up June 2017, making room for 2018

In June summer was upon us! I love the climate in this area. Neither too cold, nor too hot. Lucky as we are our house is exposed to the sun from morning to evening. Some people around us worry that it would be too hot inside the house in the summer, but with 80 cm thick walls it takes a long time before it gets too hot. For me it is just ideal, and I can't get enough of the lush green and flowers all around us after 13 years in the Middle-East.

Beautiful poppies

Plants grow whereever they find a bit of water or soil. The wall beneath our house..........

I never get enough of coming home to this view along the road to our house. 

Riverside

Somewhere above our house on one of our daily walks

Of course most of our time was taken up by catering to the puppies, keeping them busy, taking them to new places to experience as much as possible and taking care of 'business'. Fortunately we could be outside all the time, so house training was not such a big issue. I studied the internet and books on this item specifically and what suited me just right was that they all said with time they will become neat, just like children. There is a time when they really don't want to dirty their sleeping pad (or their nappy in case of children) and I was more than happy to trust this statement!
We took them to our old stomping grounds, where we used to camp out as a family for many years, along the river Lamone, they quickly determined where there home is, they loved getting into the river that runs on our land and chase dragonflies or dig up rocks from under water. Many other temptations were more than available.......I realized dogs are scavengers after all, so any dead animal is interesting to them......from moles to toads and more. Not exactly what I fancy.......
Joren came over, he just wanted to see those puppies again and have some vitamin Sun. Boris and Lola were so excited........

Gamberi

The pups love to get dirty rolling in dead leaves after a bath in the river, so they are hardly recognizable....and we adored them through it all!!💓Basically we had fallen in love, and they made us revisit our daily walks after we had left that habit, while our time was taken up by other things. They met with their mom and other dogs, 'helped' me gardening by making an incredible mess and had their first swimming lesson in a nearby lake.

We were often to be found cooling off in the river, hiding among lush greenery.

Meanwhile in the village the championships 'Trial' took place, for which the town square was turned into a display of historical scenery on which the motor acrobats showed off their skills. Unfortunately we missed the performance, but I was amazed about the amount of rocks and stone ........ that were pulled out for the occasion. Just another yearly event in Marradi where many people pull out their best to make a great event happen.

At the house work continued on the studio, windows and doors were put in and I am excited with the big sliding doors, that will give me air and light as much as I will need. In nature around us something interesting happened: during a stormy day we heard a noise that is hard to describe. By the time I realized it was something outside a huge tree had come down in the valley. Lex was in the kitchen looking outside when it fell.......a unique moment and fortunately seen from a safe distance. The sound was frightening! A few days later we passed the fallen tree (uprooted and all) and noticed that apparently all nutrition still in the stem was sent out to the branches to acutely produce seeds, so procreation was secured. I had never seen anything like it, but made total sense.

At the end of the month the moment arrived to go attend my photographer friend Bianca's graduation show. I almost did not make it as I missed my flight and had to sit down, take a deep breath and come up with an alternative option. As I was hungry I had to go eat something first to get my brain working first and got this ;-): you've got to love yourself first! 💖

I got myself another ticket for the next day and spent the night in Bologna. Wise lesson: go to the internet and figure it out yourself, not to the ticket desks or you will spend a fortune!

I arrived in time for the graduation and it was amazing. So proud of my friend graduating with high grades and a beautiful show of her work. I felt very honoured to see myself taking first row in the display. After the graduation ceremony we went out for dinner with her husband and brother and had a fabulous evening a thttps://www.wijnbarpinot.nlin Breda! Recommended for their beautiful wine and food combinations and very nice and attentive staff.  Of course we celebrated with lovely bubbly.

Here's to more projects together! 

I took the opportunity to visit my mom and my native grounds. I went touring around the province with my mom, which we really enjoy doing together. When we began to have a nagging feeling in the stomach we were happy to find a new place to enjoy beautiful fish dishes, as our favourite go to restaurant was closed.  I had some mouthwatering oysters, which I have only learned to appreciate in the last ten years even though  I am from the oyster breeding area in Holland.
Before catching up with high school friends Joost and Marlies, I had a good windy walk at the beach, enjoying some fresh air through my hair, which always makes me feel at home immediately. And last but not least I spent the last night in Holland with my dear friend Marjan in my native town Vlissingen.

On returning back home I am amazed by the changes in the puppies. Within a week they have grown into stringy little dogs  with long legs and have left the wooly teddybear phase behind, walking and running around as if they have always been around us. Happy to get back to my green paradise and walk the dogs. Every now and then meeting Vincenzo's horses that I am slowly falling in love with learning to let go of my fear.

To be continued..........