A scorpion and a red moon. Flies in Paradise and the Lovely Lotti!

I seem to have been away from blogging for the few weeks we have been back at Navasola. We retreated to the UK for  most of August where the skies stayed cloudy but the music at Cropredy was as ever excellent and there was time to catch up with family and friends.

Skies over Cropredy, Oxfordshire, UK.

We also managed some walks around the London Wetland Centre, a favourite place for me. Plenty of herons, cormorants and a first for me of a black tailed godwit. This was thanks to the wonderful bird watcher volunteers.

Example of how to save water for a garden at the London Wetlands Centre.

A friend’s London allotment surviving without water this August!

Back at Navasola we have been busy with what is now the remains of a building site. That means more for us to do. We still didn’t manage the bureaucracy of getting wifi and I think we quite like our trips to town for the library or wifi bars.

Last night was a broken one… First a scorpion had to be escorted down the path. It ventured into sight not far from the bedroom. Spiders no problem! This is only the second time a scorpion has visited and I was obviously too sleepy and nervous to think about photography. Later in the night, or early hours, the alarm went off so we could see the red moon. Will we see another in 18 years time?  So it was well worth getting up. Unfortunately though just a memore and a red dot in a photograph! The stars were so clear and the moon a glorious red. As I am not usually up at this time it was amazing to see the different range of stars from my normal early evening viewing of Deneb, Vega, and Altair. Last night Orion’s Belt was shining bright. We stayed out in the cool and then suddenly there was a gust of wind and a warm breeze.

Skies over Seville in September, Andalucia, Spain.

I have also spent many days in my Huerta and rock garden. Thanks to a kind friend and neighbour all was kept carefully watered through the blistering heat of August. She would come and with the help of her Tibetan terrier, the lovely Lotti they kept the planted plants alive. The indigenous ones know how to survive and do keep a greeness to this southern part of Spain.

The lovely Lotti

The Lovely Lotti also likes to collect fruit and then eat it.

Lotti collecting and chasing any apples thrown for her!

We have also seen lots of fly catchers but they don’t seem to catch all the flies that seem to plague me as I try to work outside. Flies in paradise or just unsentimental nature. But why do they seem to fly into eyes, ears, nose and mouth.  But for me a mask is needed in paradise! A paradise for flycatchers!

The flowers in part of the rock garden but watering needed.