Three photos today to show Symi in spring: The clear blue sky and sea, the abundance of green, and the dampness of the stone.
Damp is an issue in winter and this year seems to be the dampest I can remember. For the first time in ten years we’ve had trouble with black mould in the bathroom, despite the window being permanently open, except for when the dehumidifier is in there. The ceiling plaster is also starting to crack and come away from whatever mess is beneath it. We have the dehumidifier on in the bedroom too, then, later in the morning, open windows and doors through the house to dry it out (unless it’s raining), and still, things are damp. Most days, the humidity is around 80%, and the damp you see in this photo is caused by that, not rain.
That aside, its’ also been reasonably warm, and there’s not been that much need to put the heating on even though we’re north facing. When there’s a wind, it’s different, as it tends to be from the north at this time of year and the icy blasts come straight into the sitting room around the shutters, under the doors, through the draft-proofing and around the heavy curtain. Still, the heater stays on the low setting, and we put on another layer or get under another blanket. Walking in the sun is a case of stripping down to a t-shirt; walking in the shade is to dress like Shackleton.
Then, there’s the greenery, and if you know where to wander, you can find some very verdant pastures. The Pedi Valley is now coming alive with green, as is the path and hillsides above it, though the herbs and shrubs on the hillside aren’t as bright as the grass and new bulbs in the valley. It’ll all be gone by the end of May into June, I expect, so now’s the time to make the most of it.
Now is also the time to get to work, to beaver through the morning, and to look forward to an afternoon of building the Big Boy while watching the boy fit out his decks after working through some fingering and thumb stretches… In other words, piano, followed by modelling with the Titanic on one side of the table and a steam locomotive on the other.
