Sun and squirrel cuckoos

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A satisfying day – makes a nice change. HH took over my laptop in the morning, so I unpacked the clothes we had put away in the hopes of renting the house out over Christmas and the New Year, reducing the number of my polo shirts by half in the process. Next step, to weed out HH’s supply – there’s no way either of us will ever use that many.
 
HH wanted to hit a few balls, so we went to the club, killing two birds with one stone by inviting our semi-invalid friend to join us. She has a pretty lonely life up here, although she has a nurse and a housekeeper in constant attendance. Her Portuguese isn’t very good, even after many years in Brazil, so communication is limited. She was very thin last time we saw her, walking with difficulty with a stick and unable to straighten her knees. Apparently the leg she broke and had pinned is now shorter than the other.  She has now put on what is probably too much weight and has even more difficulty walking than previously, rather a sad situation.  She’s also admitting to her age, which has always been a dark secret. A few months ago she told us a figure, but the one she laid claim to today is some six years older!
 
While HH hit balls and practiced his putting, I wandered round with the camera. I think the wagtail’s nest I spotted back in October was still there but I couldn’t see any sign of movement. I liked the textures of this bark [?] that had fallen off a palm tree. Later, while HH filled water bottles from the spring, I was happy to see a small flock of squirrel cuckoos ( see extra photo and.here). There used to be dozens of them down by the river, but they disappeared after the 2011 floods. I imagine many nests and young were carried off by the mud and water, particularly as I’ve just read that several females lay their eggs in communal nests (there seems to be some doubt as to whether they are arboreal or terrestrial nesters). Since then, I’ve only ever seen one or two on the course, certainly not around eight, like today.
 
Back home to the dogs. It was very hot earlier, but it’s a lovely evening, with a gentle breeze. I sat out on the patio with Dookie and Kayla, intending to carry on reading Alexander Murray’s Egypt’s Thousand Days of Revolution before the TV gets switched on. However, I wound up sorting photos and watching a procession of birds take their evening bath. I forgot to ask the caretaker to ensure there was always water for them while we were away and the bird bath was dirty, with only a little water in it on our return. So I scrubbed it out yesterday and shortly afterwards a young thrush had the time of his life, splashing and preening for over five minutes.
 
HH has just produced a beautifully presented supper (while I caught up on my reading). Lots of little dishes with fruits, ham, cheese and salad. I’m most impressed – he and my mother had more in common than I thought, she always stressed the importance of presentation.