Wet & Windy/Comfy & Cozy

Brutal day to be outside. Wind is blasting the rain sidewise. It´s out of the west, which means it´s blowing right into the pilgrims´faces. And it´s coming off the mountains, which means it´s cold. We´re tucked inside by the fire with a nice bottle of Tempranillo, with a Cameron de las Islas CD playing and Bob singing along. The wind moans in the chimney, the gutters run, the chicken hut roof is probably leaking and the Hole of Mysteries widening ...and We The People are comfy cozy. The dogs and cat are curled up on the warmest spots of the under-floor heat -- which are inevitably the spots where we need to walk.

I am on the computer, finding copyright-free videos, audio clips, illustrations, and other oddments to load up onto the hospitalero training program to make it more appealing and interactive. The project is more labor-intensive than I thought it would be, and it still will not hold a candle to the two-day live training sessions offered at a Pilgrim Gathering Near You. (although it does offer a few things you won´t get there.)

I finished editing the book manuscript. I still need to do the Confraternity of St James online Guide to the Camino Portuguese. So you see, I am keeping busy through the gray depressing days of Winter. We took pictures this morning on the Camino walking toward San Nicolas. Provence got nothing on this place. In the village picture our house is the golden-orange one. You can see one of the new windmills in the distant background. (they still haven´t switched them on.)

According to a blog a friend found, there´s a pilgrim out there right now, coming this way, with a dog. She´s having a really hard time of it. I hope she finds us.

Paddy is worried about the dog.