why dogs smile

walking in the cold sundown

January drags long around here, maybe because it is so foggy so much of the time, and there are so few pilgrims to spark things up. The upside is, the fields stay green all through the winter, and sunsets are often remarkable. If I can survive January, I can usually make it to (mercifully short) February, too. So far I have managed it almost 50 times.

I am getting things done, however. I applied for a new Residencia card at the Foreigners Office in Palencia, and sailed right through the first part of the process. Kim is coming back. Fred´s been here and left again, and this time we created a non-profit association to administer the artist-in-residence summer program in Carrion de los Condes. I am Founding Vice President, even though I warned them my responsibilities should not go much farther than "Vice." 

Philip is still here, too. We are leading a quiet life, walking, reading, writing, shopping, cooking. I fuss about him being bored, but he says I worry too much. He is fine. Next week we are off to Marrakech for a few days, and from there he heads home. I know it is the Way Of the World, but it still makes me sad, thinking of saying goodbye. 

gentlemen of leisure

Yesterday a box arrived in the mail, from my sister Beth. A few years ago I told my family in America to stop sending me gifts at Christmas, as the expense and trouble were simply too much. But Beth loves gift-giving. Now that she cannot send things to me and Paddy, she instead sends gifts to our animals.
And so we have millet for Bob the Canary, huge Brontosaurus bones for Tim, Lulu, and Harry, a bagful of little rawhide knots for little Rosie, and a squeaky toy mouse for Murph.

At the bottom of the box was a package from my mother: a seat-cushion cover in a Peaceable Kingdom fabric. Where do moms find these things? And Beth, incorrigible, sent me a pad of memo paper in a fancy red leather box. She had to send something!

I took pictures to send to them, of happy critters enjoying their booty. Here they are, you can enjoy them too. Because there´s not so much more than this to tell you about. Not in January! 

sorry, Blogger doesn´t like me messing about with photos...