'Kalemera'  ( Good Morning)
Hope you are enjoying reading about our start  in life in Cyprus.

Ending with last weeks blog about fruit and veg brings me to two special cabbages we were given.
I had been out for the morning when one of our friends husband stopped by the house and spoke to Klaus. Language, still being a little hard as we are still learning to speak Greek, so with a bit of Greek, and English Klaus was offered some cabbages. As we were quite often given some, this was appreciated. The man explained he would call by in the afternoon when I was at home as well.
Walking around the garden this pickup pulls up, which according to Klaus was my friend's husband. I did not recognise him or the van. This huge man in hunting gear gets out and waves to us. He takes us over to the back of his pick-up and there inside are two wet, muddy pups. He apologised for their state, had just come back from the forest where he had been looking for wild mushrooms.
What do you do, if we don't have a pup, will they be dumped, which does happen out here, or, if we only have one, will the other be left to die. Seemed these were brothers from the same litter, one a little larger than the other. The tinier one was obviously the runt of a litter. Here again, my heart went out to these two poor little things. Already having brought our large dog Tess who was 12 years old from England, could we cope with two more. Also would she accept them. Supposedly the pups would not be very big we were told. When offered we would buy them, he shook his head and said 'He only wanted a good English home for them 'He  had  driven passed our house a few times and admired how our other dog Tess was well looked after. He had had one a bit like her, but it had been poisoned by someone, hence wanting a good home for these. Turned out he bred dogs.
We ended up with two special cabbages, a mistake, cabbages, dogs, be careful, when learning another language!!
Did get a bag of mushrooms and advice on how to cook them. 'What more can you ask for!
After he left, it was a clean up and a check over for our new additions at the vets. 'Cabbages, I ask you'
We named them Charlie and Benji. Could not imagine going into the garden at sometime and calling out 'Savoy' or 'Brussels', maybe 'Sprout'.  Benji to start with was a bit hit and miss if he would survive, as he had picked up a virus, but the vet was very good and he pulled through. Charlie would sit by and let him eat first. Benji may have been the runt, but is now the boss. Tess took them under her paw, and was like a mum to them. She trained them in catching lizards, and how to jump up in the air and land in a bush to frighten them out. We had quite a few flattened out plants!
Charlie grew up into quite a large dog, and Benji, well everyone thinks they forgot to give him legs. He could walk under his brother, and he does! Get's away with anything when he looks up with those big eyes.

Growing up

All together

'What have you got there!

     

Happy Dogs

                  
 Picture of the week has to be of Tess who passed away a couple of years ago now. She had a few happy years out here in the sun.
                                                 

'Tess'

                                                  
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Welcome back again this week. As you can see I have started on the elephant. Blending in the colours to give the leathery look to the ears and the texture. Although it does not look like much has been done, the shading in and building up of colours takes time.
Will finish off the other ear and the rest of the head next time.

                                     
    Hopefully you will come back next week.