67.



May 16th.



The cold wind has finally left us and a warm wind swiffles instead. After the snow came 2 days of spring and then a north easterly took hold for 10 days. Birds were silent, crickets were too.


But this morning a booted eagle, chased loudly by 2 crows sails over the roof . Its kii -ah call fades as it rises and I see its pale chest and wings clearly back banded dark brown. The sun shines warm. Swallows swing over the grass tips and I pass  orchids in the meadows that have never seen in  England, as I swish past in boots... Military and Lady orchids, Early Purple and Serapias. I wear boots because I saw a viper earlier, sunning itself on my pebble and rock garden. It clattered fast away as I approached so I only caught a glimpse. I`ll keep this secret from Emile. He and Marise were carrying on a conversation over the wind. They missed each other's words; one spoke and the other said  eh? After all their years their familiarity makes them deaf . She was hanging out socks, jerseys and sweatshirts as if the cold was done with and the wind could have them.