A Fitting End

This is our last blog of an amazing year of undreamt of changes. The last day of the year and warm sunshine! We all went off for a walk over the hill to the next village. I even didn't bother to take a coat. It was lovely walking along the tracks and roads, watching out for the birds and seeing some farmers moving their sheep. We then had the thrill of seeing 2 'chains' of caterpillars crossing the road.

These catterpillars hatch out of a large cocoon in Pine trees and they do a lot of damage to these trees.

We have been told about these caterpillars and but to actually see them in a long chain moving looking for a new tree to attack was amazing. I counted 60 caterpillars in one of the chains as they move nose to tail in procession.

Of course, life being 'red in tooth and claw', I was able to take the photos just before a farmer in his tractor came down the road straight over the middle of the chains. The survivors carried on in smaller units and the victims were left as food for whichever scavenging birds or rodents found them!

To celebrate the end of the year we went to a party organised by a nearby english couple. All of this ex-pat socialising is getting a habit! But it was nice to be doing something and we even got to celebrate the New Year twice, once at midnight, and then an hour later when it was midnight in England. However we felt slightly out of place as, although we put smart clothes on, we were decidedly under-dressed compared to the others. Our host was in his bow tie and cumerband, other men had on suits or DJ's and the women had long dresses. Not quite the Raj, but indicative of the type of person who becomes an ex-pat. Except for us of course.

But then we always have been wierd.......... n'est-ce pas?