This is an ex-lizard

I was supposed to take a photo today of the sun lazily slipping over Canigou (our local big mountain - which you can get a really good shot of from the back end of the Lidl car park - romantic huh?) It was going to symbolise our saying goodbye to France for a while and to this house for, well maybe forever if it sells.

Instead, we had a slightly cloudy evening after another scorching day. Not the kind of cloud that makes for a pretty sunset though. And then we found a dead lizard and that seemed even more appropriate! Pretty fella isn't he. Beautiful plumage, I'm tempted to add, but that may be stretching the Python gag too far.

Relatively lazy day today given that we should have been madly busy getting the house ready for the folk who are paying to stay here from Saturday. Instead, I spent most of the day getting a birthday present ready for my dad. I ordered a picture from a Scottish government website and was horrified to spot after I'd ordered that it might take 5 days (this is for a code to give access to a digital image, not mail or anything). So I phoned, I emailed, I pleaded. And it arrived in 30 minutes. I was kind of shocked at that kind of helpful efficiency. Not what you expect nowadays!

Of course, I'd ordered a daft sized mount from the ironmonger (well where else would you get it in France?) so had to cannibalise one from another picture down here. Incidentally, the French for 'mount' is apparently 'passe-partout' like the guy in Around the world in 80 days. Odd.

So, we're off to Northumberland tomorrow to celebrate my dad's 70th. His mum has been poorly the last few weeks and has had her first visit to hospital (as a patient) since having my Aunty June in 1941! I suppose if you get to nearly 90 before you need a hospital that's not bad. She's had an angioplasty and is apparently fine and raring to get home. I suspect she's probably annoying the nurses enough that she'll get her way too! Don't know if she'll make it up to dad's for the party, though I'm sure it'll be a good bash either way. In his usual way he's saying he's not really having a party, though he might get a keg in in case anyone pops by. It'll be one of the rare occasions of having all his kids (3) and grandkids (5 so far) in one place so I hope he has a lovely day.

After that we're off to Malaga to see some friends for a few days, then home to sunny Scotland. Our kids don't know about the trip to see dad - so are all confused about why we're telling them to wear warm clothes tomorrow! I wonder how long into the drive to their house from Newcastle airport it will be before they realise we're not in Spain!