and hunting begins in Coral Bay, Cyprus

Tomorrow, 4th Nov, is the first Sunday in the new hunting season here in Cyprus. From around 5am every Sunday and Wednesday between now and end of March, we’ll be woken by the sound of gunshots in the hills and will hear the distant bark of hunting dogs doing their thing.

To start the season, Andreas, the goatman (and local mechanic), who lives on our hill in Peyia, brought his three dogs up the hillside for an early morning stroll – at 5am! Jake was very annoyed but showed it by standing on his back legs and stretching up to stare at the intruders. Alfie and Molly preferred the more traditional methods of waking up the whole of Peyia village by shouting and barking! Andreas simply waved and carried on his way.

So it was peaceful again in Peyia – for around 20 minutes when Andreas came strolling back down!

What to do? I got up, shouted at our dogs; kicked Jake and Alfie out to the garden to run off some energy – then heard a loud “sploosh” in the pool. Running outside,the sight that met me made me want to laugh and cry in equal measures: Jake had pushed Alfie into the pool and Alfie was not amused!

Now Alfie doesn’t “do” water: he sees himself as an honorary person and is a very cool, laid back German Shepherd/Collie. Not for him the bottom sniffing, digging habits of any other dog: Alfie prefers people watching/chilling out in the sunshine and listening to people stuff and nonsense. So being so cavalierly thrown into WATER by a puppy, will not have pleased him!

Alf is now drying off lying next to our bed, where Tony is snoring, oblivious to all the commotion. Charlie cat is on top of the “residents lounge”, (read: pergola for our own personal use by the pool which often gets invaded by guests!!) and I’ve made my umpteenth cup of tea in an effort to bridge the early morning sleep v. needing to wake up phase.

And its Saturday , so we’ve arrivals in villas in Coral Bay and Peyia, from lunchtime through to late evening, so a snooze is out of the question.

Still, at least we’ll get a lie in tomorrow: hunting doesn’t normally start until 6am (or 4am for you readers still in “old money” in UK!).

And Molly? Sitting on my knee at the computer trying to input to the blog. I give up! Its a dogs life after all…..