| :: November 2020 :: |
The Riviera in October. A warm and lovely sunny day. We did take our masks off for the photos, but serious not fun being out in a pandemic. Grateful to have freedom, but Italy's numbers are sky rocketing and I am terrified about having to stand in line again for food again - a huge buzz kill. I am very happy to stay tucked away, isolated on top a hill in Serole, doing webcasts in the middle of the night and having Joe visit on the weekends (I miss seeing Zaven and the kitties). Thankfully no cases have been transmitted in Joe's school but there have been cases - contact tracing and contained. Praying that they allow us to travel between the regions. i don't want to be alone for Thanksgiving or December holidays. 24 October 2020 |
| I never tire of this view, which, every day it is different - clouds, sun, Alps, autumn colors October 2020 |
| Fribble being Fribble. The Zeccone cats are adorable and Zaven is doing such a good job of wrangling and caring for them. They make him crazy. |
| How cool is this? We can't have an actual new fiscal year party kick off (I wouldn't go anyway) so our Italian managing director sent a personalized box with prosecco and aperitivo snacks. Tino is awesome. October 2020 |
| It's always a good day when you meet a goat. One of Ermano's and we were feeding him saltine crackers. October 2020 |
| I am feeding seven stray cats, in rotation. I know the other farmers feed the cats too - they are not starving, but I am giving them wet food so it is like Halloween and our house is like visiting the house that gives out normal size candy bars. This little one was abandoned (people are assholes) last summer and now she has a belly full of babies. We need to catch the two naughty male cats and get them neutered, fixed, whatever, castrato, to inhibit constant impregnation. Joe made a little bed for her here and also by our storage areas. |
| Finalmente! After two months. Visiting evil caniles/shelters - who don't really want to find homes for the dogs because they get money from the government per dog, so no incentive to have less, falling in love with dogs and have owners back out of the adoption, being in hard lock-down - red zone - not being able to leave our house - busting out - going from Serole, Piemonte all the way to Liguria, and Chiavari risking all kinds of fines, I finally got this beautiful girl! She is a Golden Lab - 4 and a half years old, used by a breeder - after having several litters they didn't need her anymore. Welcome Lula Leonetti the newest member of our family. I am smitten. 13 November 2020 |
| WARNING: Cute dog pictures ahead Life in lockdown. I miss Joe and Zaven terribly, and the kitties. I am so grateful to have lots of sun and Lula. But it is full on full time. Everything is new and her life as she knew it was taken away. Poverina. She can't be away from me. She sleeps and if I move she wakes up and follows. She is learning come, sit, leave it, lay, off (she likes to counter surf - not just for food but she is curious to see what's happening). She is a fierce watch dog and I am training her to not wig out every time she sees a cat. Two steps forward and one step back. Piano, piano. 21 November 2020 |
| Sunday hike with Lula Lou. Sun and view for days. So happy to be here and not in Zeccone. It would be perfect if Joe, Zaven and the cats were here too. 22 November 2020 |
| Have you seen this face?! I know dogs aren't supposed to be on the bed but it's pretty freezing. We using a bed warming pad thing but only heat the downstairs. The bed is high so she has a hard time jumping up unless she runs and leaps. Otherwise it's her paws and then I heft the rest of her up. I have to close the armoire doors because they are mirrored and if she sees them / her reflection or mine she starts barking like it's a home invasion. |
| Shabbat Shalom! I made challah and gave a loaf to Ermano & Marisa. It was whole wheat so a bit dry but I told them to put butter and jam on it. It's the great exchange. I make them brownies and they give me winter vegetables from their garden. Or home made jam. I am happy to have a few year round neighbors nearby. They always tell me to just let them know if I need anything. And Elena's mom and dad come once a week - I love them too. They brought Dentistix for Lula - her first present. They are so nice. 20 November 2020 |
| Happy Thanksgiving! Joe busted out of lockdown to come spend time / Thanksgiving with me and meet Lula. Zaven stayed in Zeccone to work and be with the cats. We hiked a lot. We had Lula off leash and she did great. She would blitz and go bananas running back and forth and would always come unless she was smelling something fabulous and then she would ignore us until she was ready to return and get a treat. She has imprinted on me so she would bark every time she saw Joe. Like he would walk out of the room and come back a minute later and she would bark, like, "um, hello, there is STILL a man in the house." Joe went home/ made it back today, without being stopped and fined. Thank goodness. But I am sad. I am super over lockdown. It is supposed to snow this week and there are only a few more weeks of work. Finalizing the purchase of the Biznonna house and hoping the vaccine is available soon. 29 November 2020 |
| Lula stuck in some briers - Joe to the rescue. |