Grumpy in Madeira

Bom Dia.

Each morning before I feed Smokey, Bandit and Cookie, I open the kitchen door while I make a coffee. They all come in to say “Bom Dia”. Or probably more likely “turn that kettle off and feed me”

I never know what to expect when I go out. The dogs Smokey or Bandit have usually been up to no good. Ripping their blankets or chewed something they shouldn’t of. This morning was no exception.

It was Cookie this time. He had been busy in the next door’s garden. They have lots of fruit that the beasties like to nibble on.

He thought it would be a good idea to bring something home for the breakfast table. A rato!!!!

Whilst it not very nice to have rats about, they’re not dirty like the sewer rats. They feed on fruit, seeds, plants, insects and lizards. Healthy Ratos.

Bless him. He likes to help out with feeding his family.

🤪

So my first job this morning is burial. I’m quite surprised Smokey didn’t eat it. He eats everything else.

So on with the day.

Bandit needs a trim. It’s been really hot lately and he’s been panting a lot. We don’t want him to be chilly at night so he’s only getting a number 4.

Before his trim.

During.

Then he had a shampoo.

Smokey is a short haired Bitta (bitta this, bitta that) so he didn’t need a trim. He did need a shampoo though, he stank.

He looked like a drowned rat.

😀

They both preceded to roll on the floor and rub themselves along the wall!!!! I give up!!!!

They had a treat and sunned themselves dry. It was a good day at the spa.

During the afternoon, it got very hot. The dogs and cat were sleeping in the shade. The lizards were out and about.

I found a lizard that looked different from the ones we normally see. We’re used to the little Geckos (Lacerta Dugesii) also known as the Madeira Lizard. However, this one is called a Osga (Tarentola Mauritanica), also known as the Common Wall Lizard. It’s still a Gecko but a different type.

You can see the difference.

While all Gecko’s are brilliant climbers, the Osga can climb up smooth surfaces like windows. It can even climb along a ceiling. The Gecko can manage walls and rough surfaces but doesn’t do so well with smooth ones.

I was reading a local post from a woman who was panicking about the Osga in her home. She had seen it about the house. Stuck to the windows and walls. She decided it was doing no harm and keeping the mozzy’s at bay.

Until one night she was reading in bed. It fell on her from the ceiling. She got a bit of a shock, to say the least. She had to change the bed sheets. I think she got a plug-in for the mozzy’s after that.

We went out for dinner. We hadn’t had pizza for a long time. So, we went to Papa Manuel Lido, a pizza parlour at the Lido area in Funchal.

They do amazing pizza’s and with a view.

This area is where you can do water sports, they have Jet ski’s, Speed boats, Banana boat. The big white boat is used for storage. It is also used to climb out of the water. You can dive off it like a pontoon.

It’s a really nice area. There are lot’s of restaurants and bars, one with live jazz music on certain night’s.

We stopped off for a little nightcap (Poncha) on the way home. We went to a little bar near us called Poncha do Calvario. It is a nice busy little bar with very good Poncha.

A nice end to the very mixed day, from Burials, Spa’s, Lizards and Pizza.

Cheers!!!!!!