FUN MONTHS AHEAD

Today Mustafa's brother's İnlaws have moved into the holiday apartment for couple of months over the winter.  The apartment is on the same floor as ours and they have already adopted me.  A chair has been place at the table ready for me to have breakfast with them.  Trips to the local market and shops talked about along with giving them a tour of Mahmutlar.

Looks like I will have to do some very quiet escapes from the apartment over the next few months.

Alanya Video

End Marmite Neglect - Marmite Advert 2013

Teeny Tiny Baby Turtles

Great start to the day, carry ting baby turtles to sea and away from the street dog trying to stop them :) :)

Hebe making sure this baby turtle makes it to the sea

My 6 month old puppy Hebe making sure this baby turtle makes it to the sea.  Well worth being woken at 5 in the morning

Alanya Triatlon 2013

Short video of swimmers in the Alanya Triatlon 2013 this weekend.  View of the swimmers taken by a Scuba Diver

AT LAST

Well it has taken over a year but at last we have got the car changed so the 4 dogs have space in the back.  Also the unwanted door has been blocked in and I have now been able to decorate the room.  Now all I have to do is decorate the lounge and hall.

Boy has it been hard work to get things moving but now I have no excuse not to get the painting done.

DOG LEFT TO DİE ON BEACH

I found it this dead dog this morning while walking mine. İt had been tied up and left on the beach. It had tried to dig under the concrete for shade. Temp here is 30c by 9am, I will let you guess what temp it would be at midday on the beach. 

To make things worst it was not far from fresh water or proper shade.  It would have been kinder to have just let it loose so it would have had a chance.

This scene is not uncommon here in Turkey. So many dogs are just dumped when the family are bored with them and often this is when they are still young. There are very few dog homes here so they all end up on the street. I am forever finding dead dogs by the side of the road.

Pet dogs are not common and for a lot of Turkish the idea of having a dog live in the home is mad. 

My Other Life

I was asked the other day to write something about my hobby Scuba Diving so I thought I would also post it here you all to read.  I have been diving for about 15 years.  I started when the family got together to pay for my Mother to learn for her 60^th birthday.  My sister and I decided to go along as well.

Anyone can learn to dive and you don’t have to an Olympic swimmer just an average one who is happy in the water.  There are some restrictions on the depth that children can dive and some medical conditions can prevent you learning or may restrict what you can do.

Why do I dive, well it is not just for the marine life.  When you are under the water there is no noise apart from your breathing.  No television, telephones or music (although this is now possible).  It is very relaxing and time to just chill out.

I have been diving in Alanya, Turkey for 8 years now and although you don’t have the many coulourful fish that you can see around the coral reefs of the Red Sea there is still plenty to get your attention.  Along with the Parrot fish, Bream, Turkish wrasse, you get Moray eels, Pipefish, Calmar, Octopus, several different Types of Ray and the Nudibranch (colourful sea slugs).  Top on everyone’s list are the Turtles and the resident seal that lives in the Cave (experienced divers can enter this cave).

We have several caves that divers can enter and a couple of wrecks to go with the rocks that are always interesting to look under, you never know what you can find.

So if you want something different to do come diving, you can always do a Try Dive before you commit but I will warn you that once you have been under the surface of the sea you will not want to stop.

Interested then check out my site http://divinginalanya.blogspot.com/ or email: diving_in_alanya@live.com

All Change

Well things turned out differently then I expected the other day.  The morning started as normal, walked and fed the dogs, did the housework.  My friend Linda was due over for our normal weekly met.  So I decided to bake some new bread for us to try, dough started, all going well.

So here came change no: 1 -  Received a message from Linda around  9 to say that she was not feeling too well so she was not coming maybe if she felt better she would come later.  Oh well more bread for me.

No worries I think, I will just take the dogs to the Vet to get the first round of injections for Hebe and to introduce the others to the new Vet and then call into the greengrocer for a few things followed by a walk on the beach with the dogs.

Change no: 2 - just arriving at the Vets when I receive a call from Mustafa.  Can I take the dogs straight home when I had finished at the Vets and then go to his mother's.  I was needed to take her and his Grandma up to Grandma's village as his Great Uncle had just died.  Sure no worries but there was one more thing.  Mustafa's Mother looks after his 3 year old nephew Fatih in the afternoons so he would come with us and then I was to take him home and look after him for the afternoon.

Vets done and family collected.  We drive up to the village with Grandma alternating between crying and praying.  Dropped Mother and Grandma in the village and Faith and I go home.

No real problems as Faith and I do OK together once I put the dogs in the kitchen.  Just as well Linda did not come but then after Fatih had gone home and I had fed and water everyone.  Mustafa went of to play football and then I receive a call from Linda to say she was coming over.  So there when my quiet evening.

Maybe I will not plan my days any more.

My Ares

Picture of Ares taken last February 2012

He still gives me the "nobody loves me look" but then they all do it.  They know how to make me feel guilt even when I have given them everything.

Hebe playing

Short video of Hebe playing with what use to be a ball.

Trial of having a Puppy

Having an energetic puppy at home again has meant a few changes.  One being any floor exercises are out of the question and my quiet morning time has disappeared  We also have to remember walk around the apartment with our eyes on the floor in case she has left any little present.

She even managed to come on our morning walk and wait until she got home before she went to the toilet.  But when she sits there looking up at me with big brown eyes you just have to forgive her.

WHO ARE WE?

Ok before I post about life here in Turkey maybe I should tell a little about who we all are.  First there is me, I moved to Turkey 8 years ago and have not intention of returning to England.  There is my partner Mustafa who is Turkish.  We have been together about 6 years.

Now for the most important members of the family.  First we have 8 year old Eros, an American Cocker Spaniel (he adopted me). next we have 5 year old Ares 50% American Cocker, our mistake (he was meant to go to a friend) and then there is 4 year old Kalipso (American Cocker and Eros' daughter).  Still more to come, we have 2 year Phoenix our green and yellow budgie and finally our newest member Hebe a 2 month old American Cocker (with a good chance she is related to Eros and Kalipso).  :

So that is us, I will tell the stories of how we all come together later but I do have another addition to the family for a few days - Aşil, Eros' son and Kalipso's brother so life is a bit hectic at the moment and not helped by the fact it has decided to rain.  :(

Quiet Evening

Well summer must be coming, a neighbour has put a sun umbrella out on her balcony.  Think she was a bit keen as its raining tonight.

Dogs all curled up in front of the fire.  I want another glass of tea but don't want to wake them by getting up.

Day 1

So I have decided it is time to start boring everyone with my life and why not others do.

I am sitting here with a 2 month puppy on my lap and 3 other dogs taking up the rest of the sofa.  Me I get 2"

Little Hebe is laying on her back enjoying her tummy being rubbed while I enjoy her being still for 5 minutes