We made two decisions:
1. We would keep her and not try to find a home for her (our initial thoughts once we knew that she would survive).
2. We decided to give her a proper name.
The first decision was not easy as we already had the three cats and MiMi. They cost a lot to feed and, including Vet’s bills, they were proving expensive all-round. However it was MiMi that made the decision for us.
Almost from the first moment of seeing ‘Bailey’ MiMi took care of her. Despite only being a puppy herself, MiMi took on the role of Mother, Sister and generally best friend. She was so gentle and loving toward ‘Bailey’ that we decided not to split them up; Hence the decision to keep her.
The second decision was made as somehow the name ‘Bailey’ did not reflect the determination that this little puppy was showing; surviving and growing up.
In the end, Valerie’s niece came up with the name; Bella. So we called the puppy / Bailey ‘Bella’ as in the Greek Warrior Princess. We thought this name quite appropriate. Strong and Determined to win the war.
So, Bella (Baby) was here to stay.
Author’s Note December 2013 – As I recall and write about MiMi adopting us and of finding and saving Bella it has been bringing tears to my eyes. Both occurrences were emotional moments in time. For MiMi she had clearly been abandoned but was not in any immediate danger. For Bella it was obviously very traumatic for her but also for Valerie and me; where there is a will there is a way and Bella found both.
I write more later in the book, but the following photos give you an insight to the loving care MiMi bestowed upon Bella and of how cheeky and adventurous Bella proved to be as she was growing.
Photo: Mimi Cares For Bella
Photo: Bella In MiMi’s Safe Paws
Photo: Bella And New Friend
In the photo of Bella playing with a stuffed Giraffe toy, you can clearly see the scar on the side of Bella’s face. This was caused by the tin foil that was in the plastic bag she was dumped into.
The chaffing damaged the hair follicles and the hair will never grow in this area.
Photo: Bella Discovers The Saucepan Rack
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT ….
…. Stavros Gets Let Off By The Long Arm Of The Law
We were wondering how to fund the increased expenditure of looking after a Menagerie. We were eating into our savings and it was becoming a bit of a worry. The ‘Austerity’ measures were making the cost of living rise at a steady rate; every month prices were increasing.
The ‘phone rang, and I picked up to hear the voice on the other end say,
“Can you come to Colmar again? We need you to do a training job for us in both October and November”
What a good job I picked up the ‘phone on that day in September.
Could I come? You bet!
Well, I believe in fate, and fate had just delivered a financial lifeline.
It was a great day; bright blue, cloudless skies, sunny and very hot as I drove along the motorway to Athens to my Client’s offices.
The Motorway was empty. Two hours into the journey and I had only come across and passed eight cars in 200 kilometres!
I was in the outside lane and the road ahead was empty as far as the eye could see. I was on the brow of a hill and actually looking up at the fabulous mountain range to my left; momentarily. As my eyes returned to the road ahead I just caught sight of a car one kilometre distant on the edge of the lay-by in advance of the toilet stop.
My immediate thought / response was .... Police!
I slammed on my brakes. Smoke came up from the front tyres (the smell was awful!). I was too late. A Policeman stepped out into the carriageway half a kilometre ahead of me. He was waving his yellow flag / baton and indicating for me to pull in to the side.
Just my luck!
I flashed my lights and signalled right to indicate that I had seen him and would comply / stop.
As I pulled up towards him, he signalled for me to pull into the lay-by. He was standing by the tripod mounted speed camera!
Uh! Oh! Trouble for Stavros!
I got out of the car and walked towards him.
In English I said, “Officer, how can I help you?”
His terse reply, “Are you English?”
“Yes,” I replied, trying to smile.
“On holiday?” He demanded.
“No. Actually I live here,” I quickly responded.
“Do you have your papers?” He enquired, in a more considerate and friendly tone.
“Of course Officer, I will get them for you.” I replied and returned to the car and retrieved them from their place in the glove box.
As I handed them over to him, he said, “You were going very fast. Too fast for the limit of this part of the Motorway.”
“I’m sorry Officer. I did not realise. The Motorway is so empty.” I was trying to sound apologetic and innocent.
As he was looking through my papers, he commented,
“I’m going to show you the difference between British and Greek Policemen.”
What did he mean? I did not know what to expect or understand what this remark meant or what he intended.
Worrying!
He proceeded to write me a Speeding Ticket. When he had finished he looked at me and said,
“I told you that Greek Policemen are different from British, and now I will show you. I am going to record your speed at 140 kph on this stretch of road limited to 130kph. For this, you will be fined 20 Euros. If you pay within the next 10 days it stays at 20 Euros. If you wait more than 10 days it doubles to 40 Euros. It keeps going up until you do pay.”
“Thank you Officer,” I replied, not really understanding what I was thanking him for!
“You have not asked me what speed you were doing, and why I registered it at only 140kph,” he continued.
“No sir, I am unaware of how fast that I was travelling at. Whatever it was, I apologise.” I hope that my tone showed appropriate sincerity.
“Well, you were travelling at 169kph. However, I recorded it at 140kph because it was obvious to me that you knew what you were doing and were fully concentrating on your driving. Let me show you.”
We crossed together to his video camera standing on the tripod pointed up the road to the brow of the hill in the distance. The camera screen showed a freeze-frame of my car and a glowing red number beneath of 169kph.
“This is you as I saw you and caught you on camera. I was surprised by your speed but even more surprised that you saw me; nobody does, but you obviously did because you hit the brakes very hard to slow you down.”
He forward framed to the next shot. There was the car photographed and captured with smoke coming up from the front tyres!
“You saw me.” He went on, “You are very good. But not good enough. You were a millisecond too late. However, because you were concentrating, this is the reason why I am helping you.”
“Thank you very much,” I enthused. “I really do appreciate your generosity.”
Then he said, “Do you know what the fine is for in excess of 140kph? No? Well it is 500 Euros, and that too doubles and increases if you do not pay within 10 days.”
I was flabbergasted and relieved in one flash of emotion.
“Thank you so much. Would it be ok to look through the lens in ‘real time?’ “I enquired.
“Of course, if you wish. Just stand in front of the viewfinder and look up the road.” He moved to let me position myself and at the same time turned the camera back on to normal transmission.
As I looked I could see a car travelling down the hill and the speed registered in the viewfinder in red numbers; 126kph. Then, as I continued looking, another car came into view and the red numbers went up to 149kph.
“Hey! 149” I excitedly declared!
He moved around me and pressed the ‘stop’ button and stepped into the road to flag down this car.
Uh! Oh! Trouble. The car pulled in and the Officer approached
it and told the driver to get out and produce his papers.
I called out to ask the Officer if I was free to go, and he nodded his approval. I got into my car and gently pulled away aware that the guy driving the other car was going to get into trouble. Would the Officer be as generous with him about the speed? Who was to know?
Well, as it happens, I was, some 15 minutes later!
I had stopped just down the road at the Petrol Station to fill up. Just as I was returning from the cash desk, the same car that I had reported at 149kph pulled up at the petrol pump behind me.
Uh! Oh! Trouble?
I walked towards my car and the driver of the other car got out and said,
“Guess you got into trouble too? 500 Euros is a bit much don’t you think?”
I know what I thought!
“Yeah, it’s tough isn’t it,” I replied as I got in and drove away.
Stavros really did get let off lightly!
The trip to and from Colmar went without incident, and Stavros was feeling more relaxed about the level of expenditure versus available finances to accommodate the ‘Debt Mountain.’
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT ….
…. It’s All About ‘Lost In Translation’
After I returned from Athens, I immediately paid my fine at the Post Office. Phew! All in all, a lucky escape. Also, I considered I was 480 Euros better off! What to spend it on?
Things were looking up now that some extra money was coming in from my work in Athens.
We decided to buy a new front door. The existing one leaked when it rained, and when it was closed the room was very dark and dull. We chose to have a ‘stable door’ made and installed. Our thinking was that we could keep the lower half closed to keep the dogs inside when we wanted to, and leave the top half open for extra light.
Measurements were made and the door was ordered.
The following day we had a thought. Instead of opening inwards, how about opening outwards on to the terrace; swinging back against the wall of the staircase. This would mean no problems on the terrace, but increased room inside the house. We closely examined the dimensions and decided it was the right thing to do.
I drew a scale diagram with the ‘crosses / not this way’ and the ‘ticks / change to this way’ etc. to be sure the carpenters understood. Elias (Dad) doesn’t speak English, but Dimitris (Son) does.
I took the drawing to the carpentry store. Dimitris wasn’t there, so with the diagrams and the use of hand gestures, I tried to explain to Elias what we wanted. The gestures were ‘pulling inwards, followed by ‘Ochi’ (no) and then swing the arms outwards followed by ‘Nai’ (yes).
Elias nodded and seemed to understand. Job well done Stavros.
A week later Elias and Dimitris arrived with the new doors and the frame. They took the old door and frame out and commenced with the installation of the new stable door format. Exciting!.
Problem! The doors were opening inwards but to the other side!
It seemed the change required was ‘lost in translation’ and we had inward opening doors but left to right instead right to left!
As soon as I explained to Dimitris he understood, and said,
“All is not lost my friend. We can just turn the whole thing around and the doors will open as you wished the change to be.”
Good job we were there to oversee the installation. In the end it worked and the doors looked great and did indeed provide more room and light inside the house.
Learning point? Always be on site and oversee any installations!
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT ….
…. Stavros Was Mugged In Zurich!
We had ordered the new doors in the sure knowledge that I had more work to do in Colmar during November.
Came the day to travel and I was ready. Same schedule, same routine, and the Kindle was fully charged.
The plane from Athens landed in Zurich ahead of schedule and I made the train with 15 minutes to spare before departure time.
I got myself settled and opened my Kindle and started to read whilst I waited for the train to depart. One minute the device was in my hand and the next it was gone!
It all happened so quickly!
A man came running through the carriage and snatched it out of my hand; a train thief!
I shot up out of my seat and gave chase, shouting,
“Stop” Drop it!”
“Stop or I will call the police.” I was taking my mobile out of my pocket.
We were face to face and about one metre apart. I repeated my warning two times.
Next thing I knew, he had thrown it down on to the floor and jumped off the train. Simultaneously the doors closed and the train pulled away from the platform.
Scary or what? !!
I picked up my Kindle only to find the screen broken.
I said to myself, “What is it about my Kindle and my journey to Colmar?!”
I returned to my seat and immediately poured myself a drink. I realised that I was in fact a little shocked and shaken up by this turn of events. We were in such close proximity; foolish of me. He could have had a knife. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
When the Ticket Inspector came through the train, I told him about it and he replied,
“Oh. This is happening a lot now,” and carried on walking down the train. Sad times.
If there is ever another time, I will stay in my seat and let it happen but be sure of being physically safe. Life is too short and you can always buy another Kindle, I told myself.
The rest of the journey was ‘as normal’ and the week went well, although I did have to buy a paperback to read in the restaurant.
For the return journey, I went first to London to visit my two daughters; Emma and Lucy. Emma had announced that she had got engaged and was planning to marry in April 2013. So I travelled to celebrate the occasion.
It was so good to see Lucy and Emma again and to meet Oliver (Emma’s fiancé).
The time went too quickly and within 48 hours I was back in Meerkat Manor. Sad not to spend more time with Lucy and Emma but happy to be back with Valerie and the Menagerie.
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT ….
…. Things Can Go Wrong In An Instant
A few days after returning from my trip, my brother Bill phoned to say that he had had an accident. It appears that he was cycling down the hill near his house when he fell off his bike. He had been happy cycling and watching the world go by and did not notice the water on the tarmac (somebody had been washing their terraces and drained the water on to the road). Next thing he knows he is on the ground!
He had skidded on the water as he turned at a bend in the road and gone down like a dead weight.
One minute life is good, and the next it is a tragedy.
He had bumped his head / left eye and hurt his left hand and hip as he went down.
I encouraged him to go to the hospital in Kalamata to get himself checked over but he said he would be ok.
However, the following day the ‘phone range and it was Bill,
“Hi! I’m in the hospital and it is not looking good.”
And it wasn’t.
It transpired that he had badly bruised his left hip and dislocated his thumb. Not a disastrous accident in itself, however, he had badly bruised the optic nerve in his left eye. That was a disaster!
He stayed in hospital for four days under observation and undergoing tests; optic and MRI scans. The diagnosis was extremely serious. The Doctor pronounced that the bruising to the optic nerve was such that the damage inflicted would mean that he would lose the sight in his left eye.
Life-changing in an instant.
He returned to the UK for a second and third opinion, only to be told the same thing. The hip and the thumb healed but he has lost the sight in his left eye permanently.
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT ….
…. ‘Austerity Measures’ Really Begin To Hurt Greek People
Times are getting harder for everybody. Inflation doesn
’t really come into it. The dramatic rises are the increase in V.A.T. from 21% to 23% and also, the Government’s 15% super tax addition to Electricity, Water, Telephone and Alcohol. Heating oil has gone up in price and so too has petrol. Many of the family owned petrol stations and heating oil companies have closed down because the Government was insisting that they pay the V.A.T. (23%) up front and in advance of any bulk deliveries. Many of these families have decided that enough is enough and have closed their businesses.
Even the price of firewood has increased as families decide to change from oil fired heating to wood burning stoves to keep warm.
There is little or no work for the building labourers and the olive harvest doesn’t look to be good, so even less work is available. It is a common sight to see the men fishing from the rocks. They are fishing for fish for food for their families, as opposed to leisure / sport.
Poverty is beginning to show its ugly face. Every supermarket is appealing for food to be donated that can be distributed to the poorest families who are going hungry. At the checkout there are large open baskets for people to make their contribution.
The local Doctor and GAIA are appealing for warm clothing to distribute to those families who cannot even afford wood to burn and themselves warm. TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT …. …. Stavros And Valerie Decide Not To Give Each Other Presents
Stavros and Valerie had a long discussion about Christmas as it was only a matter of weeks away. The main point of discussion was Christmas presents.
They came to an agreement not to give each other any presents to save money, but also in consideration of the fact that fundamentally there is nothing either of them wanted or needed.
They also made each other promise not to buy any secret or surprise items on the day.
Ten days before Christmas Stavros came up with an idea. Why not buy each other a joint present? His idea was different to say the least, but none the less, Valerie thought it was a good one. They decided to go to the Dentist together for a ‘clean and polish’ of their teeth. Healthy and with the ‘feel good’ factor!
Trust Stavros!
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT ….
…. Stavros Received An Unexpected E-mail
To Cut a Long Story Short Page 7