This morning Rascal's lump is no better and so she is off to see the vet.
I am staying here with Pepsi as the whole idea of medical examinations makes me quite queezy!
The girl came back via Ron's house where Rascals had met Nessi and Tattoo while Lisa had sent a few messages to those left at home. The lump has been put down to a 'trauma' although none of us can recall when such a 'trauma' could have happened. The vet said it was nothing to be concerned about and the lump would hopefully go down again over the next week or two. He gave us some antibiotics just to be sure plus a shampoo and flea treatment for the rash. Rascals, he has proclaimed, is allergic to the fleas that were running over her. We were to wash her first and then, when she was quite dry, we were to treat her for the fleas.
Rascals was not at all keen on being washed, the sea was one thing she said but being covered in soapsuds was something else!
She took the treatment in the manner it was intended and was soon sleeping in the sun, her gleaming coat drying in the heat.
With all the excitement of the morning over with, it was unanimously decided that we should all have a relaxing afternoon. A day of sun and sea. Rascals shaved area where the vet examined her was catching the sun so Kerriann put some Factor 30 sun cream on it until her fur grows back.
As the sun shone down on the beach the girls moved their loungers down to the sea edge marvelling at the way they could simple sit as the sea washed their toes in warm gentle caresses.
I prepared bowls of fresh pasta with a rich tomato and sweetcorn sauce for the girls to eat as they were working so hard on their tans!
Pepsi asked if she could share in some of Lisa's dinner but was firmly told that as Lisa didn't eat her food, she wasn't to eat Lisa's!
This was of course followed by our delicious Frozen banana and ice cream
Having spend the afternoon in a calm relaxed state we then spent the evening relaxing on Sarah and Gary's balcony. Sarah and Gary had wondrous tales to tell about all their adventures around the other islands and motos and it was quite late again before we returned to our beds.
Part XIIb
Sarah remarked last night, that there was a garden she wanted to visit called the Kellin gardens. She had read about it in a book she had on the Island and wondered if we knew anything about it. The garden belongs to a friend of Kerriann's called Marimari. As far as Kerriann knew Marimari didn't do tours of her garden any more but she said she would call Marimari to see if we could call up.
Marimari said she would be delighted to receive visitors and at 10am we walked the 1k up to her garden.
Marimari's place is a wonderful place of wonderment.
Statues and corners are fill with statues and flowers,
trees rise majestically from the greenery, pathways lead to hidden areas.
Her parents had arrived on a 4 masted sailing boat many years ago to explore the area . Her grandfather, also aboard and having been persuaded by her father to attend a land auction in the area, turned out to be the only bidder, which resulting in him buying the entire valley. With this purchase her parents decided to settle, learning quickly the rudiments of plantation work.
They had built their house with a large open area below it that served as a cool outside inside room.
A beautiful painting adored one wall,
a large table and chairs occupied another
while a pool full of fish ran the length of the room along the garden side
Over the years Marimari's parents had farmed and managed the land, watching how things rapidly changed. When they had arrived there were no roads or shops, everything they required had to be provided by the land or brought in by ship.
They had lived long and worked hard passing all they has acomplished onto their only daughter Marimari.
Her father had died in 1990, aged 92, her grandmother in 1992 aged 90. Marimari had also seen huge changes to the island over the years, as the tracks of her childhood were replaced by roads and people moved in and built homes where the jungle had once been.
The population of the Island had grown rapidly and a few years previous the government had taken back all the land her grandfather had bought. She had kept the house and the extensive gardens but the rest had been returned to the Island.
Marimari showed Sarah and Gary around the gardens as Lisa said good-bye to Highness. Unable, due to a prior engagement to join Gary and Sarah in their tour, Lisa, Kerriann and I hurried back to the house. The oven had refused to light despite everyone's best efforts and today the French speaking cooker man was coming to look at it.
He arrived at the appointed hour and quickly deduced it was simply a faulty switch which he fixed in a matter of moments. The oven was lit, smiles were exchanged and money exchanged hands. Everyone was happy. Sarah and Gary arrived back about two hours later full of the wonders of the amazing tales they had heard and with their camera bursting with photos of the garden.
With the oven now fully functional we have invited Gary and Sarah to dinner this evening. Kerriann is delighted to have guests as, as a chef and cook by trade, she has missed being able to cook for more than one or two. Lisa laid the table with flowers and leaves in true Polynesian style and I had just finished laying the table with napkins and glasses as Gary and Sarah arrived, just after dark, bringing plates of salad and bottles of wine. We all sat around the table discussing the joys of the day as Kerriann served our meal.
With the main meal over and the dogs looking on expectantly, Kerriann's wellys, brought over from Rons, were put on, the bucket was grabbed, the rake was sought and an entire Tupa hunting team headed for the garden. Gary and Sarah laughed and screamed with the rest of us as we chased the Tupas this way and that. Lisa offered to let them pick them up but they declined saying they were happy to leave it to the experts!
Having completed our garden tour we returned to the table for our bowls of frozen bananas and ice-cream complete with their toppings of crushed biscuit. Sarah and Gary had never eaten frozen banana before and they were both very impressed with this new dessert. I am sure that half a dozen peeled bananas were popped into their freezer upon their return across the beach divide.
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