30th November 2007

What a busy month! We haven't stopped but it has been really successful. As it is much cooler now we can work on the villa and we have had our inside staircase removed and put a concrete roof on our hall. We are doing all the finishing off ourselves. It is not the cost of getting workmen in it is the problem that you have to feed and water them and supply cigarettes. You spend so much time being their nursemaid and cleaning up after them that you might as well have done the job yourself so that is what we are doing. Materials are very cheap here. A really nice plaster ceiling centrepiece was just 5 le (less than 50 pence) and large coving just 3 le (less than 30 pence) a meter. The electrics, 10 meters of cable, switch, bulb and holder to fit a light in the middle of the room was just 10 le (less than £1) so you can see how little it costs. We are enjoying doing it and hope to have it all finished by the end of December.

It will take so long to finish because we are fully committed to Animal Welfare Of Luxor - AWOL and spend so much of our time helping the animals on the west bank of Luxor. Do have a look at the AWOL web site as the monthly newsletter there will fill you in with more of what we have been doing throughout November and you can Click Here to visit the AWOL web site.

At the villa our problem with a cobra has finally come to an end. We think he finally got the message that he wasn't welcome and left our bushes though there have been a few snakes that have been killed down our lane this month so perhaps he came to an untimely end. One went across the dirt track on the way to the villa. We were on the motorcycle and only just managed to miss it. We so frequently have snakes at the villa that it is of little worry to us now.

Marcy and Tufty, our dogs, are well and cats Harry and Dusty battle for the most attention but early in the month Molly and Dusty dissappeared just after their male friend died. We think, though they have had their operations, that they have gone looking for another male and will return in due course. Obviously we are worried but we can't lock them in, they must have their freedom.

We haven't really been out much this month as the evenings are cold and after working with the animals we are quite worn out though as TV is so awful at the moment we do manage a couple of hours of work in the hall.

If you would like to meet up when you come over we would love see you. Click Here for a page you can print off with our contact details and where you can meet us. If you have any room in your case and could bring some Homepride Curry Sauce (it comes in tins and we will of course pay you for it) as apart from this with what we have received recently and what is on the way to Luxor we will actually be fully stocked. What joy, thank you all.

If there is anything you would like to know then do send us an e-mail. We always reply but it can take several days as we have to go into Luxor as we do not have a phone at home.

Anyway that's it for another great month but we do all want to wish you all a really
HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Pauline and Graham XX

Click Here to go back to our November photos page.

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