“A decent, well-educated cow came by here today.

Paddy left for Madrid this morning. He's meeting Reb tomorrow sometime and then they're coming back to Moratinos on Saturday. I got up today at about 9:30 and was alone in the house with Una. I had some coffee, got dressed, pulled the sheets of my bed, and put them in the hamper. Planning to was all the linens later.

Una and I went over to The Alamo, er Alambra, to find Sebastien and James and Crew. They were puttering around and Sebastien was mixing cement to start one of the inside walls that needs to be built. It seems the workers have decided to blow James' wall and arch off for another long-term project. After some taking with them and Julia though they're going to come Saturday to construct the arch, but then James is going to finish the wall. As of right now it's huge.

I took Una out toward Terradillos and we cut across some farmland along a small road. I got my shoes caked in mud which I'll have to wash off later. It was a nice walk though. Even despite my being able to hear the mouse Una caught squealing just before she killed it. You'd think she was a dog or something!

We came back home, cleaned up from this morning, then started making lunch. Just an anchovy sandwich and some cheese. Sebastien came back shortly and had a bit to eat, I did the sodoku puzzles from the last few days, read a bit, planned my Camino, then he went back to finish his wall. I started dinner which was the rice/chicken/chorizo thing Paddy made yesterday turned into a soup. I wasn't really impressed with my efforts, but it's food.

It started raining and I had to pull down the laundry that was on the line. Also now unless it gets nicer tomorrow I'll have to dry the linens over at The Alamo. I put on the resident poncho and went over to see if Sebastien needed one. James and Marianne came back and she and I did some impromptu planning with spray paint and pencil for the yard and landscaping. James all but kissed the ground I walk on when I explained some basics of geometry to him for measuring angles. I can't imagine if he met some of my Case Western kids. He might not know how to handle that.

Sebastien and I came back when they left with the kids. We ate dinner just after 8 then he went to Barrunta to have a drink. It stays light here now until about 9ish. It's pleasant, but odd at the same time. We need to pick up some items in town tomorrow so I'm going to ask Marianne to drive me into Sahagun. Sebastien is supposed to be back around 10, and then he said he wanted to watch Gods and Monsters. Then bed for me – I'm just about done with The Silence of the Lambs.

Oh, I put a new side box up for anyone interested in looking at my tentative and wholly-amendable Camino itinerary.