Learning Some Stuff

So I’ve discovered there a quite a few wild, well untamed anyway) animals that live around here. There are tons of roe deer, red foxes, porcupines, wild boars, wolves, pheasants, badgers and hares. Hares are bigger than rabbits and have longer ears. Thankfully most of these animals are nocturnal. I sat thankfully because the dogs and I walk trails in the late afternoons that go through the forest here. I wouldn’t want to encounter some of these animals during that time. I’m actually thinking about getting a stout walking stick, just in case. I’ve been told that hunting season starts soon and goes through November. The wild boars decimate the grape vineyards. Since there are so many farms around here most of these animals are not popular with the farmers! There are also 2 different varieties of vipers here that are extremely poisonous. Another good reason for a walking stick!

I’m getting a little better with my Italian. I have a lovely neighbor named Francesca who has taken me shopping and, before I had the washing machine, took me to the laundromat. She also occasionally brings me some sort of Italian soup and/or homemade focaccia or a dessert. I’m really lucky to have her. She doesn’t speak a word of English so sometimes our communications get really muddled!

I’m slowly getting things in the apartment to my liking. I’m going to include a picture of the living room at the end of this post.

We’ve had a few days of rain. Nothing heavy, mainly showers with some thunder. It’s good because everything around here has been dry and a bit dusty.

One of the places the dogs and I walk to is a trail that ends at the Arno river. Here it’s more of a stream because the water isn’t particularly deep – just inches. I’ve been told that the reason the water is so low here is because the farmers take water out of the river for their crops. I don’t know if that’s true or not.