March 24^th Let’s start with the Window Man’s news. Nobody will be working today; I have no idea why not. So a walk was taken instead, around the riverside. I’m cheating today, hope you don’t mind. I thought you might prefer a lizard as the thumbnail for a change.

Here are two photos that we took before the lizard was found.

And here are two lizards we found on the other side of the little island.

Our walk was enjoyable.

We had to stop and chat to this fellow. He was using what I call ‘real’ music, with staves and notes whereas we usually see people using ‘numerical’ notation where there is no stave. I’ll leave you to research the differences.

This was a busy part of the walkway. The gentleman above was down on one side of the steps, up top there was a couple practicing ballroom dancing and on the other side of the steps there was another couple doing tai chi. I guess I’m just a lazy slob! I did pose on the exercise bike though. I thought that if I pedalled fast enough the big screen may power up, it didn’t. Mind you I had one pedal missing and my foot kept falling off.

I tried for a self portrait too.

We even managed birds today. If you look very closely you will see that the second bird has breakfast in his mouth, a grasshopper I think.

I was lucky today; friendly dogs were to be found, two lovely border collies.

And this one, for us, is very unusual. These birds are everywhere, often under the eaves of shops, and I have taken many photos of them over the years. On nearly every occasion we cannot see their eyes. Today I was lucky!

In the evening dinner was out again, passing a puppy first just to keep my hand in.

Having walked seven kilometres this morning we ate nearby this evening, somewhere we had never been before.

We didn’t want to use QR codes so we used the menu on the counter. The green stuff is supposed to be healthy, we gave that a miss.

Huan had a soup and I had fried rice with fried chicken. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, I couldn’t finish mine. We bagged it up for Huan’s breakfast tomorrow.

March 25^th Window day six and when Huan called him he said not to worry, the windows would soon be installed. He then never turned up again! We of course had stayed in waiting all day. We did get out for dinner.

Huan had soup again, a different one, I had fried rice again with a fried egg on top.

After dinner Huan went back to our place to play hulusi in the square with her friends. I went walkies to buy snacks to go with our afternoon drinks. I found this on the way.

Snowbirds were still out in force although I did see a few walking home with empty cardboard boxes. I presume they are preparing for the migration back up north. The ones still here are making the most of what little time they have left before they also fly off.

Back home Huan and the ladies had almost finished, I made a small video for them.

March 26^th Huan received a message from Window Man today, the workers would come this morning to destroy more of the bathroom. We waited. Huan watched TV; I went down the Youtube burrow of sentimental songs, a dangerous thing for me. Those of you who know me will know that tears come easily; I do believe that my input of female hormones may well have amplified that reaction. I gave up and watched reels instead.

By lunch time the workers still had not arrived so we went out to eat. I had the camera today so I could take a few pictures. The first is more beautification of our local riverside.

Huan found a lizard which I rotated for your viewing pleasure.

Our choice of restaurant was one that we have not visited since it changed hands at least two years ago. There was no reason for our absence, the opportunity just never arose. The back garden is more run down than before but the inside is fine.

Lunch was cheap and cheerful. Huan had three small corn and meat patties, I had a larger beef pattie, Huan had free seaweed and soup and we had a boiled egg each. The total price for all this was less than two quid. Looking at the full menu we will definitely be back, for lunch and dinner.

Back home I spotted birds and squirrels in a nearby tree. I tried but the results were not good, definitely not worth a one by one viewing.

Our afternoon was yet another waiting game. Huan contacted Window Man who apologised profusely, said that it was all his fault, and that the workers would absolutely turn up tomorrow. Out for dinner we went again, nearby so that Huan could get back and join her hulusi gang.

March 27^th Well he did it again, nobody turned up this morning. We did the usual and went out for lunch. The sun was quite bright this morning and this wrapped car was certainly doing a good job of reflecting it. The wrap is a sort of lilac, all the other colours move around as you do.

This is where we ate today,

and here is our grub, fried noodles for me and soup with dumplings for Huan.

On the way home we spotted a couple of siblings play fighting, they had no time for me.

Near home we popped into the window shop, it was like the Marie Celeste. The teapot was on, the standing fan was on and there was a pack of cigarettes on the table with a couple of lighters. Of human beings there was no sign however.

In the evening dinner was easy, two large dumplings for me and one for Huan. One bowl of mung bean soup for Huan and one sticky rice thing each. If I had known it was a sticky rice thing I would not have ordered it. Still, the food did the job it was meant to.

March 28^th This morning we didn’t bother waiting in, it was Saturday after all. I needed to visit the Bank of Bob first so we took a #2 bus part of the way. Off the bus we did our usual, Huan walking on the pavement and me walking on the road. She found one and then I found one.

Has Manfred Mann visited Wuzhishan without me knowing about it?

Arriving back at bap market we found our last lizard of the day.

From that market to the riverside one we took the scenic route for some bird spotting.

Did we spot birds? Well, yes we did!

Birds, or rather one in particular, was the subject again in the market.

Let’s stay with a bird environment. I thought there was a little beak sticking out of the top of this nest, I was wrong. It is just part of the nest.

Huan found a bug on my back although she couldn’t quite get it large enough.

Today we only have a photo of my lunch; Huan had the same as yesterday.

Just before said lunch we bumped into Window Man downstairs and Huan had a chat with him. I told him that she was far too kind and that in the UK he would be in trouble by now. He told us that they would come to remove the rest of the bath area tomorrow and that window installation would begin on 3^rd April. When I reminded him that next weekend is tomb sweeping day he then revised the date to the 6^th April. We will have walks for a while but still no cooking yet.

In the evening we stayed very near again, at a soup restaurant.

Huan’s soup had rice as a side instead of noodles inside. She added some pickles. I chose a noodle soup but asked to have no noodles. I also said that I didn’t need any rice either. It took a little to confirm but they did as I asked.

March 29^th It’s getting quite boring now, nobody turned up again this morning. Funnily enough I quite enjoy our lunchtime walks. It looks like local families enjoy them too.

Huan lagged behind me and chatted to some neighbours. One of them said that she had one window fitted by the same place that we are using and it took four months! Memo to self, if ever we need anything else, share on the community group first and ask questions.

Scenery pictures are a must.

And more gentrification photos of Tea Street. Sorry about the obstructions blocking the views.

I tried to get a nice photo of the boss in the arch but failed again, as I usually do. That darned hat keeps the light off her face!

Today my lunch plan worked, we visited the bakery next to the café on the shopping street.

I remembered that we had eaten sandwiches from here a few years ago. Today Huan chose pizza, I chose sandwiches and the bakery gave us free cool, sweet tea because I didn’t want to go and scan QR codes in the café. It was a nice change.

Huan spotted the first annual cicada nymph, or at least its shell. Soon the noise will begin.

And I spotted a skink for Huan. Aren’t I a good boy?

In the afternoon we had a surprise visit from the foreman. The latest forecast is that he will be back with the workers at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. He said he has to do this because the community office have asked that all the rubble outside be removed a.s.a.p. Fingers crossed!

We were out for dinner again in the evening. The roadside coconut juice selling family were all busy taking photos of the sunset so we joined in.

The first restaurant we came across was a buffet style one and as Huan had to get back for her hulusi friends, we chose that one. I’m sure you can guess whose is whose. Huan added rice soup to hers, I added nothing. The owner was pleased to see us as he has seen us walking by for the last few years. I guess we will have to visit again sometime.

March 30^th Another morning of waiting in vain. The foreman said that he had a broken tool. We went out for lunch as usual. My first spot was a little birdie but it was very quick at hopping around its tree. I did eventually get a shot but only from behind.

Our route was along the road to somewhere, Huan had a plan for lunch. She also found a lizard that I have again rotated for your wide screen monitors.

It was then my turn to try flying creatures.

This is the place Huan chose for lunch showing preparation and collection by me.

Was it a nice lunch? Yep!

To my surprise the foreman turned up in the afternoon to take more of our bathroom away.

He also got busy with his repaired tool.

By the time he finished work at six the bath area looked very different.

Dinner was very local again, I had no rice.

And so we reach the end of another week of our house being upside down. At least we are able to see some progress. Tune in next week to see if there is any more. C U!