Time, Cats, and The Rooster

When we first arrived in Sicily in 1995, our TLA (temporary lodging apartment) was on the main street above the bank and post office and across the street from a school with a relatively large parking area for this island. At midnight, we would awake to the drum/trumpet/flag practice beginning in that large parking lot. Within twenty-four hours of our arrival, we said that we would NEVER live in Motta! Now that we live in Motta (and love it), we have the practice at this end of town in the lot where the weekly market sets up; however, they moved the practice time to 9:00 p.m. to provide our bedtime lullaby.

An update on Olivia aka Lulu: She has not been back to see me, nor have I found her when out and about. However, with the combination of pets and feral cats, Jan Scissorhands put away her scissors, and we had the yard sodded in hopes of deterring the cats using our plot as their bathroom. It hasn't stopped them much, but the red pepper appears to deter them somewhat. An online source recommended orange, lemon, or red pepper. In the land of oranges and lemons, they didn't appear to notice. The red pepper seems to be more effective.

The rooster lives in the corner by the main road and the street entrance to our complex where it crows happily all hours. It's sounds just a bit louder in the early mornings.