When Mandi goes to work, I stay in the house. I don't need to go to the beach every day and yesterday Dogan had nipped out to see some friends whilst she was at work, so I thought I'd go round the back of the house, because I'd noticed some lovely purple bougainvillea through the bathroom screen.

Oh the sight of this array of flowers - the whole length of the house, all climbing over the boundary wall, was gorgeous.......

I love the red flowers against the blue sky and this colour against the green leaves

I just loved the colour

The purple bougainvillea is all over the wall at the back of the house

Beautiful flower

and because it just grows about everywhere, it's considered a weed!!!!!!!!!!! How can they call this amazing flower - a weed?????? I turned round to come back to the front of the house and I saw this................

The banana plant

I will have come home before they're ripe

Look at all those bananas

A banana plant!!! I had no idea it was there. I mentioned it to Dogan who seemed very nonplussed about it, saying that there are many banana plants here!!! Right that's going on my list of "must haves" in my garden!! I mean - just look at all those bananas!!

I then walked back towards the front of the house and I saw some small flowers poking their heads out amongst the detritus that was once a fully functional garden. As this has been the hottest year for a very long time, temps in the late 40's early 50's since June [110F to 130F] and Mandi and Dogan considering moving to another house, they didn't really do much in the garden, like watering it. Also the water shortages were all over the place, so watering the garden wasn't as important as having water in the house. Well these little flowers were determined to flourish....

Some little flower in the garden

The yellow was a nice change

The colour was gorgeous - rusty red

They're only small flowers but they are a lovely splash of colour on the ground. I looked around and saw there are so many palm trees everywhere - nothing like that in the UK - it's so lovely seeing them......

Palm trees are everywhere

Then Mandi came home and started preparing dinner. She likes to cook Turkish food, I haven't a clue how to work her oven, nor understand what food there is in the freezer, so I have to let her do it. I do all the washing up though, and bring in the washing. I even brush the floors, but Dogan doesn't like me to do anything like that - he feels it's his place to do it, while he wants me to sit down!! I've got news for him - he's got an English mother-in-law, and we don't like sitting down being waited on hand and foot. I like to do my part, otherwise I'd feel guilty.

Well as Mandi was chopping up the onions and the potatoes, Billy decided that he wanted to sit between them. He absolutely adores Dogan and has to be near them but with his head on Dogan's lap......


Look at that expression!!!

He's so content being on dad's lap

Then he woke up to see what Mandi was cutting - saw it wasn't anything interesting to him and went back to sleep.

Billy was interested in what Mandi was cutting up

Well folks, that's roughly about all I have to report I think. Tomorrow Mandi and I are having a girly day - we're having a manicure and then we're going shopping!! We're also going out in the evening to meet with some of their friends.

I can't believe that my holiday is nearly over - it gets harder and harder each time I have to leave.