Had to pick up our cat from the cattery on Monday as we were away over the weekend. The staff told me she had settled in very quickly. They retrieved her from 'apartment 57' and brought her to me in her basket. As soon as she smelt my fingers she miaowed loudly in recognition. She looked a bit ruffled but other than that quite clean and healthy. We might go all out next time and put her into a 'bungalow' that has access to the garden and direct sunlight. Why shouldn't she enjoy her holiday as well?

I was starting to think that the dog next door had disappeared. Hadn't seen hide nor hair of it for about a week. I was imagining that the landlady had dropped in to check on the tenants next door and given them the ultimatum. I was even fantasising that it had found a new home with high fences and someone to play with it and take it for walks so that it wouldn't have to resort to tearing up cushions and strewing them around the yard. I must say it was a welcome change to be able to walk around the backyard without being shadowed and barked at. However - S spotted the dog this morning on her way to the henhouse. Wishful thinking - eh...?!

On one of our jaunts through the Blue Mountains over the weekend I came across this sign which I just had to photograph as it echoes the name of this blog - 'no hay camino'. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but the name is a quote from a poem by Antonio Machado (Spanish) and the full quote is 'no hay camino - se hace el camino al andar' which translates roughly as 'there is no path, you make the path up as you go along'. The people I was walking with thought it was rather amusing that I had named my blog in this way as they thought it was referring to the lack of a driveway to our house. I must admit I hadn't thought of it in this light but could see the connection. I guess I had been attracted to the poem in the first place as it talks about the importance of the present moment and the experience of life as a journey, with all its surprises and sudden turns. The poem also has sentimental value as P and I used it in our commitment ceremony - my Mum read it in the original Spanish to musical accompaniment on the piano and flute in front of our family and friends.