This is a shot down the market street in Mahmodaya.

Wonderful fresh strawberries - in the foreground to the right are tomatoes.

Another shot of the street that the fresh produce market is on.

Can you smell them - they were to die for - I bought 2kg of them for 5 LE (about $1 CAN).

They were some of the best strawberries I have had this season - fresh from the farm.

Wednesday I took my car in to Toyota to be fixed before the insurance runs out. Had planned on staying until they had finished with the estimate and the insurance adjuster had shown up - but I was told that they would likely start work on the car the next day - so I took a taxi home - cost 35LE - a lot of money - but the only way to get a taxi is to call one - you cannot get a 'local' taxi where the Toyota workshop is - if you want one of them you have to walk quite a ways - then it would be 25 LE - so I splurged. Must admit I was not happy leaving the car behind - but not much choice in the matter. Got a call on Thursday saying that the estimate came in at 9700 LE - OUCH - and that the insurance company agreed to pay for it - bet they will not renew my policy - not that I can afford it anyhow - but .... so will be without the car for at most 3 weeks. Will have to adjust my thought processes in that time - as I am planning on selling the car once it is fixed - so I can get my money and run. One of the engineers figures I should be able to get between 70,000 and 72,000 LE for it - I paid 88,000 LE for it - very different than in Canada. Used cars do not lose their value nearly as quickly here as they do in Canada.

Thursday spent the morning cleaning the kitchen - took me two hours - did a really really thorough job. Then Sharon came over for a visit and we sat outside on the balcony - was a wonderful day - sunny, bit of a breeze and quite warm. Working on my tan before I cannot stand to sit outside because it will be too hot and humid. Managed to water the plants while we were enjoying the weather. Sharon left and Suzanne came up - people were complaining because some water escaped and ended up on their 'furniture'. An upholstery place has opened up in one of the shops that is on the main floor of the apartment building and they keep most of the furniture on the sidewalk or the road - SIGH. And I was also told that one of the apartments below me is complaining that there are big black worms in her apartment and they are from my garden - now this I find very strange as I have dug in the dirt in the garden and have not run across any worms let alone big black ones - and wouldn't you think that if they were going to enter a home they would enter mine as it is much closer than crawling up the wall and then down the wall to the window - very strange.

Friday was a quiet day in the neighbourhood - weather was windy and cloudy with a bit of sun just for variety. And of course it rained - and I had watered the day before - SIGH.

I had a hankering for some peanut butter cookies - so I made some - restrained myself - was planning on a double batch - but settled for a single batch - more than I need - but what they hey.

Mawada came and spent some time with me - not sure what the deal was - but she asked if she could come and spend time on the balcony - not a good day - as she got rained on - but she brought her school books and studied inside once she got rained on. I picked some of the sweetpeas for her. She stayed for a little over 3 hours - I read after I finished baking the cookies.

Today I dragged my carcass out of bed and went for a walk - opted not to wait for Suzanne - I enjoy going with her - but she goes too late for my liking - I hit the road around 7 and was back shortly after 8. Was very windy - had to work even harder because I had to battle the wind. I stopped on the 10th floor and took the stairs to the 14th - not that my body appreciates it in the least - but such is life. Got home and Suzanne had called around 7:45 - and by the time I called her she could not go out - will call her tonight to see if she is wanting to walk tomorrow - sure hope she can get out and about early enough - must admit I get a lot more done if I am back from my walk earlier.

After I got home from my walk I lifted some weights for my arms - YAY. Then I had breakfast, had a shower (now this may not seem like much of an accomplishment - but there are days I do not get around to having one until I go to bed), made my bed, did 3 loads of laundry, chatted with Aymn (talk about a waste of time - but I cleaned up the computer desk - tidied up the papers that were littering the top and also cleaned it - what a muddy mess), made some pastry, and then made some cinnamon rolls - used baking powder biscuit instead of a yeast dough - takes less time and I like it just as much. Sharon came over for a visit and helped me to eat a few of them.

Made supper and that was my day. Such a thrilling life I lead - NOT.

Pictures of my cinnamon buns - with raisins and pecans.