The Sunny Side Of Life.

To be or not to be...overdressed.

The hills are teeming with either scantily clad people or with a few mysterious shrouded ones. The summer officially started yesterday yet for us it has already been at its zenith for a few weeks. The vines and gardens have been gently infused with life by the sun's rays.

Bob's been working outside these last few weeks and even without the slight bit of wifely nagging that did take place, he would have shrouded himself from the hot sun. If not on the first day, definitely on the second day, whence he noticed his farmer's tan.

Sunblock, long sleeves, big hat, long overalls and a borrowed blue neck chief. At first he balked at wearing a scarfy thing of mine but only until I pointed out to him its logo...Levi and that did the trick. Yes, Bob is clothed to withstand the strength of the sun.

What most villagers tend to forget, is that we are veterans of a hot climate. A climate where it is a variation of summer all year round. A climate that soon teaches you the merits of covering up and lathering on sunblock. A few middle aged women eschewed this advice thinking themselves brown and trendy back in the 80's and sadly now their skin belies their true age, and not in their favour either.

When one lives in a mixed climate environment ( four distinct seasons and summer only a few months long ) then as soon as the sun appears, people start to walk about in next to nothing and once I nearly crashed the car when I got a glimpse of an older man pushing his lawnmower about his lawn with only a pair of Speedo's...which aren't that fortunate for a well fed figure. At one stage his Speedo was hidden by his stomach and thus you can understand my near accident!

Scarves are my daily companions whilst walking despite it at times being a bit too toasty, but the alternative of a burnt neck isn't for me. Yesterday, Bob was pirouetting with his lawnmower on a now neat lawn, when he told me that a young couple had walked passed and doubled over in laughter at Bob's sun hat...

well, dear people, he who laughs last laughs longest... and we'll see what your skin looks like in a decade or less.

Biggi