THIS HAS BEEN one of those bizarre Winters that hasn't really been a Winter. Way down in the South of Brazil, situated as we are, we're supposed to get some form of cold weather that should in theory start about June and go right on through Septemberish. Not so. Okay, so there were a couple of days cold enough to justify the use of my very-expensive-to-run electric oil filled radiator. I have to get up 15 mins before getting-up time in order to switch the radiator on in the bathroom. Damn thing takes that long to warm up the tiny room. Those days were few. Now in the middle of August and I've put it away in the spare room and I'm doing barbies every weekend again. Again no, I haven't really stopped doing barbies every weekend.

BARDO WAS HERE Saturday, I called him up at 1pm, well into lunch time, and told him I already had a couple of chunks of dead animal over the hot coals. I'd just put the phone on the hook when he was at the door. I had to go to the supermarket at around 5pm to top up on meat, beer and charcoal. Salad? What's that? We got through three slabs of beer anyway. I was half expecting to get The Nasty Bug (about 6 foot 6, 6 legs, multiprismed eyes and punches you in the face without provocation) that had gone through Angie's family from Monday to Friday, one each day. I did get a little squeezy in the early hours of Sunday morning but I put that down to the beer, Fine Brazilian Ale always makes me a little squeezy wheezy after twenty or so. Anyway Sunday I was fine, no Nasty Bug and I was back on the FBA by lunchtime.

MY DAD WOULD BE down The Ivor, now "Y Ddrainog" (NOT I must stress any relation to Y Ddraig Goch, different bicho) at midday on the dot every Sunday, I try to keep up the tradition from afar, at 12 it's "bar's open" PSHHHHT! He refuses to go there nowadays on account of "the pricks present", you'd have to understand a little Welsh in order to get that one.

HWYL FAWR!