It’s 8.30 am, and already baking hot outside, the sea calm and inviting, though for now I’m sitting with my coffee looking out the kitchen window, just listening. Lisa barks at someone walking by. A few cars pass. These are the busiest days of Greek summer, the 15 August tomorrow, and I’m thankful to be in a peaceful place.

These are days of enforced rest, when it’s too hot to do very much at all except take another cold shower or a nap. Water the garden, pick some figs, read a book, have a swim. Pick some more figs.

A week or so ago, ants were breaking and entering all around the house. I felt quite gleeful one day to open a cupboard and not see them scurrying around – then I realised the cupboard was actually quite empty as everything had been secured in the fridge or thrown away. The ants had eaten neat holes in plastic to get to anything tempting.

Then monstrous fat caterpillars and green grasshoppers started munching through various plants in the garden, even oleanders, leaving a trail of fat black droppings that was often the only way to find them camouflaged against the leaves. The vines have few grapes this year (having been cut right back for the building of the new pergola) so thankfully there are no hornets buzzing close to the house. The bees have been enjoying the flowers.

I’m usually getting up in the cool of morning around six, when Lisa comes to me for strokes and is excited to go for a walk to Ayios Antonis harbour. She checks out her territory and soaks herself in the sea before breakfast, before the sun’s too strong. Her siesta starts around eight in the morning and lasts until four or five in the afternoon, when she’s ready for a proper walk to a beach. Fishbags is more than happy to do the same, without the walk. 

I realise I need these days of enforced rest, close to home. I worked hard finishing off my book, AN ISLAND HOME AND A SALTY DOG, revising and revising it, then figuring out how to publish it myself – a conscious decision this time to put less pressure on and to have it available on the island and Amazon this summer. That moment of opening the first box of books was nerve-wracking but more exciting than ever. It was a kind of gift to myself, taking the time to do this and to have the pleasure then of hearing that people are enjoying it. It's been fun receiving photos from people as they start reading.

My laptop seems to be telling me it's ready for a rest too - the battery gone, the keyboard now faltering too. I have a new one but need to set it up, and that challenge is not in the least bit tempting right now. So, I’m going to sign off and go and relax with a book. Enjoy your summer, wherever you are!