We drove into town today to get sorella’s identification card (she’s actually a full-on resident now—at least part time). Her attorney said everything’s easier with the ID card. But the comune office (like a county, sorta) wasn’t open. Discovered that Tuesday is Market Day here. Until about noon, the streets, il centro and the many piazzas around the downtown area are filled with vendors selling clothes, foods, spices, vegetables, meats, fabric, yarn and other assorted stuff.
We wandered around a bit and I got a few gift ideas, but made no purchases. Some of the merchandise was nice—fairly high quality at decent prices (not bargain basement) and some was just cheap junk. Not a lot of cheap junk, considering the number of vendors. Every street we went down seemed to have an open space filled with vehicles and awnings and kiosks and stands. I passed by an upscale brick-and-mortar store and saw the clerk arranging her merchandise unbothered by customers. I wondered how the local shops felt about market day. The residents were certainly out in the streets in full force.
While mi sorella went into town to try for the third time to get her ID card, I spent the afternoon hanging towel racks, clothes racks, cleaning up and siphoning off the rain from the pool cover. I did this last bit about dark and noticed out of the corner of my eye something dart around the yard. I turned and found myself face to face with the famous Foxy Loxy (so named by the previous homeowners, Ben and Lisa). A beautiful, nervous little animal about the size of a very large and long-legged housecat. He came within 8-10 feet of me. I got a few (bad) photos of him. When I would try to get closer, he would dart off just out of reach. As I went about my yard work, I saw him bump a tennis ball under a bush. I retrieved the ball and whistled for him. To my surprise, he approached cautiously. I threw the ball and sure enough, he bounded off after it, grabbing it in his pointy little mouth.
I was kinda sad when he left (with the ball). I was alone again, but I glanced up and was struck by the incredibly beautiful starlit sky above me. We’re out in the country, so there’s no light pollution. Just millions of bright stars. I immediately picked out Orion and Taurus and the Pleiades, and figured they’ll be back tomorrow evening. Maybe my little fox will, too.