From Mexico to Transylvania

ok, ok I've been busier than usual. Start with the present and recap some of the previous doings. We had guests - returning Anna from the Yukon, who remembered my food with some enthusiasm, so ended up cooking all meals for her and her companion. On their third day or so, a couple booked - and they came here all the way from Mexico! Via Melbourne Australia, where they had read about us in the local press!! Must have been the same article that was published years ago in the Sydney sun - or was it Herald? Anyway, all guests gone now and new wwoofer Sage is learning the ropes as we are preparing another 5 day escapade to Budapest, with Lois the old friend we have with us now since the 19th May, and with whom we had our transylvanian adventure!. But before reporting about that just an animal update - 4 goats 3 sheep as before; 2 geese and 4 Muscovy ducks, 3 runner ducks, nearly grown, just allowed free in the garden to do their job of eating nasty grubs, 8 goslings, ready to be launched on the back lawn that is a bit junglish at the moment and they share it with 10 nearly grown red chickens, and the lonely layer hen that was excommunicated by the 11 others in their usual place, plus 19 little chickens, same age as the goslings but small and very mobile. Cattoo is usually inside since the winter, and getting fat. Dogs are ok, Bonzo is going white rapidly. So. While we were away on this bus trip with 15 Hungarians and a couple of old friends and Lois, Orsi, a brilliant if anxious Hungarian wwoofer had taken care of everything, with the help of Erzsi So, the trip. We realised, that we are not cut out for group trips - we prefer to do our own things and prefebly, spend less time in vehicle and more walking around. Having said that, we did see a lot of beautiful places, and interesting sites. The b&b was spacious and comfortable, the breakfasts fantastic. The evening meals were in the village (Magyarfenes) restaurant, and also were good, with sweets and pálinka included. The rest of the group made party every night with guitar and soundsystem they carried with them; unfortunately, very loud ethnopop. Still, all in all (including Alan's trecking a treacherous Torda gap with inadequate footwear in bad slippy conditions quite traumatic in fact) was ok. So tomorrow we are off to Budapest, to show the city to Lois and dear Greek friends Jenny and Kostas, who are visiting us. so we are rather absentee farmers lately - but when we are here we are totally overworked catching up on things. I do hope that I'll have a chance to put up achy feet a bit in Budapest in between walks in the city. Age -is- catching up with us, I am due to a cataract op, with a serious test while in Budapest, the op itself probably sometimes in the autumn. Alan has a wonky foot since he did cramped it somehow while climbing that frightening gap thing. some transylvanian pcs - nice guests fixed my camera