Leg count today... 28

Yes, really, 28 legs in the house (well on the property). Today was the day our helpers Zach and Holly were due to arrive, along with their little dog Winry. I can't say they were arriving from America, as they've been staying at a house near Barga in the Garfagnana valley for a couple of weeks, but prior to that they had sold all their belongings back in New York and embarked on a trip around Europe that is due to last for over a year!

After doing a little admin in the office, I drove down to the train station to collect them. Isn't it funny how photos, while exact images of their owners, rarely actually prepare you for the reality? I'm not sure what this says about the photos we choose of ourselves to represent us but there's something to be learnt I'm sure. Anyway, despite the fact that today's persistent rain had made our visitors wrap up well, making identification more difficult, it was easy enough to spot them leaving the station as little Winry was trotting ahead in front of them.

We were soon loaded into the car and heading home to find out how Reggie would take to his new house mates. As I parked the car I saw Helen waiting on the lawn with Reggie on his lead in his rain coat. As expected, the presence of another dog completely took Reggie's mind off the two new human faces and without even a bark at them, he was soon terrorising (in his head 'playing with') poor little Winry. With the rain hammering down, we all hurried indoors for coffee and to start to get to know one another.

Reggie meet Winry.

Winry meet Reggie.

After coffee, we let the guys settle into their second Italian home of their trip before coming back up to the house for lunch - today that was leek and potato soup accompanied by cheese and salami to try and retain an authentic Tuscan edge to the meal.

After lunch, Zach and Holly were quick to offer to wash up (it would have been rude of us to decline, right?) and after they had mastered the art of washing up with only a kettle's worth of hot water, I took them into town for a bit of basic grocery shopping while Helen babysat the dogs and attempted to get on with some more work. I say 'attempted' - after a bit more rough and tumble at the hands (paws) of Reggie, little winry had made herself comfortable on Helen's lap, clearly thinking that this was the safest place to be to avoid being roughed up further by our overly enthusiastic puppy.

Winry 'helping' with work.

It was still raining when we got back from the supermarket - in fact, it's been a day of cloud and persistent rain more than reminiscent of the variety we thought we'd left behind in the UK - and it was clear that no outdoor work was going to get done, so after unpacking the shopping we sat and got to know one another better over yet more coffee - well, all of us except for Helen who was still toiling away in the office.

Before I knew it, Helen had emerged from the office and suggested we take our still energetic Reggie into town for a walk. Our guests decided to join us so all six of us got in the car and headed for Pescia for a good and now fairly dry (except for under foot) walk up and down the river banks. Reggie had to be put back onto his lead for being too boisterous with little Winry - to give her her dues, she gave almost as good as she got, but it seemed the size and weight difference played a little too heavily in Reggie's favour.

Once home we introduced Zach and Holly to the geese before they went to the apartment to make contact with home while we lit the fire for the evening and fed our four legged friends, wrote the blog and made a start on dinner of Mushroom risotto.

Tomorrow's weather promises to be a balmy 18C, which I find hard to believe seeing the weather outside right now, but hopefully it will at least be dry so that we can get started on the work lined up.