First Impressions...

I've been in Luxor for two weeks now and it's been crazy: getting the library ready to open (24 October), moving into my new room, general settling in...

In any case, I thought I'd share some images which make up my "first impressions" on returning to Luxor and CH.

Cats, of course, come first! Within a day of my arrival I'd had good "face time" with several of the cats. My new room has been the "hot ticket" for them, since the previous resident did not welcome cats! I don't think any of them had ever been in the room before. These photos are of cat encounters on the grounds:

Buttons (who seems rather bored with the whole thing!)

Ozzie

And what's that "whoosh" I hear? Hot-air balloons, of course! Beautiful rainbow-striped balloons right over CH, one coming across from the Nile, the other appearing behind Healey House:

And lush bougainvillea:

First sunset and shisha of the season:

A typical Saturday morning street scene in Luxor:

Caleches on the Corniche (with cruise boats in the background):

This narrow strip along the Nile is so incredibly fertile! These plantings were only twigs when we left in April:

Some more luxuriant plantings:

And here's Ozzie again. He came back to CH in April, ostensibly to spend the summer and then be reclaimed by his person. But I think he's here to stay! This is his usual manner of relaxing, with paws crossed before him:

I'm so happy to be back in Egypt, in Luxor and at Chicago House! Homecoming is sweet...