At this time of year, it's worth keeping your eye on the Events Calendar. Things are beginning to happen. Life, even in the depth of Ithakis winter, begins to open up again in February.

It's a bit early to have bees and wasps flying around the garden, but that's how it goes when the weather doesn't know what season it is anymore.

Tuesday 2nd - Another Xalia Day yesterday. Hard rain, storms, wind, 5 minutes of sunshine, all on a weather conveyor belt. Too unsettled to be out and about, but there I was, out and about to get very wet. The day started ok, quite a bit of early morning sunshine and a sky that looked like it may hold itself together, but by Lefki you saw it coming and it didn't look good.

Above - More bad weather coming across to Ithaca from the Cephalonia direction yesterday morning, with rain falling on the Strait. Right - Vathy is beginning to get into the Carnival mood by decorating around the village square. Colorful characters 'color-popping' out of every corner. Stavros is also getting ready for its Childrens Carnival which traditionally takes place the week prior to the Vathy Carnival, with school and kindergarten kids practicing their bits and pieces.

Kioni. It didn't last too long, but it was a taste of a little Spring, just incase we forget what that's like. This winter we have had record amounts of rain. Ithaki - Waterlogged.

Kioni celebrated IPapanti with a night church service last night and a morning service this morning. Traditionally all the village women make bread which is taken to the church and then cut. I Papanti is the celebration of the Icon which made its way to Kioni through misadventure. Spavento Bar, usually closed in the morning through Winter (except for Sundays), will be opening its doors for refreshments for the church crowd.

On February 26, 27 & 28 the Ithaki Theatre Group will be presenting the play which they have worked on over the past months. 'The Dining Room' is touted to be a good laugh and fully entertaining. Location is of course the Cultural Center in Vathy.

'The Kefalonia' ferry is going in for its annual service this week with the 'Eptanisa' ferry taking over in the interim. Probably about time as the Kefalonia got stuck in Sami the other day with an anchor motor problem. Passengers had a very late arrival back on ithaca that night.

I Papantis Kioni Icon

I Papantis morning church service started just around 7.30am and finished around 11.30am. This is a big holy day for Kioni locals especially, but also for other northern villagers, who take pride in the Icon that was destined to go elsewhere, but lives in Kioni.

The weather was not great unfortunately. Rain and wind. A couple of times through the service, the church doors would rattle and bump like an unwelcomed visitor was trying to get in. After the service, the congregation along with the priests (for this occasion, there were quite a few including the Papa in charge of the region) went to cut the unlevened bread that was baked by the communitys' women, and handed out to the congregation.

Tonight at the Kapi in Vathy at 6pm, parents are uniting once again to urge the 'Powers that be' to secure a pediatrician to the island. They'll be discussing ways that this urging may be taken more seriously.

Wednesday 3rd - Another mostly rainy day yesterday and by night the temperatures had dropped enough for snow to fall in Stavros. Not much and not for long, but snow nonetheless.