Page 57 - Demo

February 2026 | Gazette Life | 57My old dog, now almost eighteen, stays behind these days, napping through our returns with dignified indifference. He%u2019s explored these ravines enough for a lifetime, chasing rabbits and adventures that now live mostly in his dreams. Still, when I open the door after another long walk, he lifts his head as if checking whether we%u2019ve finally spotted those elusive wings. We haven%u2019t %u2014 not yet. But maybe that%u2019s the point. The vultures will appear when they%u2019re ready, just as the land has turned green in its own time. And as for the rain that started all this greenery %u2014 it doesn%u2019t bother me in the least. I%u2019m Belgian, after all; moisture is practically part of my DNA. While the locals sigh and look skyward in disbelief, I find myself strangely at home, strolling through puddles like someone who%u2019s finally been given an old familiar season back. Perhaps this is my own small Carnival %u2014 swapping umbrellas for hiking boots and discovering that even in Lanzarote, a bit of drizzle can feel like destiny. Carnival is about transformation, after all. The land changes, the light softens, and sometimes the company changes too. Every parade, no matter how noisy or quiet, needs both a little colour and a little heart. Up here in the green north, I think I%u2019ve found both.%u201cIt%u2019s as though nature has dressed up for carnival.%u201d