RedSea4u

The winter has arrived, down to 7 in the morning, shower and rain, and started on the huge mound of firewood. The small logburner heats the whole house ( very small cottage) quickly and wet clothes hang drying on the rail - humidity never gets over 60. The Mall was full this Sunday, funny to see how the portuguese change from pretty summer colors to all dull brown and black, then there is the tourist decked out in a plastic mac with baggy shorts, socks in sandals and flashy teeshirts! By midday it was 20 and little wind so the hens emerged to pick at the new grass. Picked a dish of medronho fruit (firewater) tangerines, lemon, avocado, and aubergines to make the dish I liked so much at the Ramses restuarant. Glory had her new shoe made, now her foot has changed to a better shape, taken a year. Alls well on the farm - - ---------

Dreary mornings this week, brightens up in the afternoon. The land has turned from beige to green after the showers. MY lemon tree, just 4 foot high, has 12 lemons on - looks ridiculously overcrowded ! Few potato and fewer fava have come up, at least the 130 onion setts are looking happy. Planted some of Glorys oats, have a nice 15 by 3 mt strip of green carpet. Lots of winter tourists about, it is a lot cheaper for them to long-stay here and get some sunshine. As this comp is still on XP and the net is annoying with their cookies I dont get to FB often, but have found some nice reading sites, they even bookmark when you nod off ! Temp is usually more than 20 every day so still not using my winter clothes, only for Glory with her rug at night. Went to the mall for bread and butter, the people are acting like a siege is coming, had to wait ages in the queue to get out. HUH.

Valentines Day, 24 and clear blue sky. Having to water the garden, the new oats and barley is now a green wavy carpet thanks to the periods of rain. Wish I had a printer to print this almanac off - I thought my new hen were older as they are so big and fat but they are not yet 2 ! I forget with the comings and goings. Have the freezer full of tangerine ice block for summer. We, 3 neighbours and I have set potato twice and they are not growing. I started some in my little front window garden and they are fine, I can just scrape a bit of earth away and pluck a few for lunch - leave the plant growing more. The farmer has totally neglected this 17 hectare farm so there are only weeds and trees, few wildflowers and no grass, such a pity. All well with the animals, car and bike still chugging on, car is 34 years old now. Still contact my friends in Egypt, never seems to be good news.

March 2020. Portugal has its cases of coronavirus up north. They have set up rows of luxury tents with all mod cons to isolate the victims. People have been panic buying in the northern stores and the tv tells old and sick people to stay indoors. I only have 17 hectares to wander about on - lucky me ! Did buy boxes of beans and chickpeas and sardines so wont need to go out shopping, all the garden veg is growing well and last years harvest will last till the end of summer. Went to the Docs, very unusual, only a few clients !! most of the malingerers have stayed away - haa haaa- came out with a scrip to last 6 months. Warmest winter for many years, the sea is still cold . .huh. The news tells us about the virus in other countries but we hear nothing of Spain or France, maybe they dont want the people to panic - - - - - ----

April, normal changeable weather, no garden watering need and think there are too many fava now after the showers. Last years onions are keeping well for a change. Did have my sofa uncovered for a week but its back under the tarp again. Logfire still going, plenty of wood laying around the farm but it burns so quickly -huh. TV full of coronavirus, here we are on lockdown and plenty of police patrols about. TV tells each night how many civil disobedience cases ! ! Just realised I have been here for ten years. Makes you wonder what happened to all the people who used to post. . . .

May 2nd.. Parts of the lockdown are over today. Here on the farm we have a lot of food growing, drying, freezing and giving away - what can I do with six eggs a day and not able to get out to sell them - - The weather has been great for the garden, my seed trays are very happy. The grounds are covered with daisies, yellow flowers and poppies. The daisies are a plague, five foot high and impossible to walk through, hopefully the farmer will be here soon to plough them in. Friends dropped off shopping so we had a few of what we now call luxuries !!! Nearly run out of charity shop books but this is ok as I can get the internet archive and read a rolling single page - so convenient, no turning pages. All the animals are fine, and the three nasty cockerels were very tasty too ! Little black hen has taken a month to walk again after the big cockerel attack. hand fed with all sorts of vitamins and rested in the hen apartment - yes, lockdown for hens too. Feel so sorry for people shut in apartments - 17 hectares here to roam around on.

WEATHER REPORT FROM ALGARVE, PORTUGAL. 9TH OCTOBER 2022. Long drought, not a blade of grass anywhere. Buying imported hay, shortage of animal food. Over 30 c daytimes. Many trees here dying, golf courses are using all the water …huh.