WEATHER REPORT FROM ALGARVE, PORTUGAL.

[Jayway]

Friday 15th May. Summer has come, 34* today and a nice wind to blow through the house. Still have arm out of order, exactly the same pain as when it happened, makes work difficult. And it was too hot to lounge outside reading - HUH. Finished nespera picking, stoned them, juiced them and now in the freezer. Turkeys were standing in the ducks bath, I was too slow with the camera - -

[Jayway]

Tuesday 19th May. Pulled muscle must be a ripped tendon, arm still useless and painful but not as much as the Monsanto GM wasp that stung me on the other arm . Didnt realize my skin could stretch this much - HUH. Strong winds, no lounging outside bit still warm enough. Garden is not happy getting blown about so much. Hen and dogs in hiding.

[Jayway]

May 22. Sunny. Yeah. Still one armed and wasp stung on the other so cooking in the sun with long sleeves as found I am now allergic to stings. Have green tomato the size of small apples. Outside the garden everything is dry and crackly to walk on, have stamped down most of the big thistles and farmer has been ploughing a lot. The biggest water user here is the duck and his 5 baths a day, the hens just paddle, he violently whacks the water everywhere . . .

[Jayway]

31st May. Early morning riding and work, indoors from lunchtime as its too hot. Apricot time, I have jam and smoothies made. There is always a breeze here so its easy to wash rugs and duvets etc and they are dry in no time. Tiny figs appearing and the trees laden with green fat carob. This week I expect my first tomato, already have onion and cue - - - no flies at the moment and wasps have disappeared, good job too -

[Jayway]

June 4th. Sunshine and a good wind. Clearing out the bootsale stuff in the garage, working from 7 till 10 as its too much dust after that. Boxes of rubbish and 3 sacks of as-new clothes, lots with labels on, for the Red Cross, they will need it when fire season starts and people lose everything. I can give pots and pans,cutlery and cups this year, didnt realise I had so much stuff put away ! Glory has a load of new hay, gardens giving lots of food. alls well - - - -

[Jayway]

June 7. Overcast and hot. Arm still useless, thats a month now I have not been able to drive the car or the bike. So too much food, as cannot get out to sell it. The fig trees smell lovely in the heat and the farmer has put the decorations up , fig toca. Ever tried hanging washing out with one hand ? frustrating.

[Jayway]

Friday 12th. Feel sorry for holidaymakers, been overcast all this week and temp dropping. Expect showers Sunday and only 20 * - - BRRRRRRRRR - already have jumpers and jeans on - only 22 * today and windy. Had to wire the pomegranite trees up, so much baby fruit the branches were already touching the ground- they are not gonna be hen food ( funny to watch them jumping up ! )

[Jayway]

Sunday. HUH - not exactly a shower, the heavens emptied for ten minutes. Now its settled into steady rain on my line of washing, hens huddled in the house,little dog busy burying her bone in her armchair - yuk - and big dog on his pillows snoring. I am thinking about lighting the fire . . .

[Jayway]

Sunday 21st June. Lovely week, mostly too hot to sit outside for long so afternoon is siesta time. Apricots for drinks + tangerines, now its plums and a few figs =just to eat not for making drinks- If this heat keeps up it will be time to sleep outside on my sunbed, just like camping , haa haaaa. Lettuce shot, just for hens now, new tiny ones planted. Made a USA recipe for fried green tomato, looked the same as the picture but shant bother again, turkeys liked them. First onions out drying.

[Jayway]

Monday. The past week has been HOT, the forecast said 30, my thermos said 42 at 2 pm. Had to put covers on the new lettuce and onions. Good to sleep outside in my bag on the sunbed, very comfortable. No mosquitos. Up at 6 to ride before the sun comes. Hens have stopped laying. Summer break I suppose. Runnerbeans finished, melons growing, first onions in crates.

[Jayway]

First trip out in the car since arm hurt ! ! The new battery = 80e. Go today for well needed haircut. Will have to be mostly one handed - huh. Windy today and strange wispy clouds, put more string on the toms as they are getting really heavy now.

[Jayway]

July 10th, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME Now to the weather. Slept indoors, woke and out at 6 am, BRRRRR-- 18 degrees so dive back indoors for coat and jeans. Poms need more props for the branches, lots of fruit this year. Its the ducks fault, he splashes sooo much water ! Put a crate of tomato through the lovely machine, now boxed and frozen for winter. Shared the seed and skins to Glory and the hens. All go here, and after 1 its all stop . .

[Jayway]

Sleeping outside again, not too early as the motorbike racers are here, they like playing on the empty roads. New lettuce are ready, beetroot just showing and as its so hot (42 ) its tomato chopped with oil and vinegar and spices and herbs twice a day to eat----- . ummmmmm! With frozen orange juice to keep my temperature down. Carob have started dropping.

[Jayway]

Sunday, day of rest .. yeah. Firstly take Glory out all around the village, 6.30 to 8.30. and showered. Up to the neighbours and cutting corntops, lovely green fodder and saving on the hay. Will be at this every other day for the next three weeks . HOT.

[Jayway]

Thursday 23rd. They say its the hottest 6 months in Portugal for eighty years, and they are still lying about it on the TV. Its 44 today outside, all my animals are hiding after their showers and I wont be taking the silver winscreen thing off the door till six at the earliest. Garden looks like a refugee camp, all my sheet tents over the veg - - cotton of course to water thro .

[Jayway]

This post is very useful, I can see exactly what I need .. THANKYOU KEEFY FOR LEAVING IT ON .. wish I had a printer, this is better that that Almanac thing they sell . . . .

[Jayway]

Carob bashing has started and fig picking too. Corn cutting from next door is going well, cleared half the cornpatch so far. Yesterday the wind dropped and the thermo said 44, far too hot for me outside. Did some washing in the outside tank, it was dry in no time, dont need a wringer here ! Glory stands out in the sun, not in the shade under the tree, strange animal - hopefully I wont see letters in the paper about cruelty to horses .

[Jayway]

Tuesday - not so hot, 36 at midday. Stopped wearing my iceblock necklace but do wish the car had A/C. Still, people I visit are used to being visited by a windswept scarecrow . . . helmet hair - New seeds have sprouted, still need tents or they would cook. Tourists have arrived, 20 km tailback on the road (saw on tv) and I hear the ambos most days, accidents. Most of the bikes have gone, some stay to drive the empty roads up away from the coast, spectacular scenery here.

[Jayway]

Sat. RAINED YESTERDAY ! ! ! for a whole 5 minutes large warm drops of water fell slowly from a overcast of grey - and that was it. Took the rugs to the next village washhouse, big one in the outlet and the small one in a tank. Lots of stamping and heaving!

[Jayway]

Summer is over I think, back sleeping indoors. Second onions out and drying, 3rd cues picking daily (cue+yog+spices frozen in small pots for icecream, not buying contaminated crap any more) Corn all cut, Glory back on hay.Beetroot growing well, sweetcorn seeds disappeared (ants) Flying ant time, see people digging the nests up to collect for their birds.Figs are delicious, soon be time to floor pick for Glory over the winter. This week had arm x-ray, nothing broken just tendon - huh - hurts.