Never mind the veggies and the landscaping, we are now building up a bit of a menagerie. The four chickens are doing very well and growing enormously. Today it’s raining, so they’re staying in their house and not coming out for photos. When we were out in the garden they were truly free range but only as long as we could keep an eye on them and keep them out of the veggie patch.

But now we have decided to give them their own little area. So yesterday we built a chicken run. We still lock them up at night mind as there are foxes and other nasties around.

After a year of having the pond we have finally got a resident frog. Let’s hope he (or she) finds a mate.

A while ago we noticed a toad in the garden as well. He only comes out at night and is absolutely enormous. A bit camera shy but we hope to have a photo soon. NB Little known fact (to us) is that toads don’t go anywhere near ponds until they spawn. And that’s why he lives under the threshing square and only comes out at night.

Recently we noticed that the next door field had been ploughed, albeit very badly. However after a chat with the neighbours it would seem to be the result not of a drunken farmer but a family of javeli (wild boar) who snuffle out grubs etc in the night. I don’t know how he knows but our neighbour reckons there is a family of six of them and they can roam up to 30 kilometres in a night.

However, we have kept the biggest news until last. We have got ourselves a dog! Some friends of friends had a labrador called Maria who was just getting a bit too big and frisky to keep in their Lisbon apartment – so as from yesterday she has moved in with us! She’s a loveable two year old and although still very puppy-like remarkably well trained.

Thanks very much Vitor, she’s a darling and I think she loves her new home already!