March saw the start of the flowery season, and very welcome it was too. The meadows were covered with Bermuda buttercups and corn marigolds and the hillsides were also golden with gorse and broom. Yellow also featured around the tank but the African corn lilies, which look lovely close up, were hidden by the flowering graptosedum, also a lovely pale lemony colour. The aloe vera is quietly putting up three tall elegant spikes which are also going to be yellow….
…or pinch and a punch. Whatever, it’s the first of the month and never have I welcomed a new one with such zeal. What a drag February was, and although it’s just another day there’s something about this meteorological date that says it’s now spring which makes all the difference. That and the fact the sun is out, the birds really are singing and we have been sitting in the garden and watching the frogs in the pond rather than…
I am rather reluctant to say Happy New Year, or even welcome 2026, as there seems a difficult 12 months ahead for many. Meanwhile we are hunkered down against Storm Ingrid. January has continued to be wet, wet, wet with constant red weather warnings. Yesterday we received on our phones a text warning us of snow over 400m, I’m sure there may be snow on the higher hills around us but with the heavy grey clouds and thick mist it’s…
Despite a boiling hot summer, and some terrible fires not too far away, the Kingdom of Rain has lived up to its name. The resident meteorologist tells me we had twice the normal amount of rain for November than usual. It’s pouring down now and I’m wondering whether the pots I took out from under the verandah to get a bit of weekend sun, should have been put back. They contain a variety of bulbs and I have to admit…
I called 112 last night. This was the first time I have made an emergency call. We had been sitting on the balcony, enjoying a glass of wine and the mild evening when we spotted a burst of orange light from across the valley. Just like that a fire had started, or rather a fire had been started. It began to grow and spread very quickly, so we called the emergency service. It was in a forested area and by…
The last blog post featured our walks. I suppose I need to start this one with the fact that today’s Friday walk has been cancelled. This is partly because it’s boiling hot, 35ºC, but also because the sky is heavy with smoke and it’s a bit depressing being outside. The main culprit is the monster fire in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, a 30 minute drive from us. In fact it was where we went for our latest walk. Right now…
I’m not entirely sure how Betty is still alive. The good weather has arrived which means a return to our walks into the countryside: local hikes from the house, treks further to the north, and longer trips taken in Spain. Many of which are certainly not flat. Betty comes with us each time of course. In September she’ll be 14, and it will also be a year since she had surgery to remove the lump on her leg. She no…
Well, it’s been an interesting past few weeks. The end of March saw the cobbles, at long last, being laid around the house. The men came and went according to the rain but eventually finished the area all round the house and the driveway out front. This has put us in good stead with our neighbours as the area in front of their entrance was also done. This gave Richard another job to do: he used all the tiles we…
The view of the valley from our house has two distinct parts. To the west there are olive trees and a huge pine. It remains green all year round. But to the east there are chestnuts and a variety of different oaks. Some of the oaks already have bright green leaves, others are just appearing and some are still completely bare. In the late afternoon sun they all look splendid although more autumnal than vernal. It has, it must be…
Gosh, where to start, perhaps with Happy New Year! December was a good month in many ways. The weather was kind for the main part which meant we could get out and about. Highlights included the fabulous new restaurant Richard found across the border where we can have marvellous seafood while looking over towards the coast. We spotted turnstones scuttling around on their orange legs, scavenging among the barnacled rocks. Other coastal birds we struggle to name. Back home, however,…