BOBBY KEEPING AN EYE ON US
On Saturday Slavic and I did a lot of clearing and burning in the upper reaches of the park. If the advisories on the new wildfire legislation are to be believed, we'll have to do a great deal more. Jones has been pointing out to me how ridiculous the instructions are. I agree completely. But it is I, not she, who will have to explain that to the GNR if and when they come to inspect us.
For example, this photo showing Not Robbie sunning himself on the Casa Nada/woodshed roof also shows the tall almond tree that's grown alongside it for decades. I've already pruned it back to remove branches that dangled over the roof, largely because they clattered on the corrugations when the wind blew. The new legislation forbids trees within 5m of buildings as well as branches that overhang roofs. There's a similar tree on the other side of the building. We'd hate to lose either of them. So it's with some apprehension that we await developments.
There's been a lot of wind of late and we were lucky to have the perfect morning for burning. Down in the fields below the village, other people were doing the same thing. The smoke hangs around for ages. I'm not a fan of burning but there's really no option - and it's far better done in a controlled fashion out of season.
Sunday, after brunch, we went walking with Russ and Pricks in the plain between Espargal and Benafim. There wasn't a soul about, which is how we like it. The shotgun cartridges littering the road bore witness to the hunters who swarm around the area in season.
BENAFIM - FROM THE VALLEY
Most farmers have already pruned their vines back hard in preparation for the new season's growth. The grapes are intended more for pressing than eating. It's usual for locals to produce at least a few barrels for domestic consumption.
The drainage ditches were still half full of water from the recent rains. I take that to be both a good sign and a bad one. With luck the ground-water reserves have been completely renewed; it's from boreholes in the valley that the parish gets its water. On the other hand the conditions are ideal for the coming mosquito season. It won't be long before the little blighters are back.
TREATS AFTER A WALK
The first ticks are already in evidence, especially on the cats. We have acquired muti to apply to the cats' necks and attached new Serestro collars to the dogs. Their collars are renewed twice a year, in spring and autumn. The manufacturers claim that the collars are effective against most threats - especially fleas, ticks & mosquitoes - for 7-8 months. At around €30 a time, they should be.
WILD TULIPS
I spent a couple of hours on the tractor turning over the soil on our field ahead of forecast rain. March was wonderfully wet and the area was already knee-high under a thick green carpet, having said which we're still technically suffering drought conditions. The bottom section of the field is relatively level and the only real danger is decapitation from one of the many low branches. The upper part is both steep and rocky and can be quite challenging.
CHURCH SQUARE IN SALIR WITH FRIENDS
Monday brought my second post-op hospital visit, really just to put on a fresh dressing. The system requires patients to take a ticket from a machine in the lobby and then to wait for the number to be called in order to be registered in the system. After treatment, one waits again to pay. The hospital computers are slow and there are sometimes only two receptionists operating them.
LIGHT AND SHADOWS
On a good day - Sundays and public holidays are the best - one can be in and out of the nurses' treatment room in 15 minutes. On a bad day - Monday was a bad day - it can take an hour. Jonesy feeds the meter accordingly. I always take my iPad along for diversion.
POPPY WITH BEE
Tuesday we both made use of Jodi's services. She has podiatric as well as physio-therapeutic skills for which my toes, which I can't easily reach are grateful. She's also been most helpful to Barbara who has suffered discomfort since breaking a toe some years ago.
Clusters of naked-man orchids in their prime are seen here admiring themselves and displaying their assets unashamedly. These glorious flowers are everywhere to be seen although most of those sprouting from the soil of the hills behind us are stunted, uninspiring specimens. I thought it was because of poor, shallow soil but Jones says they like poor soil. I dunno!
WITH FRESH HAIRCUT
Wednesday we left the house to Natasha and headed for Fatima's salon in Loule. We both needed haircuts. Fatima's been doing the job ever since we bought the Quinta, some 30 years ago. I left Jones in the chair while I visited the hospital. Afterwards we lunched at Cafe Q, a small boutique restaurant near the castle that we reserve for days when time is not an issue.
While out walking one day we came across a couple of dung-beetles on the path close to our top gate. They were tackling a fresh supply, courtesy of one of our dogs. Thirty minutes later, on our return to the gate, both they and the dung were gone. That's impressive. We could use their services on the cobbles around the house which Jones patrols, pan & scoop in hand, each morning.
BLACKBIRD SONGSTER ATOP A PHONE POLE
Thursday brought a day made in heaven of zephyrs, gentle sunshine and birdsong. After the usual morning routine (dog walks and breakfasts), we fetched the chainsaw - serviced and sharpened - from Helio's workshop in Benafim and followed up with coffees and cheesecake at the Hamburgo. On the way back, we stopped in the valley for a stroll.
We've established a 20 - 30 minute circuit, the duration depending on encounters, pauses, photographs and Prickle's mood. The route starts on the gravel road, winds through the fields, passes along the tarred road that splits the valley and returns through the fields again. Most of the time we have this small world to ourselves.
Russ runs free. He's a good-natured fellow who avoids trouble and will come back the moment he's called. This is more than we can say for Prickles, who remains on the lead throughout.
We bumped into Ignacio who explained that he'd sown potatoes for his own consumption. He wasn't bothering to pick the citrus fruit (seen left of the field) because prices were so low. As I've remarked to Jones before, agriculture is mainly about what you can sell, not what you can grow. She said I looked a sight in my joggers. But they keep ticks out and nobody seemed to be bothered, certainly not Ignacio. Joggers are a frequent sight in these parts.
With rain forecast for much of the weekend, Slavic joined me for a couple of hours on Thursday evening to start cutting back our trees, especially those with branches overhanging roofs. The monthly Benafim street market, which was wiped out by wet weather in March, looks set to suffer the same fate again on Saturday.
Friday we're planning to visit friends who've recently moved to the holiday village of Cabanas on the coast.
SUFFICIENT UNTO THE DAY
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