Brett continued with his trench; Nick told us that in the summer we could expect rainstorms (flash floods) with a rainfall of 5” in a couple of hours – so Brett’s digging a ditch in front of the ‘living room’ doors (as we’ve dug the floor down it could get flooded). And I watered! Some more French beans were through, and mangetout and the basil is starting to come through – BUT STILL NO RADISHES!
I heard Brett say “Bom Dia”, so went to have a look; there was a man walking up through the olive grove (he wasn’t coming down the track). He was a neighbour (Luis), who lives in the village, and owns one of the quintas along our access track. He asked us why we weren’t sleeping at the quinta, we said because the access route was too narrow for the camper van (this is all in Portuguese and sign language, with some French thrown in for good measure). He then said “come with me” (i.e. beckoning and walking off down the track); on the way he was asking if we could get the camper van through various narrowish bits, “Si” this is fine, we replied. Then we got to the narrow bit that we don’t think we can navigate; stone building one side, stone wall the other. He owned the land with the building on it and showed us a route through his olive trees (either side of the narrow part of the track) and said we were welcome to drive this way to get to our quinta – how kind is that? And if we got stuck he has a tractor so could pull us out. All our neighbours are trying to make it as easy as possible for us to live here.
He did say something a bit odd; he said Brett and I were good (man and wife), but Gary wasn’t good (no wife). We came to Portugal because it’s a bit like living in the 50’s i.e. old fashioned values, not too modern; unfortunately they are still rather prejudiced, like they were in the 50’s, too and we think a lot of the problems that Gary is having is because he is gay (and a bit alternative).
We relax on loungers, in the vegetable garden, under an olive tree
We had another snake swimming in the tank today.
About 15" long, no idea what it is (Steph/Will)
The main thing is we have decided to try to move to the quinta on Sunday (we’re paid up at the campsite until Saturday night). So today we bought a solar shower; water heats up really well in hose pipes (you can’t put your hand under it it’s so hot) and in watering cans and buckets in the sun. We’re worried about not having the fridge; it can run on gas, so we’re going to see if someone can refill our British gas bottles. Otherwise I’ve seen this method of keeping food cold using two clay pots (one larger than the other) with wet sand between and a wet cloth over the top, water evaporation cools down the area in the smaller pot; or we can hang bottles in the well, the water is pretty cold in there. We’ll be camping with none of the facilities we’ve got used to on the campsite; we might have to buy a generator at a later date, but we’ll try to do without at first. We thought we had found little oil lamps in one of the shops, which would have been really useful, but they were fake and took batteries! It’s going to be very dark out there at night without any lights.
Hi Sandra,
ReplyDeleteLooks like a Horse Whip Snake. Here's another link to portuguese snakes. http://www.gekkoportugal.com/snakes%20in%20portugal.htm
Hope it helps.
Here you go - the viperine water snake
ReplyDeleteHistory and origin
The Viperine snake was first described by Linnaeus in 1758. This species scientific name is Natrix maura. Natrix meaning water loving, aquatic. Maura is latin for Mauritania, the Mauritanian water snake.
Characteristics
They have a viper-like resemblance.
Description
=Size=
They hatch at around 15 cm, averaging around 40 cm but growing up to 76 cm.
=Morphology=
They are fragile as juveniles and young adults. When they reach a length of around 50 cm long, their body becomes more robust, but they are still slim and elegant. Their head is slim and rectangular. They have small eyes.
=Patterns & colours=
Highly variable; usually either gray with darker zig-zag markings and sometimes spots on the flanks. Other common colours are brownish-green with dark markings. Orange specimens are not rare. Also bilineata form (lined form): usual patterns plus two thin and usually yellow or creamy lines running down the back. Belly is checkered black and white.
Geographical range
Western Europe, the Iberian peninsula, France (except the north, limit at around Orléans), west of Switzerland, northwestern Italy, Sardinia, Mallorca and Menorca.
Subspecies
None described although there are many variations in pattern that might have been accepted subspecies before the age of molecular research came.
Sexual differences
Females are larger then the males, especially in late spring when they carry their eggs.
Seasonal variations
None.
Diet
Their main food source are amphibians of all genres, they eat mainly young water frogs (Pelophylax sp.) and tree frogs (Hyla ssp.) and tadpoles. Fish are also taken. Young snakes will feed on large water insects and more commonly tadpoles, small fish and earthworms.
Defensive habits
They may hiss loudly and/or emit a foul smelling liquid from the anal region when handled. Sometimes, a specimen may want to pass its self off for a viper and try more aggressive looking techniques to get its self out of trouble, this includes flattening their neck and head, hissing loudly and swinging out towards the predator as if they want to bite, usually keeping their mouth closed.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs in spring, a week after hibernation. After only a few weeks, about 10 (3 to 26) eggs are laid in a moist, warm spot, usually under hey piles, in rotting wood piles and similar places. Sometimes they lay their eggs communally with other Viperine snakes and sometimes also with Grass snakes. The eggs incubate for around 11 weeks before hatching.
Sexual maturity, life span
The adult life span for Natrix maura is about 20 years. Males reach their sexual maturity in their third year, whereas females mature in their fourth year at the earliest. The animals are about 30 to 60 cm when they reach sexual maturity.
Habits
A highly aquatic snake species; nearly always found close to water. They are diurnal. When they are disturbed, they usually swim away at high speed, almost always diving and hiding underwater among plants and stones.
Venom
This is a non-venomous snake.
Habitat
They live in moist areas, usually very close to streams, rivers, ponds... They are highly aquatic.
Predators
Their natural predators are various mammals such as foxes and cats; also birds of prey and carnivorous water insects.
xxxx
Seeds not Germinating!
ReplyDeleteHere you are:
Why Are My Garden Seeds Not Growing?
Have you ever wondered why your seeds failed to germinate properly? Seeding too deeply, planting in cold soil, extremes of watering, improper soil preparation, birds or squirrels and poor seed are the most common causes for seeds failing to germinate.
Probably one of the most disappointing things in gardening is to have prepared the soil and sown the seed, only to have a partial or complete failure of germination. Here are a few of the pitfalls you can overcome by seeding properly.
One of the major factors in seeds not sprouting properly is planting them too deeply. As a rule of thumb, no garden seed should be planted any deeper than three times the diameter of the seed you are sowing. In the case of some seeds, they should not be covered with soil at all. Therefore it's very important that you read and follow directions on the seed packet. Generally, packet information will suggest proper planting times, locations, planting depth and proper spacing of the particular types of plants you are seeding.
Another major problem is planting when the soil is still too cold. Gardeners are often too anxious to plant many of their veggies and flowers and as a result the seeds germinate unevenly or not at all. One of the best ways to overcome this is to simply plant a little later in the season. Another way is to start the seeds indoors and then plant them outside after all danger of frost has passed. In the vegetable garden, raised beds aid in seed germination because the soil dries out and warms up quicker. It's especially important that the warm season crops like corn, squash, beans and cucumbers be planted later in the season, typically in late April or May, depending on the weather of the year, your soil type and local microclimate.
The combination of planting too deeply and seeding in cold soil are probably the major causes of poor seed germination and these two factors alone, if corrected, will solve most germination problems.
Improper soil preparation can be another major cause of seeds germinating improperly. The use of fresh, hot manures like chicken, rabbit or hog can create so much heat in the soil that they actually burn the seed. I've found it a good practice to use fresh manures in the fall rather than in the spring. Instead, add well-rotted, composted or processed manures when you are preparing the soil in the spring. The addition of too much chemical fertilizer can create the same condition, so always read and follow application directions on the label.
Extremes of watering also cause germination failures. After sowing seeds, either indoors or outdoors, it is important to press the soil firmly so that the seeds come into close contact with the soil. Next, be certain to keep the soil moist but never continually wet. If you're starting your seeds indoors, whenever possible, water them with room temperature water rather than cold water from the tap.
Sometimes when seed fails to germinate it's because you have sown poor seed. If you store seed from one year to another, be certain to keep it in a cool, dry place. Before sowing the seed, you can test the seed by sowing a few in a pot of soil. Count out ten or twenty seeds and see how many seedlings develop from these. By doing this, you can gauge whether the seed is worth keeping and growing. If the viability is low then it would be best to throw the seed out and start with fresh seed. Insider Note: Seed companies must package seeds that meet minimum germination standards that vary from state to state. They must also stamp the back of their packet with the year the seeds were packaged. If you buy seeds packaged for the current year, then poor seed should not be an issue. Please note: there is a difference (sometimes considerable) between seeds that meet the minimum standards and current crop seeds like ours that offer the highest germination rates.
xxxxxxxxxxxx