And another hot day .......
When we came back from watering the vegetable garden there was a message from Lola & Vince asking if they could call around in about an hour. Yes of course, but, as they tend to be late, they would be arriving at lunchtime, so I made a courgette fritatta and a tomato salad (enough to share). By 1.45 we were hungry, so decided to eat! A while later there was a message from Lola - they'd been (and gone), our car was there, but we were obviously out, had we forgotten they were coming? How bizarre, we were in the house the whole time!!!!!
The Corvilha fire looked like it was under control this morning, this evening it's back to raging.
We missed the partial eclipse - too much smoke! But we did see: shooting stars, airplanes, the space station and UFOs whilst bobbing in the pool, before bed!
22nd August
We popped into Penamacor for animal food; on our way back, along our track, we saw a mongoose! It was really close and we saw it for a long time - best view I have ever had of one. Then, just inside the vegetable garden, we saw a golden oriel.
It's too hot to go outside! And, nightmare, our pool has gone thick and green!!!!
This evening I'm off to learn how to play backgammon (watch out Rebecca & Paul next time you visit!).
23rd August
Well I got to the bar at 8.00, got home around midnight, only having drunk ONE beer! I now know the very basic rules of backgammon - I even won two games. They want to make it a weekly meeting, we'll see ......
Another scorcher. I was going to make cheese but it was too hot.
Brett has volunteered to be part of the community team going around to help out at the quintas that were affected by last week's fires. I have to stay here, as they're leaving our village at 6.15 a.m. and I will need to be here to do all the morning animal chores.
And both mountains are on fire this evening! Rain is forecast for next week (fingers crossed).
24th August
It's supposed to be cooling down today, but it still feels hot to me! And the mountains are still burning.
We are just above the cross roads and 'h' in Idanha a Nova
I'm starting to get more tomatoes to dry (not nearly as many as last year); quite a selection of shapes, sizes and colours.
We caught up with Andrew this evening over a couple of drinks at Bar do Clube.
Early evening the wind blew the smoke from the big fires in the mountains, to our north/north east, causing a HUGE black, ash depositing, cloud in our valley - it was like a scene from a post apocalyptic film!
25th August
A much cooler night; we didn't need the fan on - I even used the bedcovers!
So much smoke and ash in the air still.
Because of our stupid bank (closing it's current accounts) we're having to travel to Penamacor daily to take out money to tide us over until we can find away of spending in Portugal without paying exorbitant bank charges.
This evening we're off to Greg & Sara's for dinner, unfortunately poor old Brett's up at 5.00 as he's volunteered to help out at one of the farms that was gutted by the fire (clearing burnt woodland and digging drainage ditches for the surviving trees as the irrigation system was destroyed).
26th August
We had a lovely evening with G&S, it would have been very easy to stay longer but Brett needed some sleep; as it was he didn't get to bed until about 1.00. They had cooked a couple of curries (always popular with us), something that's hard to find in Central Portugal (unless you make it yourself or go into the big towns). They had the cutest, 4 month old, puppy, who was obviously teething.
Bank account saga cont.
Our account closes at the end of the month, we're busily getting out (250€ per day limit) a lump sum of cash to tide us over.
Today I signed up for a Monzo card (preloaded debit card with free overseas withdrawals/spending - problem is it's limited to £3000 per year).
No proof of address required but to prove identity I had to take a photo of my passport photo and then a VIDEO OF MY FACE (!!!) whilst reciting (something like) "please send me a Monzo card" - my video face looked nothing like my passport photo but I passed the test and a card is being issued.
Brett didn't get home until early afternoon, then (4.00) we were off to Bar do Clube for a 'few' drinks with the gang (16€ later we staggered home!).
27th August
Brett worked a couple of hours at Stuart's this morning to get his roof waterproof as rain is forecast (big smiley face!).
11.15 a message (plus photos) from Annika to the fire alert group - fire in Penamacor!!!!
The view from our supermarket car park!!!
We left it until the fire was under control before we ventured into Penamacor to get out money.28th August
A smallholding day including 2 gallons of milk made into Halloumi.
We were going to have carrots this evening but ..... the sand, we stored ALL our carrot harvest in, was empty of carrots (bar a few bits); we don't think it was rodents as the sand was extremely hard and there was no sign of burrowing or poo. We think, but have no proof, that the sand got excessively hot and cooked/dessicated the carrots!
All day we waited for the rain. ........ it came overnight.
29th August
Castelo Branco - we haven't been for nearly 2 months (!) so lots to do. While we were there we met Concebelle & Andrew (we first met them at A&K's (last year), then they bought some Muscovys off us), they're really nice, so I invited them to lunch next week.
I should have gone to backgammon club this evening but I forgot and once reminded was too tired.
This evening it rained again.
30th August
I never thought I'd get bored with cheese making! But it's so often ....... Today was Mozzarella.
After the last two days of rain Brett took the tractor up to the vegetable garden to prepare the ground for winter planting - he said it was as dry as a bone and very, very dusty!
We (me, Di, Sara and Pam) had a 'girlie night' at Sara's watching 'Mama Mia' (Di had never seen it!) and drinking Sangria - the 'husbands' sat outside and drank beer!
We got home at 1.00 and decided to go to Spain tomorrow - early start as Spain is an hour ahead and the market finishes at 12.00.
31st August
Well the market was a great success; I bought three pieces of material for 5€. The colours and patterns aren't really my choice (but Brett told me not to be fussy!), however the texture is good (not stiff) and I will do some printing on it.
Then we went to the supermarket and bought some intresting tinned seafood (razor clams, anchovies etc).
We were home by 11.30.
This afternoon I cut out and printed one dress, will sew it tomorrow.
I added the birds (of course!)
Brett continued to prepare for winter - although it's still 30+!1st September
Today I started an interesting cheese 'Mason Jar Marcellin'; it has to be aged in a jar (which creates the right environment) for six weeks and it's supposed to rival Camembert.
We made 15K of grape juice; it'll be fizzy by the end of the week, grape juice soda!
One dress finished!
2nd September
I made a second dress today.
3rd September
We harvested our onions, some nice big ones, hope they keep well, I'll plait them up.
Lots of house tidying and gardening today as we have visitors tomorrow (Andrew & Concebelle) for lunch - they're coming to be inspired!
4th September
Happy Birthday Sarah Xxx
All the food and drink I prepared for lunch was from our quinta; figs stuffed with feta on a bed of rocket and nasturcium leaves & flowers, roast chicken, tomato salad with mozzarella, pickled cabbage, fermented cherry tomato bombs and grape juice (with sparkling water - bought!). It was a good afternoon.
6th September
We started our winter garden; we bought, and Brett planted, 50 brassica plugs (4€).
7th September
1st Fermentation Club (The Fermentalists) meeting. We had a brilliant meeting at Nicky & Erd's; there were twelve of us, we all took ferments to show, lunch to share and ingredients to make into ferments. I came home with Apple Relish, Tomato Salsa and Lime (but in my case Orange, Lemon and Lime) Pickle.
We strung up our onions and hung them on the decking.
8th September
I'm going through a tired and achy phase, hope it goes soon!
Bloody goats keep stealing our onions!!!!
And more fires ........
9th September
What a difference a day makes .......
This morning I was revelling in my goosebumps - however I soon put on a jumper!
I took advantage of the cooler weather to start some Chevre, which I want to age (I haven't managed it yet), it needs to ferment for two days at 'room temperature' so it's been put outside on the barbeque (which is on the shaded side of the house).
I sowed some beans and peas in our Winter veg bed.
Brett carried on with the bathroom (smiley face!).
Then (as it's Saturday) we went to the bar .......
10th September
The sow gave birth yesterday evening; two piglets, but only one alive (she probably rolled on, and killed, the dead one, like last time!). The remaining piglet is female, seems very lively, and we've seen her feeding - fingers crossed she survives her mother's total unawareness!!!!!!
The temperature has risen again and, of course, it's too hot for cheese making again, so I had to strain the curds off the whey - I'm still going to try to age it.
11th September
Happy Birthday Gill, hope you have a fabulous day! Xxx
The piglet (female) seems strong and healthy, so hopefully she will survive her mother's lack of awareness.
I spent the whole morning doing the washing and shelling chickpeas. Brett block laid ....
12th September
Whilst we were watering the vegetables I got stung (by a wasp?) right up the top of my leg - it throbs .......,.
So our latest communication from Customs (re the milking machine) is that the paperwork our seller sent us is not what they asked for. Brett phoned Ebay and you're only covered for 30 days!!!!! So it's looking like we have lost £450 which is ridiculous/annoying, we just can't think go to get it back - we're both in bloody bad moods today!
I cleaned out the fridge, there's so much cheese in there (Chevre at various ages (2 days - 7 weeks), Mozzarella, Feta, Halloumi, Cheddar, Crotin and Mason jar Marcellin), we're just not eating it fast enough!
