Nightmare: FIVE WEEKS without internet!!!!!!!!

28^th September

My resolution is to try to post my blog more frequently; it took me ages to post it this morning, only problem is now that the weather is a bit iffy our internet signal is compromised.

First thing today we went to P&M’s to pick up the fruit crusher and drop off our memory stick with the Kindle books (thank you Steph!) on it, for P&M’s workaways.

Then we went home and made cider with 150L of apples (didn’t weigh them) but it made 13L of juice, at the moment it looks an ‘orrible brown sludgy colour, hopefully that will go as the cider clears. I was gutted to have to put the apple pulp on the compost heap – pigs would have loved it or I could have made it into chutney (but the cupboard is so full!!!).

Then this afternoon P&M’s guests came to see our quinta; they’ve just bought their own quinta and are looking for ideas.

29^th September

I was going to go into Fundao, to buy plant plugs, but I couldn’t find anyone to come with me (Brett wanted to get on with the plasterboarding). I’m still struggling with driving here, which is ridiculous; I’m fine once I’m in the car, it’s just the idea of it (and the fact that my left eye doesn’t work very well any more). So I sowed seeds and filled in my gardening diary, which I was very good with at first and now I do month/six week blocks (which isn’t much use at all), and sorted out my seed box – general gardening housekeeping.

Brett only has two walls to go in the living room, and the bathroom ... then he can start plastering.

Every time Brett does something to make our home less shed/more house I think that’s it, less dust, and every time I am wrong! The dogs bring it in on their coats, it blows through the windows; I’ve never lived in such a dusty house!

30^th September

Andrew came round this afternoon, we talked gardening; then we walked around the vegetable garden and Andrew and Brett convinced me it was a good idea to dig up a Sweet Potato and Jerusalem Artichoke, to see how they were doing ... it wasn’t!!! They need far longer; they were pathetic and rather disappointing.

Then we went round to look at Andrew’s quinta, which is very close to us ‘as the crow flies’ but a couple of miles by track; going to see him has given me back a bit of enthusiasm for my garden, which is good as it’s now it needs working on (to get the winter veg in).

1^st October

Flippin’ heck the year is whizzing past, it’ll soon be Christmas!

I’m still working on my stencils whilst Brett finishes off boarding (nearly there). Today I sorted out a couple of reference books (of course I didn’t find the ones I was looking for!); but now I want to have a go at making oilcloth (it was in one of the books I did find!) – I could make ‘rugs’ for the floor, the rag rugs we have get so dusty that the colours don’t show through, oilcloths are waterproof so they could be mopped. And I would quite like to make a table cloth for the decking, they sell waterproof material in the ‘China’ shops but the patterns are not nice!

Pam came round this afternoon and brought Clare & Andy with her; they (C&A) make, and sell, tipis, which are made out of heavy duty canvas ... which is what oilcloths are made from! They’re going to let me have some off cuts to practise on; it’s funny how things fall into place like that, there’s me thinking where will I get canvas from and they turn up on my doorstep ...

2^nd October

First practise at oilcloth today; I used calico. I painted it with PVA and then used acrylic paints for decorating it – I was then supposed to apply varnish or oil (the books say linseed oil, but I, of course, will use olive!), but I didn’t bother to do that with these samples as I made them into bunting (which now I have to convince Brett will look nice at the back of the decking!).

The living room boarding is as complete as it can be while we still have the solar in the house, so just the bathroom to go now and then plastering ........ Brett’s going to start with the cupboard bed, so I’m now thinking about how I’m going to paint it – at last we’re getting to ‘my bit’.

3^rd October

This morning Looby found a duck or goose egg, she very gently carried it back to the house, in her mouth, without cracking it. She was so pleased with herself, we let her keep it; she then proceeded to make a small hole in the shell and lap out the contents. Lili was beside herself with jealousy, so we gave her a chicken egg (they are laying well atm); she had no idea what to do with it – Looby ate that one too.
The geese are obviously in season and the males are far more aggressive than usual; they attack the dogs whenever they see them – I have to protect them (are you impressed Steph?).

For some reason, when we were painting the pool (2012), I wore one of my favourite dresses; and, of course, it got covered in blue pool paint, which wouldn’t come off. So I have been wearing it as a gardening dress; today I stencilled it with acrylic paint, what’s the worst that could happen? I can still wear it for gardening, but if it works ... the possibilities are endless ...

detail of stencils

We went round to Mr Louis today so that he could show us how to make troughs with an enxada. He gave us a bucket of potatoes, which I accepted as mine aren’t very good, I peeled some for dinner and they were as bad as mine!

This evening Looby found another goose egg – I, meanly, took this one from her!

4^th October

Andrew does all his ground preparation with an enxada, so today Brett took the rotorvator round to his quinta and cleared a good sized piece of land for him – he says he’s going to give us a day’s labour in return, I’ll be able to use him in the vegetable garden.
I stayed home while Brett was cultivating Andrew’s garden as Chris, Di and Andrew were coming to dinner; I had a leisurely morning making dips (two types of carrot, refried beans, thanks Karina) and dough for flatbreads – which is just as well as we had a hectic afternoon.

Brett brought some beetroot from Andrew so I made another dip (still leisurely and laid back) then ... Gary arrived and stayed for about 2 hours, he only went when Nick arrived (they don’t get on) and he stayed until Gary came back (as he had lost his keys so Brett had to help him break in) ... by now I’d lost 3 hours of the afternoon! I hadn’t washed up, tidied the house, washed or changed myself, and I was still cooking flatbreads when C&D arrived. I was stressed!!!

However we had a great evening eating, drinking and playing table tennis – I sneaked off to bed while the rest were playing doubles, around 12.30, Brett didn’t get to bed until 2ish.

5^th October

We had a lazy day; Brett needed a break from the plasterboarding. We took the dogs for a walk to the river; they had great fun running through the water (I swear Looby was grinning!).

When I was on Facebook someone had posted a wartime poster – WASTE NOT, WANT NOT, PREPARE FOR WINTER, Save Perishable Foods by Preserving Now – it is so apt for me, it’s more or less my motto, I had to have it so ... I printed it out on the laser printer and transferred the image onto a piece of wood, this method inevitably distresses the finished product so it looks like an authentic vintage piece. I’m very happy with it.

Then we spent the afternoon watching Kill Bill 1 and 2.

6^th October N/I

I’ve got to start noting when we don’t have internet; Brett thinks there’s a pattern to it, so N/I after date = no internet (we check for emails on the Kindle so we are still contactable). Our mobile phone signals have been awful recently too – the Portuguese phone is receiving texts hours after they are sent (sometimes 24 hours) and if someone tries to ring us we get a text (hours later) to say we have a missed call, and we can’t ring out or send texts easily. The English phone seems to receive texts OK but when I send a text it’s ‘queued for sending’, then I have to walk around the quinta, with the phone in my hand, looking for a signal (I don’t always find one).

This morning Brett went over to help Nick lift some beams into place. While he was away I put up my bunting (hehe!). He wasn’t happy, he says it’s ‘tat’ ... but it’s still up.

7^th October

We had Pam & Mark round for a meal this evening, we haven’t socialised with them (one to one) for ages, so it was great to have a good old gossip.

8^th October

We went to visit Diane & Tom at their quinta in San Migel d’Acha (about 10 minutes away); they haven’t moved over yet, Tom will come at the end of Nov but Di has to continue working for a while. Their quinta has wonderful potential; it has a nice sizes stone building which will make a lovely house (they were camping in one room which had a useable fireplace, so it was very cosy). They have fabulous views (Monsanto and Idanha a Nova), lots of fruit and olives trees, AND their village boasts THREE cafes that serve food!!!! They treated us to lunch (thank you) at one of the cafes, it was good food ... very envious!
Tomorrow we’re celebrating Jamie’s birthday (at The Cave!), so I made a Chocolate fridge cake.

9^th October

I spent the morning, and much of the afternoon making Jamie a birthday present; it took so long as it didn’t work very well, so no photo (all I can say is it did look VERY distressed!)..

I can’t believe how sociable we are atm, today we had two social events.

First lunch at Andrew’s, with Chris & Di; he has a tiny, cute little casa in the village. He had cooked us a choice of soups; lentil and fig (delicious) and a rather fiery tomato soup (very tasty, but it had quite a kick to it) plus two types of homemade bread. Then we went to view the ‘mansion’ that Baptiste has bought ... wow, wow, wow I can see why he bought it, it’s beautiful with lots of original features, but there’s so much work and it needs a new roof immediately, so a rather expensive project too.

We had a brilliant plan for this evening; Brett would drive the five of us (Us, Chris & Di and Andrew) into Penamacor (for Jamie’s birthday bash) in the truck and we had booked a taxi back to the village at midnight; so we could all relax and enjoy the evening ... and everything went to plan until a few minutes after we stepped out of the taxi and were walking up our track (looking forward to bed) when Brett said “the house keys are in the truck”, NOooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Brett had to break into his gym shed (which took ages because he had made it very secure!), cycle into Penamacor (10 miles away) in the pouring rain, drive home (fortunately he’d only had four bottles of beer over six hours), whilst I huddled on the decking, with the dogs. I had to snuggle under a damp throw as the mosquitoes were out in force. We got to bed around 3.00 a.m.

10^th October

So very tired .....
Brett had to spend the day mending all the damage he did to the shed last night!

The stove is ready to light, chimney swept etc so bring on the storms that are forecast for next week!

The rain has spurred on the herb garden, so much basil

I made Pesto.

11^th October

Another social engagement! This time it was lunch at Marc & Mieke’s. Their food was delicious, as always, we like trying food from different nations – they’re Belgians, they do very interesting condiments; today we had a spicy apple cheese and onions and sultanas cooked in vinegar with sugar (it was cold so I suppose it was a kind of chutney) to accompany roast pork.
Mieke has made a fabulous chandelier from a thick grape vine cutting, turquoise coloured plastic water bottles fashioned into flowers and fairy lights – they gave me a sack of the water bottles, so I spent the afternoon trying to make flowers (they have to be melted over a candle), my attempts weren’t very impressive.

It’s officially winter ... we lit the stove this evening; it’s so cosy in our house, with the rain outside and us all snug and warm inside! We love it; especially as we were able to dry the washing that has been hanging around damp for a couple of days.

12^th October

We could hear shooting in the distance, but so far this season we’ve had no shooting on our quinta; one of our jobs this week is to get the ‘no shooting’ signs up around our perimeter.

Well it rained a lot today, so we lit the stove, battened down the hatches and watched films.

13^th October

Rain is forecast for much of this week, which means we have to think every time we use the solar; we don’t really mind this until it impinges on the use of our refridgerator! And if it goes on too long we start to get bored; but atm it’s a novelty.

14^th October N/I (P.M.)

 As today was forecast to be the only day without rain, this week, we had to go shopping; first off to the village market, to buy fava beans (they didn’t have any!) and garlic, for planting over winter. We met Andrew and Pam at the seed stall; we also got to say ‘Bom Dia’ to quite a few Portuguese who we ‘know’ which made us feel part of the community.

Then we went into CB to buy plaster, look at tiles (floor) and wood burning stoves (living room); we also bought ourselves a present for the kitchen ... a ‘smart’ TV, it’s so we can watch films in front of the stove when it’s on (atm we have to go into the living room), we didn’t need it, but we treated ourselves (most of the time we live quite frugally).

Then we booked Lili in for her operation; they’re doing it at 3.00 on Thursday – we can pick her up at 4.00! I feel really awful putting her through this, but I know it has to be done, I keep telling myself this time next week she’ll be back to normal (but I can’t help worrying).
When we got home Brett set up the new TV ... we have to take it back; as he was going through the installation process the screen switched off and won’t switch on again (it’ll give us something to do while Lili has her operation).

We bought a few bits for Pam in CB which she came to pick up, she brought Olive (dog) with her; Olive and Looby had a wonderful playtime in the kitchen, while we had a cup of tea and Lili cowered in the Living room, she doesn’t like visitors/change anything she doesn’t know. She’s a strange little dog; with us she’s all pushy and confident, as soon as we have visitors she becomes a wee timorous beastie, with her tail between her legs and peeing on the floor if anyone approaches her! As Pam and Olive left the house Mrs Muscovy was crossing the decking, Olive (alias Chicken Killer) attacked her (bitch) we fought her off in time.

This evening we met C&D and Andrew at the bar for a couple of beers, it was quite cold in there (we have our stove on at home); but C&D like it, as it’s not as damp as their campervan. Chris wanted to know what the rumpus was about earlier – he had heard the Olive attack from where they live.

15thOctober N/I

Dull and damp with drizzling, relentless rain .... (a bit like Wales!). So no solar charging for us today.
Mrs Muscovy is fine after her encounter with Olive; so that’s two of her nine lives gone!

Brett made wheels for the scaffold tower, so that he can move it along easily as he plasters.

I made prototype stencils for the cupboard bed; I freely admit I’m adapting a medieval stencil, from Mulcheney Abbey, Somerset, which I found in one of my books (The Country Decorator, Miranda Innes). The design includes dark stripes stencilled with a strawberry vine design; I used this design to decorate the sides of a set of shelves that Brett made a few years ago (it will always sand off if we don’t like it; I sanded it, once it was dry, to distress it a bit!), as usual I am using Acrylic paints (I like them because they dry quickly and once dry they are waterproof). Yesterday I treated myself to new craft knives/scalpels (I bought a few different types!); it’s a real pleasure to cut with a sharp blade.

Bloody hell the flies are annoying; I don’t know whether it’s because of the rain, maybe it facilitates them reproducing quicker, or what, but there’s an awful lot of them atm, it was the same last year. One got into the cupboard bed with us; every time we turned out the light it was active, then it would hide as soon as the turned it on – we got it in the end!

16^th October N/I

What a horrid day, poor old Lili thought she was being punished, as we couldn’t let her have food or water; and when Lili thinks she’s in the ‘dog house’ she becomes a very loving, subservient little dog, asking for forgiveness – we felt so guilty! And as her appointment wasn’t until 3.00 p.m. she had to suffer for a long time.
Taking her into the vet was awful; then we had to watch while she had an injection (anaesthetic) and fell asleep (this was all outside and in public, not like UK vets). We were told to return to pick her up in an hour!!!!! She was so groggy, poor little mite, but she wagged her tail when she saw us. They put one of those uncomfortable ‘lampshade’ things on her, to stop her chewing her wound; they only seemed to have two sizes, small and extra large, the small wasn’t big enough so she was given an extra large – it would have been too big for Looby! It was a ridiculous size, it was set to the smallest diameter (which was still too wide for her neck) and there was this huge flap of excess she had to carry round with her (it weighed more than her neck seemed to be able to support!). When we got home we altered it, so that it fitted her better (reducing the diameter, cutting off the excess and cutting off some of the length). I took the opportunity to decorate it; I thought she might like it better if she looked good! She hates it!!!! So until she starts playing with her wound it’s off, she’s miserable enough as it is.

17^th October N/I

Lili slept in the living room last night (next to the cupboard bed), so we could keep an eye on her, consequently we didn’t sleep well. Poor little mite couldn’t get comfortable; she started the night with her ‘lampshade’ on, but that soon came off as she was even more uncomfortable with it on.

Poor old Looby doesn’t understand (of course she doesn’t she’s a dog!); she doesn’t realise that she’s in the way when we’re trying to encourage Lili to take her medicine and she’s there, a big bumbling dog, between us saying ‘I’ll eat the pill’. I did manage to get Lili to eat some porridge, off a spoon, she was like a spoilt princess (according to Looby, who didn’t get any special treatment when she was sterilised, she was just left in a cage to get on with it).
Most of our day was dedicated to Lili; trying to tempt her with food, and stroking her (and saying sorry!), she lapped it up (the attention). At around 4.00 p.m. she ate a few pieces of pork scratching and at 5.00 p.m. she ate a spoonful of meat (from a pouch of meat, it smelt just like the tins but cost three times as much!). Then around 9.00 she ate quite a lot of meat, then jumped onto the sofa next to Brett (if she can jump she’s definitely on the mend).

18^th October N/I

At 1.30 a.m. Lili had to have her ‘lampshade’ put on her, she could hardly lift her head. Then at 6.00 she was climbing on the bed saying she was cold, so I had to cover her up. She was so hungry this morning; I was able to crush her antibiotic and mix it in with her meat (it hardly touched the sides), instead of forcing it down her throat with my fingers.

This is our fifth day of no internet now; it’s starting to get annoying! So much for me updating my blog more frequently.

Brett and Chris spent the morning at Gary’s, doing the job he’s been asking them to do for ages (fingers crossed it works). Her reckoned it was only two hours work ... huh, it took well over four hours!!!! But he was very grateful and as long as it doesn’t get too windy it should be fine.

I spent the day making plaques saying:
A Minya

CASA

É a tua/sua

CASA

(My house is your house)

I’m letting Pam have them for her (our?) stall on the Christmas market in Penamacor, and if they don’t sell one of them will be her Christmas present (it’s alright she doesn’t read my blog!). She suggested that I have my own stall, but (1) I don’t have enough stock to sell and (2) last year we spent two days decorating gingerbread men and making mulled wine (plus Pam had made juggling balls and quilts) and she sold nothing!

I’ve been looking around for stuff I can put on the stall; I have a couple of China shop boxes (they’re sold as unfinished wood) which I have painted, some wire cobwebs I made in the summer, a bag I made from a lace table runner then transferred some printed hearts on it and I might make some ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Feliz Natal’ plaques too.

Hopefully next year I’ll have my studio up and running then I’ll be able to make some glass Christmas tree ornaments, which I think could be sellable.

19^th October N/I

Lili had a good night, but she does get rather cold towards the morning (she’s used to snuggling up to Looby), I kept covering her up, but every time she moved her cover came off. And her poor little belly is purple; she must be in quite a lot of discomfort.

We woke up to shooting in the distance, which reminds us we must get our ‘no hunting’ signs up.

Brett started plastering today!

Plastering in Portugal is different from plastering in the UK (of course it is!!!); to start with their plaster is the same stuff they stick the plasterboard on the walls with, no pink finishing plaster for them. And we had a choice of drying times 2-4 hours or 24 hours; Brett went with the 24 hours (as he’s not as fast as a professional plasterer). He mixed it to the same consistency that he would the pink plaster and ... it just slumped down the walls (like glace icing off a cake) and after 12 hours it hadn’t ‘gone off’ enough for him to smooth it out, (how long will it take, 24 hours perhaps?, we thought that was drying time not workable time!). Tomorrow he’s going to try to exchange it for the faster drying stuff! On a good note the colour is a rather nice off white.

20^th October N/I

We have been without internet for nearly a week; well it will be six days at lunch time. People are starting to phone me, as I’m not responding to fb messages – unfortunately our phone signal is still not good either.

However, Brett phoned the plaster company and they said ‘nao problema’ to exchanging the plaster (he has all his conversations in Portuguese, even on the phone); so I stayed at home while he went to CB to, hopefully, get better plaster.

Lili is so much better today, she was trying to get Looby to play; unfortunately Looby doesn’t realise she has to be gentle, so I had to stop them – but it’s great to have her back to normal.

While Brett was in CB he bought me some glittery paints, so I spent the afternoon playing with them. And Brett spent the afternoon with his second lot of plaster; he said it was easier to apply than the first lot.
Phew the second lot of plaster works well and Brett has done two walls in the cupboard above the bed and the wall behind the larder cupboard. I even got to work with the left over plaster; I taped the joints and plastered over the tape (Brett’s first coats were sucked into the gap leaving a dent, this should stop that from happening) and I filled in the gaps between the floor and the bottom of the plasterboard.

Outside there’s lots of extremely loud creaking sounds ... it’s tree frogs; bright green, small frogs which are everywhere atm, I think it must be their mating season.

21^st October N/I

It’s getting silly now, we haven’t had internet for a week and, as well as, lack of communication, we have masses of things we need to look up. I have a horrible feeling we’re going to have to spend some money and buy a proper internet connection.

Lili slept in her ‘lampshade’, neither of us slept well!

The wall has dried to a chalky white colour, I actually drew a chalk line on it (don’t tell Brett!) and it’s not at all visible.

Brett continued to plaster; while I cooked, as Marc & Mieke came to lunch – they brought us another Muscovy female, Mr Muscovy is very happy!

We drove down to the river this afternoon; mainly because I had seen a large white object on one of the quintas near us ... so when we went out in the car I took binoculars!!!!! Turns out it’s a campervan; we can’t get close enough to see the number plate or what side the steering wheel is on (I know we are very nosy!), but we imagine it must be expats as you don’t get many (any?) Portuguese living in vans on quintas around here.

22^nd October N/I, 8½ days and counting ....

Lili continues to improve .... J as Brett deteriorates; he has a swelling on his right wrist and it makes a crackling noise when he flexes it (I suggested he took a day off but he wanted to continue), he’s in the cupboard bed today which means we’ll be sleeping on the sleep platform for the next few nights.
I did some gardening (at last!); the area that Brett rotorvated has weeded up! I used the ‘claw’ to clear a strip and will leave it to see if the weeds that I’ve disturbed die or re-root (my guess is re-root!). I did some potting on in the polytunnel; it was jolly hot in there. And I weeded (by hand) an area to plant out some permanent plants ... it was rather hot work as the weather has changed again and daytime feels quite summery again.

23^rd October N/I

I’m worried now as it’s Lawrence’s birthday in a few days and I haven’t been able to send him a present yet.

We’re seriously thinking about getting an internet package (not that I like the expense!), but we have to get one that works on our quinta; when Pam brings her connection here it’s no quicker than the village internet. And ‘unlimited’ here isn’t unlimited, it’s ‘fair usage’ and then, once your allowance is used up, you get slowed down for the rest of the month; Pam often runs out and is in the process of upgrading (so we’ll let her do it first and see if it’s any good for us). Hopefully the village wifi will be up and running soon.
And our mobile signal seems to be getting worse; I wrote a text to Will first thing, it was still ‘sending’ half an hour later, then I get a message ‘could not send message’ why not? I seemed to have a signal .... our phones never used to be this bad.

The sleep platform was fine; it feels much more spacious than the cupboard bed, and it wasn’t too hot up there, which was one of my main worries.
Lili is back to normal; she is instigating play fights with Looby and running round and round the house. Occasionally she yelps; when she’s jumped down from a height and jars her wound, but she soon forgets about it.
The new female Muscovy has settled in well; she wanders along behind the other Muscovies and, obediently, goes into the shed at night.

So Brett had a day off from plastering – he finished plasterboarding the sleep platform!!!! That really helped his wrist.

I taped and skimmed the ceiling under the sleep platform and inside the cupboard bed (which had to be done on my knees on a plywood base = very sore knees!).

This evening we went round to P&M’s for pizzas AND to pick up our FOUR parcels of DVDs (thank you Steph); I’m now the proud owner of the complete  series of The Avengers 1961 – 1969 and the complete series of The Persuaders, so I’m well set up for the winter! We haven’t worked out how to get the smart TV to recognise the DVD player yet (it took a while for it to find the hard drive, so I’m sure there’s a way).

I also collected a large bag full of vegetable plugs that Mark bought me on Monday; so I will be rather busy tomorrow.

24^th October N/I

This is getting ridiculous now; we’re into our eleventh day of no internet AND now I can’t send texts (even when the phone appears to have a good signal), it just gets stuck on ‘sending’. I think perhaps a mast has been compromised; I just hope it hasn’t been decommissioned as I do know there’s a new Vodaphone signal which is very strong atm and people say it’s because there’s a new mast.

I had no choice but to garden today as I had to get my plant plugs in ... it was bloody hard work as I had to weed it all first, and I didn’t manage to finish so I’ll be gardening tomorrow too.

Brett plastered inside the cupboard bed.

C&D gave us their Vodaphone dongle to try out (no point in buying something we can’t use), it doesn’t work at their quinta ... it didn’t work at ours either L!

 25^th October N/I ... day 12!

I’m so achy I can hardly move! But I had to finish planting the vegetable plugs; it was only when I had finished that Brett pointed out that my three rows of ‘onions’ were actually leeks! Bugger, I’m growing leeks from my own seeds (I have hundreds coming through) I wanted onions! And I planted them like onions not like leeks so they probably won’t even grow properly.

Lili has got most of her plaster off; she’s doing it at night, with her hind leg (so much for us making her sleep in her ‘lampshade’).

I can’t believe we’re still without internet and we can’t use our phones (occasionally we can receive a message but we can’t send them).

26^th October N/I

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAWRENCE, GRANNY LOVES YOU XXXX!!!!!!!!!

We could hear shooting in the distance when we got up, they got nearer during the morning I could hear their voices quite distinctly on neighbouring quintas) but they didn’t come onto our quinta (but they were my excuse for not doing any gardening today!).

Brett plastered part of the kitchen ceiling, while I worked on my design for the cupboard bed; I want it to have the effect of hand painted wallpaper, but slightly distressed, so that it looks old. I’m getting quite excited about the project now. We went to C&D’s for dinner; when we got home we discovered that naughty Lili had taken out her stitches!!!! So we won’t need to take her into CB tomorrow!

C&D loaned us their other dongle (TMN), the one that works at their quinta, ... it didn’t work at ours though!

Hoorah I’ve got my English mobile working (well I can send texts when I have a signal), I had to switch it off and back on again

27^th October N/I

Brett spent the morning working with Chris at Anika’s; setting up ready for when she arrives (for a fortnight) tomorrow. Then they, Brett, C&D and Gary, will be working for her for the next thirteen days (they get weekends off) ... it’ll pay for our floor tiles.

I’ll have the project of the cupboard bed to be getting on with while Brett’s gone; I practised my design on plaster today.

OK answers on a postcard please (because I haven’t got internet!); how the hell do you open the lid of a Kilner jar when it’s been vacuum sealed in a water bath for 45 minutes???? I have jars and jars of tomato pulp and I can’t open them!!!!

28^th October N/I ............(2 weeks today since we’ve been able to go on-line!)

Brrrr, it was chilly this morning, I wore a jumper and legging and was still cold ... hopefully it means we can light our stove again soon!

Brett plastered the wall behind the dresser today; I’m going to stencil a pattern on it (white is rather bland behind the shelves). And I did some gardening and then worked on my ‘wallpaper’ design.

29^th October N/I!!!!!!

Brett went off to work, on his bike, at 7.45 a.m. Then I went off in the car at 9.30, to take all the tools they hadn’t realised the needed; proving that I’m quite capable of driving when necessary!
As I enjoy doing my artwork so much I feel a little bit guilty about spending a whole day on it; so I did a couple of hours hard graft in the vegetable garden (weeding, planting out garlic, watering etc) – that made me feel that I’d earnt some ‘me’ time. So I continued playing with my wallpaper design.

I was incredibly tired this evening; I couldn’t believe it, when I said “I’m going to bed” and, it was only 8.50 ... I still went!!!

30^th October N/I (day 16, and no sign of it returning)

Brett went to work in the truck, to take all the tools they would need today.

I stayed at home and made chocolate fridge cake, at Brett’s request (we don’t have anything sweet in the house to nibble on, and we’re going to a party Friday night so it’s something to take with us – I made a lot!).

I marked out the back wall of the cupboard bed, ready for stencilling the background ‘wallpaper’ (Fleur de Lys and simple flowers); it took me absolutely ages and even though I used a long straight edge and a spirit level my marks weren’t terribly accurate, in the end I made a template which worked much better than measuring.

When I started stencilling it all went wrong!!!! The stencil kept ‘blarting’ and smudging, individual prints are not as good as I want them and they’re not terribly square (not that I mind that, as it makes it look hand done). I wasn’t in the least bit happy while I was doing it! However the overall effect isn’t too bad at all and anything that glares at me can always be covered up during the next stage when I add the trailing nasturtiums. I thought it would be a quick job; today took me five hours.

31^st October N/I (in the back of my mind I’m hoping that it will come back on the 1^st!)

Happy Halloween!!!

Brett went off in the truck again.

I was back working on the cupboard bed; first thing I did was cut new stencils (from the off cuts of Lili’s ‘lampshade’!) in the hope that I would get cleaner prints and it worked, I had a much better day today (but it still took me a long time).

considering this was a different stencil to above I'm pleased it looks so similar

When we put the animals away one of the female geese was missing; we found her sitting in the middle of a gorse patch on five eggs – we put her in the goose house (minus eggs), we don’t want more geese and we didn’t want her eaten by a fox!

We were invited to a Halloween party at Clare & Andy’s this evening, but Brett was feeling the effects of three day’s hard physical labour and he just wanted an early night. I feel really mean about not going to the party, we had planned too – I had even made chocolate fridge cake to take; but once it gets dark it’s a real effort to go out, we were in bed by 9.00, I can’t believe how tired I am too it’s not as if my work is physical.

1^st November N/I

So much for my bright idea of getting internet back on 1^st !!!!!

Brett deserved a day off so we had a lazy day; though I did do some stencilling when he trained.

We put up some of the ‘no hunting’ signs along our entrance boundary and locked the gate in hopes of deterring tomorrow’s hunters.

And now I think I might be being poisoned ... since Wednesday I’ve been feeling extremely tired; I’ve been in bed by 9.00 every night, I had put it down to the clocks going back, but now I think it could be the fumes from the paint I’m using to stencil with – I’m in a confined space working for hours at a time with China shop paint, goodness knows what’s in it! Today when I did my stencilling I got a banging headache almost immediately, so sensibly I stopped. Next time I will have the window open and a fan on.

2^nd November N/I

No sight nor sound of hunters today; not even in the distance, perhaps because it was the ‘Day of the Dead’, a religious day when the Portuguese honour their dead relatives and friends with candles and flowers in the cemeteries?

This afternoon we went on a Fungi Forage with Andrew; we found lots of Fly Agarics, some interesting earthballs and, we think, Saffron Milk Cap, I want to check the colour of the spores before we risk eating it!!!

3^rd November N/I

Well the spore colour is whitish/creamy which doesn’t help much as Saffron Milk Caps (choice to eat) are whitish and Woolly Milk Cap (can be edible) are pale yellow.

It was decidedly cold this morning and I’m already not liking Brett going off to work every morning (he’s only done three days, he’s still got two weeks to go).

I was very productive today; I weeded more of the vegetable plot, constructed and sowed a wigwam for peas, planted a couple of rows of broad beans and a patch of turnip tops (peas, broad beans and turnip top seeds all from Mr Louis).

Yesterday Andrew said that the people in the village gossip about all the incomers (of course they do) and that Brett and I have a good reputation and are well respected because we try to speak Portuguese and we grow vegetables – we felt rather chuffed!

I need the internet back ........ to tell me how to open my Kilner jars (someone else is bound to have had the same problem): I’ve tried prising, boiling to try to release the vacuum, I can’t pierce the lid because it’s glass and I can’t phone anyone for advice as I have no phone signal – I’m totally frustrated!

Yay, I persevered; I boiled it up and pulled on the tag of the seal (I dreamt that was how I should do it, not the boiling part) and suddenly it just popped – I won’t be using them again in the water bath method!

It started raining at 2.00 and continued all afternoon and evening; my plants and seeds should be well watered in.

Brett came home early (as they had been working outside and it was raining).

We lit the fire this afternoon; I like it when it rains and the fire is lit, it’s all cosy in our house.

4^th November N/I

It’s three weeks now since we had any internet and we’re starting to get emails (accessed on the Kindle) as people realise we’ve been out of communication for so long – we might even have to go into CB so we can use the free WIFI there (at least I’d be able to update the blog). I tried to answer a couple of emails today but I didn’t have a strong enough signal; you have to be really patient with the Kindle (it’s ultra slow) and walk around the quinta until 3G signal registers, then you can write (very laboured on the Kindle keyboard) emails, people will start to think I’m ignoring them!

Brett went off to work and I finished off the background to the cupboard bed; tomorrow I get to do the exciting bit (the rambling nasturtiums – sounds like a folk band!), but I think it looks good already ... Brett, of course, keeps pointing out Fleur de Lys that aren’t completely regimental!
Marc & Mieke came round and I spoke to them about their internet (they have satellite, which they are pleased with); only problem is you have to take out a year’s contract before you can try it, so what if it doesn’t work here? We can hardly ask M&M to bring their dish round for us to try it!.

5^th November N/I

Brett says there was a frost when he left this morning.

Of course they don’t do Guy Fawkes night here (why would they?), so no fireworks for us tonight (we’re more likely to see them in the summer when the villages have their festas).

Brett went to work; I went to the cupboard bed and painted the first instalment of trailing nasturtiums.

6^th November N/I

Bloody Muscovies; when I got up this morning Brett had already let the animals out (except the ducks and geese, as they are noisy and he is considerate, because I don’t need to get up as early as him) so I know it was the Muscovies ... they’ve eaten my Aloe Vera, it was really thriving and now it looks pathetic, they had the ginger too and they tried the chilli plants but obviously didn’t like them!

Well my shitty day continued; for some reason instead of taking the duvet off the bed, like I did yesterday, I just folded it back ... of course a brush rolled onto it and it’s now got a big yellow stain on it!!!! And acrylic paint doesn’t wash out, even if you put it in water immediately, before it’s had time to set; I’m so cross with myself!

Fortunately my trailing nasturtiums worked OK, so something went in my favour.

Oh yes, I tried to write some emails on the Kindle and of course I couldn’t get a signal and ... why is it that my UK mobile says Emergency calls only, so I can’t phone anyone or send texts (and Brett has the PT one, but I can’t even contact him) but texts from Orange get through (and I’m probably paying to receive them!)? I wish I had stayed in bed!!!!

7^th November N/I

Hoorah, got a text from Mark (and Glenn), he’s going to be coming out next week.

Pam came round for a ‘craft day’; we cut out lots of Christmasy stencils, she’s going to use them for bunting. It was nice to have the company.

She also brought her dongle (TMN), there was a signal but it was very slow, I had to use the basic version of AOL

Nightmare; Atm Brett is working 8 – 3 (7 hours), 5 days a week (and he’s knackered by the end of the week) but Annika wants more progress so she has offered double the wage if they are willing to work 7 – 5 (10 hours), the money is tempting ... !!!

8^th November N/I

So after much deliberation, a couple of beers, sitting cosily in front of the stove Brett and C&D exchanged a few texts and decided to accept Annika’s offer!!! It’s only five days after all (I’m going to hear that a lot!). He wasn’t happy when he woke up at 6.00 a.m. and realised it was still dark, fortunately today he could roll over and go back to sleep.

Great, now we can’t even get emails on the Kindle it says unable to get a secure connection on this site – what’s that mean?

We had a proper day out in CB today, no boring shopping just browsing and buying a few nice bits. We got the green paint for behind the dresser and I bought some interesting acrylic colours. I bought a jumper from H&M and I actually managed to get some leggings that fit ... I don’t like to generalise but the Portuguese tend to be rather short so their leggings are always too short in the body and leg for me (I can get them wide enough but not long enough) anyway they still have C&A here and their leggings are a perfect fit, if anything a bit baggy (but I can grow into them!) and Brett got some socks! Then we had lunch out in a typical Portuguese cafe; three courses (soup, a main meal with chips, rice and salad and a pudding) plus bread, a drink and coffee for 6€ each (that’s less than £5 a head).

Then as we came home it started pouring with rain, so we went in and lit the stove; a

lovely relaxing day.

Haha, funny text from Mel ... she has blog withdrawal (I have internet withdrawal)!

9^th November N/I

So much for our no hunting signs; we were woken to the chorus of gunshots! Brett went and spoke to the hunter who was nearest our house, he was just beyond the chicken run (less than 100m when they’re supposed to be no closer than 250m to a dwelling), and he agreed to go elsewhere. Unfortunately his friend, who isn’t on our land, continued to shoot towards us and occasionally the shots rained down on our roof – it’s not a nice experience.

I used one of my new acrylic colours (chestnut) to paint the beams in the bed cupboard; I only managed to paint one as I had exactly the same experience as last week, my head was swimming for the rest of the day (annoying as I still have two beams to paint!).

We went out for lunch, at a restaurant, with C&D; the food was ‘interesting’! They were obviously trying to have a more varied menu than the other restaurants; the meal started with chicken soup (a bit watery, needed seasoning) but C&D as are veggie and they weren’t catered for (the waiter kept trying to give them the soup, asking them to just try it). Then we all had fish dishes; Brett and C had a kind of paella (again rather watery), D had a huge dish of three fish steaks which she said we good and I had what the waiter said was plaice, but it wasn’t, in a creamy almond sauce I liked it (but Brett said it was too salty and nutmeg over powered it – my lack of smell means I couldn’t taste the nutmeg at all). Then we were given chestnuts and a homemade sweet drink made from grape juice and firewater (aguadente). And for pudding I had black bean tart (interesting, rather stodgy, probably a bit like pumpkin pie) and Brett and Chris had an orange ‘tart’ that looked like Swiss roll. We drank an expensive wine for us at 7€ a bottle, Brett had a beer and we had coffee; it came to 15€ each, which we think is expensive for here! But it was nice to go out and have a relaxed Sunday lunch.

We called in at the village bar on the way home and had a beer with Mr Louis; we’re finding it much easier to talk to him nowadays. Then we came home and lit the stove.

10^th November N/I

Poor old Brett was up at 6.00 a.m. it was still dark and there was frost outside – he’s wishing this week away!

I had a boring day, nearly eleven hours on my own, it was cold and then it rained. I stencilled some nasturtiums (the paint for them is OK), cleaned and tidied the house (not that it stays clean for long), lit the stove and cooked dinner (like a proper little housewife).

We were in bed by nine!

11^th November N/I (it’s 4 weeks today since we last had internet) and the Kindle has stopped getting emails, so we’re completely out of touch.

Dark

Dreary

Dismal

Rainy Day

I don’t like it when Brett gets out of bed at 6.00, he takes all the warmth with him and I can’t get cosy again – I tried to stay in bed (the later I get up the less time I’ll be on my own) but I was up by 7.30.

We’ve been rather relaxed about our electricity recently; it’s been working fine and we have enough for our needs, but when I turned the water on (which activates the water pump, 750w) the inverter started beeping!!! That’s what several overcast, rainy days does for the solar. I switched everything off, bar the fridge, and spent the day in the dark! I put barrels under the decking roof, to catch the rain water, so I didn’t have to use the water pump again (I was very pleased with myself, for my inventiveness!).

I had a boring day in the dark; I had intended to make a dress, but couldn’t use the sewing machine, so ended up just cutting out and pinning – the day dragged, especially as Brett went shopping after work so didn’t get home until nearly 6.00.

Brett tested the batteries when he got home, they read 12.02 (less than 50%, that’s not good). We turned the fridge off overnight.

12^th November N/I

 I tried to stay in bed this morning; so when I got up I was sure it must be about 10.00 – it was only 7.50!!!!!

I had no internet, the phone said emergency calls only (I don’t get how that works, if I haven’t got a signal how can I make an emergency call?), my Kindle needed recharging (Brett took it with him and charged it as he drove to and from work), I couldn’t use electricity (I’m trying to help the batteries recharge), the garden was too wet to weed and Brett had the truck ... I was so bored! It wasn’t raining, but it was dull and overcast, so not much charge for the solar.

I managed to make my ablutions last until nearly 10.00; mainly because I couldn’t lift the shower bag into position. We use solar shower bags, but nowadays we have to heat the water on the stove and transfer it to the shower; then the bag has to be hauled in the air, via a pulley system (hook!) with a nylon rope, which is slippery and cuts into my hands. I only managed to pull the rope a couple of inches at a time, then I had to stand on it, to stop it being pulled back by the weight of the water – it was a slow, painful process!

At 12 noon I was halfway through this long boring week!!!!

The batteries read 12.6 (65%) when Brett got home, so my economical use of electricity had an effect.

13^th November N/I

Windy

Wet

Washout

Woeful Day!

So last night I’m having a conversation with Mark (and Glenn) via text (he’s had to cancel his plans to come back, we’re very disappointed), but my last text to him didn’t send, it was ‘queued for sending’ all night; but, explain this ... at 3.41 a.m. I received a text from Orange, but Mark’s message was still queuing!!!

It was raining when I got up at 7.33 (why can’t I stay in bed longer?); and I was on my own (if you don’t count the dogs) in a dark house, with ten long boring hours looming in front of me ... oh joy!

I painted the wall behind the dresser; it’s the same colour as our old farmhouse kitchen in Wales, a lovely old fashioned green. As it was so dark in the kitchen I had to have a light on, I turned off the fridge to compensate.

Brett’s last day at work tomorrow, thank goodness.

Gary came round; Betty (his dog) has been missing since Sunday, he thinks she was frightened off by the hunters; he’s given me some posters to distribute when I go to language class tomorrow.

It rained for most of the day.

14^th November N/I

I went to P&M’s today; ostensibly to do crafty things, but ended up just having a good old gossip and checking emails etc. It was nice to get off quinta and have people to talk to.

This evening we attended our first Portuguese lesson in Penamacor.

15^th November N/I

Brett needed a break after the last three weeks, so we took the weekend off.

16^th November

I can’t believe it; I tried to log on to the village Wifi and, after five weeks. I got on!!!!!

RAIN = FUNGI ...

25^th August

Mrs Duck is moving around a bit better today, she still has a problem with one of her legs (we can’t see/feel anything) and moves about by flapping her wings.

Went into CB; mainly to buy food (we spent nearly 100 Euros in Lidl!) and to collect the cement mixer from Mark’s.

While we were in Bricomarche I looked at their new range of paints and found a couple of lovely greens and a mauve/purple for painting the kitchen furniture (Ikea chairs, which are a horrid pale beech colour, and the sink unit we’re going to build from one of the cupboards we found by the skip), so I came home happy! And Brett was happy as he managed to buy plasterboard screws!

26^th August

Brett plaster-boarded the second half of the sleep platform ceiling. It’s really hot up there and when you’re being physical it’s even worse.

I posted a question on the ‘Life in Portugal’ site re the storing of sundried tomatoes and figs,

I never get tired of these photos!

as everything I’ve read on the net says refrigerate/freeze/do not store in oil (or you risk Botulism)/danger, danger, danger/all scaremonger stuff. I wanted to know how real people did it and it seems most of them seem to ignore all the Botulism risks and store in jars/in oil – like people used to do before everyone had a refrigerator! Though I did have response from a few idiots, who obviously didn’t read the post (which said I couldn’t refrigerate/freeze my produce), suggesting I refrigerate/freeze my produce! Anyway my dried figs are now sitting merrily on the shelf in jars (like everyone else’s).

A small selection of my preserves (I need somewhere to store them properly).

27^th August

Brett continued the pasterboarding (kitchen wall today); he’s looking forward to plastering it all, that’s when it will start to look really good, but he can’t start until it gets cooler and wetter (? end of next month).
I was back to processing produce I picked up three buckets of windfall apples (for juicing, jelly and sauce), two buckets of tomatoes (sundrying and sauce), masses of aubergines (which will go into everyday meals), plums, melon, strawberries and grapes (made a fabulous fruit salad).

28^th August

Brett and I took a trip to Valverde; he wasn’t that impressed by the market, but we had a nice time sitting outside a bar, drinking beer, eating tapas and people-watching.

We took the rest of the day off, but I still managed to get a little apple processing into the day!

29^th August
Congratulations to P&M on the birth of their first grandchild!

When we first concreted the floor of, what is now, our kitchen it was going to be my studio, so there was no problem in having a step in the middle of the floor (because the original floor was rather sloped); it was a big step 5’ x 16’, across the width of the room. But obviously, as it’s going to be our kitchen, the step had to go; Brett filled it in today, so the dogs had to be kept out of the kitchen – they didn’t like that, they tried every which way to get back in there!
I bottled tomatoes, apple jelly and apple sauce.
Chris & Di invited us for dinner, then we all went round to help Mark ‘wet the baby’s head’, we didn’t get home until nearly 1.00 a.m.

30^th August

Hopefully our new tenants move in today.

The camper van is no longer on the camper van site, but we haven’t had any money paid in either!

When we were looking at the bank statement, to see if the van money had been paid in, we noticed a payment from Clee Thompkinson (at the end of May, three months ago) we have worked out that it’s the money we were claiming from our last tenant’s bond – they hadn’t even bothered to tell us that we had won our case!

Haha, we have been so used to living with a step in the kitchen floor that we keep stepping up/down as we walk over the area where it used to be, our brains do it automatically – we look ridiculous, high-stepping up an imaginary step/ankles jarring as we step down an imaginary step (you have to be here!).

We didn’t do much today!!!

31^st August

36 degrees in the shade, it’s hot!

Another lazy day; watered the garden and picked some tomatoes.
Mrs Muscovy is fully recovered; her face is nice and red (she went very pale), but she’s stopped laying eggs. She’s very wary of the geese, understandably; so we’ve kept up the netting we put round the Muscovy shed when she first arrived, she can get through it but the geese can’t.

1^st September

Back to work; plasterboarding the other half of the kitchen ceiling.

We processed a 50L tub of apples & pears into 5L of cider/perry.

2^nd September

I don’t know how our friends and neighbours take the air temperature; I’m recording 36 degrees today, they’re saying 41 and 46 degrees in the shade. Whatever it is, it feels bloody hot!!! Apparently yesterday was the hottest day of the year – we know it was hot as one of our hens died; today we gave them a wallow under the trees.

Brett finished the kitchen ceiling, so no more scaffold tower for a while.

Oh dear Gary isn’t happy with us; he wants Brett to help him with a building project, Brett didn’t actually agree to this work at any point (although he didn’t actually say no either), unfortunately he wants it done NOW. Brett is far too busy with our building work; he can’t afford to give time to Gary. So now Gary is sending Brett emails saying he feels ‘let down’. But at least our ceiling is looking good!
I put the digital thermometer outside, in the shade, on the decking; it agreed with the max/min thermometer today was 38.5 – I wonder what other people made it?

3^rd September

Today started out positively cold; at 7.30 a.m. it was a mere 18C, I had goose bumps!

Somebody had an early deliver this morning, and they obviously weren’t awake or hadn’t opened their gate; there was someone leaning on their horn for over half an hour ... it was driving the dogs mad, and in its turn me, as every time he hooted Lili barked, in her sharp, shrill bark voice (it’s not a nice noise!) – whilst Brett pretended to be asleep!

I phoned the campervan salesman, he says it’s all in hand and that he’s just doing the paperwork then he’ll transfer our money. AND we’ve had the first month’s rent from our tenants – not much left once the estate agent’s fee has been taken out, plus VAT!

4^th September

Happy Birthday Sarah!!!
Everyday the house is getting more and more house like and less like a shed! The kitchen window now has a sill, it looks so much cleaner (probably because I gave it a good scrubbing with vinegar).

5^th September

Still plasterboarding the kitchen; it’s taking longer because Brett has to disconnect plug sockets, lights etc as he goes round the room, and then has to reconnect them through the plasterboard. He’s getting very excited about plastering, that’s when it will really start to look like a house. Initially we’re going to paint all the walls white; we’ll introduce colour by painting some of the furniture (chairs, sink unit, cupboards either side of the cooker etc).

6^th September

Still no campervan money!!!!
Most of the kitchen is plasterboarded now; so we put back lights and coat rack and did a whole load of tidying up ... even the decking.

Yay, it started raining this afternoon; we didn’t have to water! We’ve lost lots of interest in the garden lately as it’s more or less over; there’s still tomatoes coming, the winter squash have been harvested and butternut squash are ready to pick.
Now that the rains have come we need to clear the garden and rotovate ready to put our winter crops in; hopefully I’ll get enthusiastic again when stuff starts growing.

7^th September

It rained heavily overnight.

A Sunday with no sight (nor sound) of hunters, maybe the rain put them off?
Mark came around to borrow the grape crushing machine; he’s picked about 100K of grapes – our neighbour says grape picking starts in a couple of weeks time, so we’re going to wait to do ours ... we’re too busy to wine make atm anyway.

8^th September

Brett continued plasterboarding the kitchen, until he ran out of adhesive, and I did some window dressing; I made cushion covers, with some of the material Sarah gave me, for the sofa in front of the range,

and I painted the tin cans the solar lights are in (sad aren’t I?), I’m back in love with the decking now it’s been tidied.

9^th September

It’s our anniversary; we’ve spent a whole year (nonstop) living on out quinta. Although we bought two and a half years ago we kept having to travel back to UK; we stayed for five and a half months, then went back to collect our furniture and stayed for seven months, came back for a few months, then had to return when I got bloody Bell’s palsy. But now we’ve managed a whole year, so we’ve seen all the seasons.

Hoorah, our campervan money was paid into our account today ... and we got £500 more than he told me on the phone (though what he told me on the phone was £500 less than we were expecting).
Couldn’t get the plasterboard adhesive (we’ve ordered it) so today was a ‘snagging’ day. We made and fitted a mosquito curtain for the kitchen window, which we can open now; only problem is there’s no mechanism for keeping it open, so it just swings shut! Re-hung the mosquito net for our bed, it’s no longer held up with drawing pins which fall out as you climb in and out of bed. Lots of those little jobs that you mean to do but never quite get round to.

10^th September

We have guests for dinner tomorrow, so I did some cooking. Brett started plasterboarding the ceiling in the living room.

This afternoon we were treated to a fabulous aerobatic display by a flock of Red-rumped Swallows. I stood on the lower deck and they were all around me, one came within a foot of my face; it was awesome.

11^th September

Happy Birthday Gill!!! XXX

A few days ago the dogs found a kitten in the vegetable garden (it wasn’t really lost it came from the quinta next door), I brought it home but Brett made me take it back to the vegetable garden. When we spoke to our neighbour he said his cat had had four kittens and did we want one (I said ‘yes’, Brett said ‘No’!)?
Tonight, while we were having dinner out on the decking, with Alex & Karina, Lili started making a fuss under the decking and there were .... TWO kittens there!!!! Really cute, one all white (Daisy) and the other one (Connie) white with ginger rings around its tail. Although they hissed a lot, and all their fur was standing on end, we managed to pick them up and when they were on the ground they were flirting with the dogs (I think it was the dogs that attracted them to the house).

It was lovely to have a ‘catch up’ with Karina & Alex.

12^th September

The kittens were still on the decking this morning – Brett took them back to the vegetable garden L.

Brett continued with the living room ceiling while I made more cushions and cooked for the guests we’re having tomorrow

13^th September
The kittens didn’t come back over night!

Nicky & Rich came to lunch. We all sat out on the decking (including their two dogs), except Lili who decided to be shy and nervous; she stayed inside with her tail between her legs – silly mutt.

14^th September

Sunday ... but no sound of shooting – hoorah!

Brett continued plasterboarding, whilst I made wire cobwebs!

Tonight’s meal was completely raised ‘on quinta’!

15^th September

So we went into Fundao, to the market to buy some Guinea Fowl and some vegetable plugs but ... there was no market! It was another public holiday (Fundao Day)!

The rains have started in earnest, it was very wet in Fundao and we have stopped watering the garden.

16^th September
Happy Birthday Laura XXX.

Marc & Mieke came to lunch; the weather wasn’t nice so we stayed in the kitchen with the door shut – we haven’t resorted to lighting the stove yet, but we are talking about it fondly!
We were supposed to be visiting Andrew on his quinta this evening but ‘rain stopped play’.

17^th September

Happy Birthday Lily (niece not dog!) XXX.

It rained for much of the night. It wasn’t a nice night to be sleeping in a tent like Clare and Andy (and their two young children); so tomorrow we are going to help them lay a floor in their shed so that they can, more comfortably, live in the shed for the winter, while they build their house.

Brett finished boarding the living room ceiling; it makes quite a difference to the sound of the rain hitting the roof.
I had a cooking day; soup, to take for lunch tomorrow, and Alice B Toklas’s Apple Chutney, which is a family favourite. I was lucky as I found the recipe on a scrap of paper, tucked inside one of my old preserve books; I did look for the recipe on line but the best I could get was the ingredients without amounts (which wasn’t much use) so I’m including the recipe here:

Alice B Toklas’s Apple Chutney

3 dozen apples (peeled and cored)

3lbs onions

3lbs brown sugar (dark muscavado, if you can get it)

½lb sultanas

2ozs mustard seeds

½ oz chillies

¼oz salt

2 quarts vinegar (malt, if available)

1oz ground ginger

Chop up apples and onions (I use a food processor!). Put everything into a preserving pan and simmer for several hours until thick and dark (up to eight hours if you’re lucky and have a Rayburn/Aga and it goes a lovely dark caramelised brown colour); this stuff keeps for years, and improves with age – I have just finished a 1997 jar!

All this rain means that the solar isn’t getting fully charged so we’ve turned off our ‘beer’ fridge; a sure sign that winter is on its way.

Annika (the lady that Brett did some work for in the summer) is over for a week and this evening she treated us (us and Chris & Di and three friends who are over with her) to a meal in Penamacor. When we parked we passed J&J’s, Marc& Mieke’s, Vince& Lola’s and Nick’s cars – they were all in the restaurant having a meal too. We went to The Cave, a newly opened establishment which was teeming with people, although they didn’t have a vegetarian option they cooked omelettes and prepared salads for the vegetarians amongst our group. We ended the evening in the village bar with Chris & Di and didn’t get to bed until after 1.00 a.m.

18^th September

... We had to get up at the crack of dawn, to do the animals, after only five hours sleep!!! Then off to meet Andy, at 8.30 in Penamacor, to show us the way to their quinta. Our fabulous, fantastic friends, Chris and Di, turned up to help with the floor and it was all done by 3.00p.m. (we were so lucky with the weather); then we had lunch (Brett was starving). Then we (us and C&D) went to the village bar – we deserved it!
Unfortunately we missed out on a night of revelry; we were invited out to The Cave (again), with  J&J, Marc& Mieke, Vince& Lola and P& M to ‘wet the baby’s head’ (P&M’s granddaughter) and welcome Pam back home, after a month in the UK. But we were too tired, after little sleep and a hard day’s labour (Brett not me, I just got a bit of water, made drinks and babysat!), and opted to go to bed early.

19^th September

We found some Chicken of the Wood fungus growing on Eucalyptus stumps, which we ate for dinner. Chris & Di (vegetarians) ate with us and Chris said it really did taste just like chicken (I think if he hadn’t seen me prepare the meal he would have thought I was trying to make him eat meat!).
There are lots of fungi that I can't identify with enough confidence to eat cropping up all over the quinta.

BIG Puffball, which I think is edible ...

... but we didn't risk it!

Some kind of Boletus, nearly 8" across.

Mr Louis is coming in the morning to show us how to make wine (his idea!), so we picked all our black grapes, only three barrels this year it’s not a good year for grapes. We had three kittens helping us pick the grapes! The third kitten is much smaller than the other two, dark ginger tai, with a bit of ginger on its head and very persistent, it purrs like mad when it’s picked up.
And this evening we had (the first two) kittens back, on the decking/in the house, they were being very pushy, when we put them outside (after one pooed in the corner!), they meowed and clawed at the door!

20^th September

The kittens spent the night on the decking but, once we were up, they tried desperately to get into the house ... we took them back to the other sheds, where the third kitten was waiting!
They helped us to make the wine with Mr Louis, who insisted there must be more grapes and went off with a couple of buckets to pick them – he didn’t get many more! He made the wine exactly the same way as we have made it for the last two years but ... he says we take the fluid off the solids after four days, we left it until the rapid fermentation had ceased (about ten days); so we’re hoping for a more palatable brew this year.

Brett boarded most of the inside of our cupboard bed and now I have to design and make a shade for the light in there.

We were going to go to Alpedrinha festa this evening (the one where the sheep are brought down off the mountain) but it rained and rained and rained, so we gave it a miss, we might go tomorrow morning instead.

21^st September

Alpedrinha festa was good, I think it’s the best festa around here; we saw the sheep and goats being herded down from the mountain, ate some food (the villagers sell food, drinks, crafts etc from their front rooms/garages) and I bought a bell (one of the ones that the sheep wear).
On our way home we called in on Jeanette; she has a beautiful place with fabulous furniture and accessories (a beautiful Moroccan chandelier she bought from the shop in Monsanto where I bought my lamp, I’m in lust; oh yes ... and a gorgeous sky blue Esse stove in her kitchen). Ha, I thought I made a lot of preserves; my goodness she is the queen of preserve... I was so impressed with her set up; she has an outhouse, dedicated to her preserves, which is lined with shelves that are bursting with every conceivable type of pickle, chutney, vinegar, dried fruits and vegetables (she has a proper, electric, dehydrator), fruit leather etc: she employs many more preserving techniques than me. And she makes wine ... 900L last year!!! She leaves it until it’s finished fermenting (like we have for the last two years) but she doesn’t press all the juice from the fruit – maybe that’s where we’re going wrong ... so many experts, so much conflicting information!!! Oh yes and she has her own aguadente!!!! She makes a liqueur from wild cherries (Ginga), sugar and aguadente, similar method to sloe gin; but she then bottles the cherries in a red wine syrup – she was in the middle of doing this when we arrived and she gave us a couple of jars of cherries (pre the addition of the syrup), she also gave us some of her red wine vinegar as it had a ‘mother’ in it (the cultivated culture for making vinegar rather than the wild bacteria that’s in the air).

We had a spectacular storm here tonight; there was lightening from every direction, we didn’t know which way to look and then it rained and rained.

22^nd September

And it continued to rain, quite heavily, for most of the night; it was still raining when we got up ... and it was cold!!!! But it’s a novelty to wear jumpers, so I was quite happy; I had porridge for breakfast.

The internet doesn’t like inclement weather; rain, fog, or wind (in fact any excuse) and it goes down ... but we can’t complain as it’s free! Most of our friends pay 30€ a month (that’s 360€ a year). We can pick up emails on Brett’s Kindle, but there’s no way I’m typing replies on it; it’s been absolute torture the few times I have had to use it.

Haha, today I have made apple jelly, mint jelly and apple cheese (I prepared and cooked the apples on Saturday, it was nothing to do with seeing Jeanette’s preserves yesterday!); I have, though, also bottled the cherries in a red wine syrup and made a couple of bottles of red wine vinegar – and these were as a result of our visit yesterday. I wish I knew where my cooking thermometer is (it’s in one of the kitchen boxes in the shed), I have to test my jams and jellies by the ‘flaking off the spoon’ method ... I’m obviously not very good at it as I had to re-boil both the apple and the mint jellies today as neither set!

Brett boarded the ceiling of the cupboard above our bed – he says he’s getting bored with plasterboarding now! But it’s nearly finished, so soon he’s be on to plastering and he says he’s looking forward to that.

Nikki & Dave came to dinner, and Chris & Di and Chris’s son & girlfriend came for drinks and a jolly time was had by all. Another late night (it was after 1.00a.m. by the time we got to bed).

23^rd September

Plasterboarding is nearly there; the ceilings are all finished and the walls to the ... kitchen, finished (except behind the stove, ... cupboard bed, finished, ... cupboard, above bed, finished.

24^th September

We took 40L of red wine, off the grape pulp; it was easy, by pressing a gap in the pulp with a plastic sieved we were able to pump the fluid out with the little water pump that came with the camper van (it plugs into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter, but Brett rewired it to attach to a battery). We’re hoping that by not pressing every single drop of juice from it (‘what a waste’ my inner voice is saying!) we will get a more tasty (palatable?) wine.

Within five minutes of us being at the sheds we had three kittens playing around our feet! But that is nothing ... Chris & Di have been feeding a female cat and yesterday she arrived carrying a kitten in her mouth, by the end of the day they had five kittens under their house!

Plasterboarding behind the stove, done! It doesn’t look as if we live in a shed any more.

Oh I’m having so much fun ... once Brett has plastered the walls we’re going to paint them white (to start with); but I have been told it’s a ‘blank canvas’ for me to adorn! I have been experimenting with stencils; and I have found a brilliant use for those horrible disposable plastic plates that you never know quite what to do with, after a party – now I wish I could get larger ones.

I really like this simple stencil, which I'm going to use around the kitchen door frame.

25^th September

We went into CB today to: check on Mark’s house (looks fine, no water penetration etc), order plasterboard and buy a few things ... I bought the paint for the kitchen chairs.

We were going to book Lili in at the vets to be sterilised, but it was shut (they have strange opening hours).  

26^th September

Today we had two deliveries.

Last week we ordered some ‘no hunting on our quinta’ signs, from a Portuguese site; but when it came to paying we couldn’t as we no longer have a Portuguese bank (long boring story!). So we thought that was the end of that ... the company emailed us ‘did we still want the signs?’. End result, they put them in the post for us yesterday afternoon, we stopped the postman in his van in the village this morning. Brett says ‘have you got anything for me?’ (in Portuguese), he says ‘Brett Smith?’, he gives us package, we pay him – how efficient.

The plasterboard man said he would come at 3.00p.m. he would ring us when he got to the village and Brett would go and meet him (it’s difficult to find our quinta). At 3.10 Brett suddenly had three texts ... missed calls (we have a very crappy phone signal atm). He jumps into the truck to go and meet the man but ... he’s already here!!!! He’s picked up one of the villagers (who we have never seen before) and been brought to our quinta!!! How clever was that?
So I’m very impressed with Portuguese deliveries today.

Brett rotorvated a large patch of the vegetable garden ready for winter crops, I think I’ll go to Fundao on Monday to buy some plugs.

I filled up two 25L drums with windfall apples today; I’m going to make them into cider.

27^th September

Until we get the posts to put them on we can’t put up our ‘no hunting’ signs; but, as it’s Sunday tomorrow, Brett screwed a couple onto the gate posts at our entrance and we will make sure the gates are locked tonight (but they can easily climb over the wall to get in).

So behind the stove, sink unit and cooker we are going to put white tiles, which I am going to decorate first with the glass paint that is baked in the oven. Today I cut up lots of paper into 6” squares and played around with various stencils and ideas.

I have designed a, very simple, olive twig stencil which I’m very pleased with.

We had another spectacular thunderstorm this afternoon ... so we settled down and watched a film.
And this evening we went into Penamacor and met up with a group of friends for a meal at The Cave.

It was foggy on the way home; it’s starting to feel autumnal.

We padlocked the gates before we went to bed; hopefully any hunters around in the morning will get the message.

STILL PROCESSING PRODUCE ...

31^st July

Poor old Lily (Lili) is on heat, so she’s being kept on a lead and under close control – she’s being very good, but she seems to be so much more exuberant than usual, everything is done at 110%!!! Bless her.

Our bread oven didn’t arrive today!!!! He definitely said ‘tomorrow  afternoon’ (yesterday), but we stayed in all day ... ‘nada’!

I picked two buckets of vegetables; there were loads more but I couldn’t carry them, I’ll pick more tomorrow. I have got more tomatoes drying in the sun.

Brett cut down a couple of dead trees for our winter fuel; the nights are starting to draw in already so we have to start our preparations.

1^st August

Wow the year is moving fast ... I know it’s a sign of old age!!!

Today was more pickling and preserving for me and chain sawing for Brett.

And, needless to say, the bread oven still didn’t arrive.

It was cooler this evening; I was wearing a jumper rather than sitting in front of a fan.

I started making tomato, chilli jam; but as I made it with cherry tomatoes, and there’s no way I was going to skin those! I had to allow it to cool down then ‘blitz’ it in the food processor to reduce the impact of the skins.

2^nd August

Happy birthday Lou!

We had a very comfortable night and both slept really well for a change. It even rained, well spat, a little bit this morning.

I had finished making the tomato, chilli jam before Brett got up!
Lou hosted a birthday lunch for eleven of us; we sat outside at a big table ate, drank and were merry; and then Lou played the spoons – she’s really good at it.

When we got home I went straight to bed!

3^rd August

The heat came back today.
Brett continued cutting down dead trees ... and then the chainsaw died – we need to buy a new one.
Gary has his quinta up for sale; he came round this afternoon with a couple of potential buyers – he thinks we are an asset to his sale, which is nice.

I made a fresh tomato sauce with some very ripe tomatoes that were about to go off (you know I don’t like waste Steph!), just in case the bread oven arrives tomorrow.

4^th August

It’s HOT again!
I picked FOUR buckets of tomatoes; it took me a couple of hours – the little cherry ones take ages to pick!

I prepared two buckets of tomatoes for sun drying. Unfortunately the cool days at the end of last week were not favourable for sun drying and quite a few of the tomatoes developed mould – lucky chickens! I already have to bring them in at night because of the dew, and they didn’t like the polytunnel – it was too humid = mould! It’s not easy this homesteading lark! But when it works it’s rewarding and I’m very pleased with the sundried tomatoes that have worked – they’re delicious, so much more flavour than the shop bought variety.

Brett is tidying up all our scrub land; the grassy areas are looking so neat and tidy after being cut and baled, soon the rest of the quinta will look well cared for too.

What a surprise, the bread oven didn’t arrive! We’ll have to go and ask for it again – this laid back attitude to deliveries gets a bit wearing at times.

5^th August

I woke up with a bad back yesterday, I have no idea what I have done; I had a very uncomfortable night last night and to top it off I’m covered in mosquito bites – and I didn’t even sit outside last evening as I couldn’t get comfortable in the chairs.

But on the plus side Brett suggested that we went for a drive today and have a bit of an explore.

We drove towards Monfortinho and then past it and into Spain; apart from the road markings it looked much like Portugal! Unfortunately there were no nearby towns or villages (apparently diesel and beer is very cheap in Spain), so we turned round and explored Monfortinho, which is a spa town, but apart from masses of hotels and wide boulevards there wasn’t much to see. We ended up at Penha Garcia for lunch; it’s very like Monsanto very steep, narrow, cobbled lanes with tiny old houses.

On our way home we called in at the builder’s merchants ... he smacked his head and apologised profusely, he’d forgotten!!! He delivered it a couple of hours later, so we now have a pizza oven; we can’t use it yet as we have to ‘cure’ it first – gradually increase the heat/size of the fire over consecutive days to stop it cracking (needless to say I froze my prepared tomato sauce!).

6^th August

I’ve still got a bad back; so when Pam phoned this morning to invite us to a picnic and jet ski session at Idanha a Nova barragem I declined – which is a shame because it would have been fun, but my back feels too wretched.

We lit a slightly larger fire in the pizza oven today, and now there’s a hairline crack in it! How slowly do you have to heat them? Of course it came with no instructions.

7^th August

Thank goodness, my back is feeling slightly better today; I can stand up straight, most of the time, and don’t groan every time I sit down!

I didn’t prepare any tomatoes for sundrying yesterday, as the next couple of days are forecast to be overcast. But we have decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and buy some preserving jars to fill with tomato sauce for the winter. Initially it will be a big outlay but next year I’ll be able to think of them as free. And, as tomatoes aren’t that high in acid, they’ll need water-bath heating for 45 minutes which my recycled ‘bean’ jars might not be able to endure; so probably a prudent decision.
I processed one and a half buckets of tomatoes; skinning, sieving off the juice, chopping and reducing in a saucepan with salt, sugar and red wine – it made enough sauce for two 2lb Kilner jars! But I couldn’t bottle them up as they need the addition of lemon juice to increase the acidity and make them safe to store.
Brett cooked dinner and used nearly ¾ of the sauce in his pasta sauce! It tasted delicious.

8^th August

I had a bit of a lazy day today; I went to Claire’s to pick some lemons, and stayed for two and a half hours then, this afternoon, she came to us and stayed for a couple of hours – so lots of chatting and not much working!
Brett did the snagging on the roof, fixing the middles of the panels down, ready for plaster boarding inside, and attaching the ridge sheets to the decking roof.

9^th August

We went into CB to buy a new chainsaw (our one has died) and buy jars etc for my preserves ... not a very successful trip. We didn’t get a chainsaw and the jars I bought (3.49€ for a 1.5L jar) are too tall for our stockpot (for heat treating) so we now have to buy a bigger pot!!!!

While we were investing in equipment we decided to buy a Mouli food mill, which means that I won’t have to skin all the tomatoes as the mill will do it for me (yay!). I had a practise this afternoon with 4½lbs of cherry tomatoes (imagine skinning those!) and, as I was in ‘lazy mod’, instead of chopping them up by hand I stuck them in the food processor. So the normal process is, skin, cut in half, remove liquid and some pips (to reduce cooking time), add salt and red wine vinegar (to increase acidity) then cook until pulpy ... my process was, bung in food processor, drain through colander, cook until pulpy (having added salt and vinegar), process through Mouli – it worked a treat!!!

The only negative was that 4½lbs tomatoes didn’t result in much sauce, less than a litre so I’m going to need an awful lot of tomatoes to fill my (so far) six 1.5L jars, probably about 40lbs; how long are they going to take me to pick, especially if I use cherry tomatoes?

But on the plus side it’s a far more concentrated flavour than using a tin of tomatoes in a recipe.

So we are now ready to start plaster boarding; we just have to sort out how to get it to our quinta. Tomorrow’s job is sorting out the shed, with all our furniture in it, to make room for the tools (that are in the kitchen) and to move the kitchen furniture so that it’s easily accessible, ready to bring into the house – how exciting!

The dogs had a fun time this evening just running round and round the house, Lili was making little ‘yapping’ sounds as she followed behind Looby, who is much faster. It was lovely to watch, they were absolutely shattered, and puffing, after six laps.

We went to the village festa; we were sensible we didn’t go until 9.30, as the music was supposed to start at 10.00 ... ha, it started at 11.30!!! And then it was crappy cover versions, we left at midnight. I don’t know why it’s called a festa there was nothing happening; there was a bar and a restaurant, and a cage in the middle with tacky prizes, you buy ‘straws’ with tickets in them to see if you’ve ‘won’ a prize. And that’s it ..... a bit of music towards the very end of the evening. But there were masses of people there, whole family groups; so a lovely atmosphere.

10^th August

We tidied out the shed this morning, not a very nice job, but it’s much more organised now and there’s far more available space; so it was worth doing.
This afternoon we took the dogs for a walk to the river, which is nearly dried up now. Looby went straight into the water to cool down but Lili has reverted to her scared of water phase.

11^th August

We went into Fundao to look at livestock – we’re thinking of buying some Guinea Fowl. Fundao was absolutely heaving; the roads were gridlocked, there was no parking available even the underground car park was full and so many people. The reason for this is because the younger generations, that left Portugal for jobs abroad, mainly France, all flock back to Portugal to visit their families in August. So this is why all the festas and other activities happen in August.

We didn’t buy any livestock; by the time we had parked (illegally) there was only one stall still selling poultry, and they had no guinea fowl. But we did get a ‘paddle’ thing for putting/taking pizzas in/out of oven, so it was a worthwhile trip.

Tonight we had our first pizzas cooked in the bread oven – they were jolly good! The left over dough I shaped into a loaf and we cooked it in the residue heat for 2 hours – it was cooked but looks rather insipid, but hey it was our first trial, we will get better.

12^th August

Ooh I’m a little bit cross/disappointed this morning. I was trawling through facebook and there’s a photo of a piece of work by one of my favourite artists, NeSpoon; she has been at a festival just up the road and some of her work is in Fundao where I was yesterday!!!!!!! last week!!!! I wish I’d known, pooh, pooh, pooh!

Her work is absolutely fabulous, she takes her inspiration from doilies, she does street art, a lot of graffiti, it’s beautiful ... she has installations on beaches, HUGE doilies attached to driftwood, gorgeous. And she was here, just up the road, at a festival

I picked and processed three buckets of tomatoes; 25lbs was made into tomato sauce (that’s what the recipe calls it, I say it’s tomato pulp with a little flavouring – there’s no onions, garlic or herbs in it as they would make it unsafe to store), 25lbs filled three, quart size, Kilner jars (so 25 lbs results in only 6 pints of sauce!). A by-product of the tomato sauce was 4½L tomato juice, and the rest of the tomatoes are drying in the sun.

I’ll probably have to do exactly the same tomorrow and the next day, and ... !

Brett tidied his tools, in the kitchen, and managed to condense three lots of shelf units (four shelves each) down to one set of shelves – the rest have gone over to the shed we cleared yesterday.

13^th August
Yep, picked another three buckets of tomatoes and bottled more ‘sauce’ today. And there’s still more tomatoes coming; however the vegetable garden is starting to look quite sorry for itself now, most of the produce is over and harvested/about to be harvested.

14^th August

I was up and out early today; to go to a market in Spain (Valverde) with Pam and Lola. We bought some fabulous material, huge pieces for only 5€ each, Pam bought four dresses (they were very cheap). It’s far more ‘bustley’ in Spain than in Portugal.
Pam had invited Lou for ‘afternoon tea’ at 3.00p.m., we were invited too; so I went straight there with Pam from the market – of course it turned into a social with 16+ people, we left at 9.30, others left at midnight!!!

As we drove along the track through our quinta Brett saw the first ever fox we’ve seen on our quinta (we knew they were about), he sped up, as the birds were not shut away – fortunately they were OK, but if we’d been ten minutes later ...

15^th August

We went into CB to order the plasterboard; it was another bank holiday, so of course the shop we wanted to go to was closed! But we managed to order some anyway (phew!), it’ll be delivered on Tuesday. We asked for delivery quotes at two stores; Maxmat’s was 75€, Bricomarche’s was 1€ per kilometre – we went with Bricomarche as it was practically half the price

16^th August

I made some more preserved lemons; they are a wonderful addition to meals (as long as the salt is rinsed out!).

Vince brought over some plasterboard which he had left over; so we were able to start the kitchen ... today we boarded under the sleep platform, over half the ceiling, and two walls ... then we went and fetched the ‘larder cupboard’ from the shed. I cleaned it and Briwaxed it, then we put it in situ (looking good!),

tomorrow we will move the large glazed cupboard over too – and in a couple of days the welsh dresser will be put in place and then we will really start feeling at home.

17^th August

Happy Birthday Henry XXX
I can’t believe it ,,, the bloody hunting season started this morning!!!! We had meant to go to the Hunting & Fishing Lodge to get our land deregistered and some ‘no hunting’ signs put up, but we didn’t get round to it – hopefully we’ll get there this week, I can’t put up with being shot at (well that’s what it feels like when the lead shots are rattling down our roof at 7.00 a.m.) every Sunday for the next six months.

We had a very busy, exhausting day; shifting and cleaning furniture, putting up more plasterboard, cleaning stuff off the plastic shelves and rearranging the kitchen, we even managed to get the dresser base in.
By 7.00 we were shattered and ready for a well deserved beer, sit down and relax.

18^th August

I was really knackered after yesterday, so I just pottered around rearranging stuff in the kitchen cupboards.
Tomorrow we’re having a rather big delivery of plasterboard (40 sheets); the lorry will only be able to bring it as far as the village, so we will have to ferry it home in small batches. Brett made a support for the back of the truck; higher than the wheel arches and coming out over the tailgate – we think three or four trips should be enough.

We saw two whirlwinds today, right up close, coming across the quinta next door; you hear them first, as they start to build up, the trees dispersed them both. Unfortunately there’s never enough time to take a photo, but it’s really quite awesome.

19^th August

Brett finished boarding the ceiling below the sleep platform; we now have two ‘slashes’ of down-lighters, lighting up the stove and the larder cupboard (we thought about where the furniture was going when the electrics went in).

Hoorah, the man delivering the plasterboard came; OK we waited in the village for an hour and a half before he turned up, as we had had a phone call and were told he would be at the Junta between 5.00 – 5.30, so we arrived at 5.00, he arrived at 6.30!!! But, Hooray Hoorah, he arrived in a transit van, which meant he could drive all the way to our quinta AND, as unloading the plasterboard was a two person job, I was superfluous (yay!).

20^th August

Brett boarded the ceiling above the dresser; it’s a job he’s been dreading as the beams are so hard that screwing into them has proved to be very difficult, even with pre-drilling, but today’s work went very smoothly ... and now my dresser shelves are in and on their base but I can’t load the shelves yet as we’re going to do a bit of modification first.

When we bought the dresser, twenty odd years ago, it came from a stately home, Staverton Hall, where they obviously had very high ceilings. We were living in a Victorian House with seven foot ceilings; so we asked for the shelves to be made shorter (thinking the man would do it properly, huh!), he just sawed 6” off the sides of the shelves which makes the bottom shelf only 6” from the base while the space between the other shelves is 12” – it has always grated on me!!! So we’re going to raise the bottom shelf ... by adding 6” to the side of the shelves! The piece has been modified and repaired a lot during its lifetime so it shouldn’t look untoward.

The kitchen is starting to feel, and look, like our home.

We have had no internet for a couple of days, which makes it hard to keep in touch with family and friends. I had to type an email to our estate agents on the Kindle this morning – hopefully we have tenants for the cottage, at last (now all we need is to sell the camper!).

21^st August

An extremely physical day today; we boarded half the kitchen ceiling using a very high scaffold tower. I had to support the boards (often using my head as my arms were aching so much!) whilst Brett drilled and screwed. We were shattered by the end of the day, didn’t feel like cooking, but couldn’t be bothered to go out for a meal either ... oh for a ‘take away’.

Tonight we were watching a film that had a car chase in it (American Police cars), lots of sirens making lots of noise ... suddenly Lili starts howling, just like a wolf; it was hilarious, she didn’t seem to be distressed she was just joining in!

22^nd August

Brett carried on with boarding; he was in the sleep platform and didn’t need my help.

I picked some buckets of tomatoes (made into sauce), aubergines, melons and the figs are ripe so I’m sun drying a load of those too.
Chris & Di are back from the coast; so we went to the bar this evening – we made sure we were back in time to put the animals away! Chris & Di were away for three weeks and I have to say we started to feel rather nostalgic for our camper van (it still hasn’t sold); so now we’re thinking if it hasn’t sold in a few months time perhaps we could get it back ...

23^rd August

Brett finished a small amount of plasterboarding on the ceiling and then took down the scaffold tower, we can’t do the other side of the ceiling until we’ve concreted the floor (there’s a step in it).
I carried on processing tomatoes ....

We took the afternoon off; had a little siesta, Brett surfed the net and while he was on took a look at the Campervan Dealer, where our van is, and saw a SALE AGREED banner across our van. I phoned the company to check, and yes, a deposit has been paid and they’re waiting for full payment then we get our money!!!!!!!!!!! Bloody typical though, we had spent the morning discussing ways we could use it (trips to the coast, visit family in UK, Brett wants to go to Scotland and Ireland, lots of exciting plans) and Brett was looking at vans we could upgrade to (he would like a fixed bed).

The Muscovy duck has stated laying eggs; she must be sending out pheromones as the geese were trying to mate with her this morning and now she doesn’t seem to be able to walk. Hopefully nothing is broken and she’s just got a sprain or pulled a muscle; poor thing is looking very feeble.

24^th August

Mrs Muscovy is still alive, but not moving around much.