Despite the cold, Spring is happening and flowers are coming up and blossom is breaking everywhere as I write...
Despite my and Chris’s efforts with plastic sheet, the roof still leaked in the last rains, so there was nothing for it; we called in Antonio the builder and his merry men to sort out the dodgy roof/wall junction. So the barn now looks posher than the house with it’s newly rendered walls. The roof tiles now project beyond the walls so we shouldn’t be getting wet walls again.
New friends Steve, Vanessa, Andy and Sarah were employed to help with a tad of tree pruning and felling – Two big diseased pines down and all the olives and willows cut back and sorted.
Andy impersonating a squirrel with a chainsaw...
While Steve nails a few long hanging bitsThe crew plus Albie....
Next up was building a front wall, as one day we intend to have a dog. To build this we used century old mud bricks (which were originally part of our barn) much to the amusement of our Portuguese builders. The damn things have been taking up a lot of space which we need for storing firewood – this winters big lesson.
Since mud bricks aren’t exactly waterproof, the whole thing was then rendered in cement and will be painted, probably buff. The gate was made up from surplus floor boards.
We were left with huge piles of willow withies...
and not being heavily into basket weaving (yet) we decided to build a bit of fencing with them, which also screens off the compost bin. I built a gate and some trellising for the other side of the gate…all very rustic. 
and not being heavily into basket weaving (yet) we decided to build a bit of fencing with them, which also screens off the compost bin. I built a gate and some trellising for the other side of the gate…all very rustic. Next up was building a front wall, as one day we intend to have a dog. To build this we used century old mud bricks (which were originally part of our barn) much to the amusement of our Portuguese builders. The damn things have been taking up a lot of space which we need for storing firewood – this winters big lesson.Since mud bricks aren’t exactly waterproof, the whole thing was then rendered in cement and will be painted, probably buff. The gate was made up from surplus floor boards.
Sylvi has been making a lot of her excellent Orange Marmalade. A friend gave us quite a lot of oranges and tangerines so, as we now have far more than we can eat, she's taking some up to the 'Feira dos Ladroes ' (theives' fair) held monthly at a local bar, with a view to selling some.
She dried all the orange rind to make firelighter flakes. Works brilliantly.
She also took some patchwork stuff to a shop in Gois in the hope of selling some. She also managed to get her first commission for a cot quilt from one of the owners who runs the shop. That was a result!! Here´s a pic of one of her perfumed hearts.
Pancake Tuesday was also Carnival here and in Brasil, amongst other places, we went with friends to Tondela for a somewhat lower key carnival compared to Rio... There was a Brazilian dance troupe, but mostly it was local kids and floats, a gorgeous day for it anyway
The local Volunteer Firemen (and women) were out collecting too.Our final job this month was the final work to level the back garden and build a new flower bed terrace with the help of our builder friend Rui!
Now for the planting and the patio!!! Aaargggh