A very busy month. Scraps the dog has more or less grown up...well, she weighs over 11 kilos and has just come into season. This is either a bit early or she's not quite as young a pup as we thought! 'Boyfriends' are starting to appear around the perimeter, hence the fencing activity. We now have more gates than the Forbidden City.
The sweetest liaison and the one which has made her act like a love-sick teenager is with a stray we call 'Dude'.
He is of a similar breed and she thinks he is just wonderful
Mind you some of the fencing has been canine exclusion fencing as well or else she's inclined to help with the gardening...like eating rasberries off the cane 
and she particulay loves to steal water hyacinths from the pond!
We are discouraging her since they are currently in bloom and putting on a grand display .
And the damsel flies and dragon flies are still mating like crazy
Sylvia's elder son, James participated in a charity bicycle ride from London to Paris with friends from work!Ouch. Obviously feeling invigorated after the Bali honeymoon!
The back 'yard' is getting more and more civilised, patio, canopy, tidied up stairs and hand-made gates built and fitted by Fraser
.
completed patio and canopy, tidied up back stairs with hand-made trellis.....ready for growing something up!
..........and now the baracão, or garage/woodshed/dump is getting a makeover. Won't recognise the place at all soon, with a bit of luck.
Friends Steve and Vanessa tidied up the channel between the barn and house and completed the job with a small slate ridge to keep the barn steps clear of dust and rubble!!
So things really are slowly getting finished off now.Took an afternoon off to go to our village festa. The rancho is a celebration of folklorical music and dancing and although the same every year it is great to see a lot of the younger people now getting involved.
Many of the old guys are still in the band. 
While the rest of the old guys watch from the audience!!!!!
Roundabout of the month.
This one is in Viseu and is more like a monument....... and bloody ugly too!
