…and down came the rain, at last.

The month started as dry as March had been…until about the 10th, and apart from a couple of days has rained since. You can definitely have too much of a good thing!

Meanwhile, on the assumption that it would rain at some point, we started catching up with the log splitting. So of course, the log splitter decided not to play. I thought it was probably a blockage in the hydraulics and spent the morning stripping and cleaning the bugger only to find that the problem was merely that a small set screw had vibrated out of it’s hole, allowing the control handle to slide around it’s shaft….love’s labour not so much lost as wasted, but I did learn how the thing works and was pleasantly surprised to find that the works generally seemed well made inside. Back to splitting…

The great thing about this time of year is that with the rain and longer days everything comes into bloom…

…and old friends reappear. A Black Kite.

The Shepherds new dog, Tarzan sometimes comes down to play with Bugsy…

Tarzan is enormous, but still a gangly slightly uncoordinated puppy…just as well they’re friends, really.

I hit 65 this year and Sylvi for some reason decided this event should be marked with a party…including a team quiz and gambling. So of course a few days before, the rainy season commenced…. Nonetheless, I think everyone enjoyed the day. This was on the 14th. I got lots of unexpected gifts..not least some new goldfish for the pond. So thank you all.

The iffy weather, morning mist and a sun which is still a bit low in the sky sometimes combine to make some really nice lighting effects and skies, as do the storms.

Meanwhile Bugs and Scraps are just waiting for the sun…

Dry Spring

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote...
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote that back in the 1300s. We really hope It'll be so now because we're into an unprecedented dry Spring at the moment. There has been no significant rain since December. There were more fires in February than last August and March has been pretty combustable too. The wholesale clear felling of pine around here continues and no one is picking up the brash. So there's a layer of really flammable stuff still lying around waiting for a cigarette but or something. Brilliant.

Life has revolved around field and forest work - lots of log splitting and stacking. We widened the track in the forest by hand and it's now a little less risky to use and we can get the jeep onto the top terrace now.

 We've also sorted out the irrigation on the veg patch and Sylvi has been planting veg.

The pond got a bit of a spring dredging....and had a lot of dead vegetation removed. Most of the gunge was added to the veg patch and around the fruit trees in the hope of improving the soil. The ponds could really do with a circulation and filter system...

While we were at it, Steve gave me a hand relocating a clump of Bamboo that was plotting a pond invasion...
 The pond has gained a new reident, if it elects to stay, that is. A yearling European Pond Turtle . Cute little guy and I gather they're in trouble, not too clever about crossing roads, apparently and, of course the inevitable habitat degradation,pollution etc.

With great regret we decided that the oaks, which had provided a nice screen to the North of the kitchen would have to go as they were growing out of the rocky cliff our house is built on and causing serious cracking . Before we came a couple had actually fallen taking large chunks of rock with them.

Sylvi taught a 4 day fabric course with a British lady who has now become a friend. Managed to free off her patchwork style to do more creative, free appliqué work. Both were pleased at the end of the 4 days with these results. Well done Marian.

This then inspired Sylvi to get off her backside and complete a hanging that she started two months ago.

Now she can't wait to get started on the next one.
In the meantime she is planning to deliver a 12 week drawing course starting in June which is full already....cool!

 At least the dogs are enjoying the continuing sun - enlarging Bugsy's den and generally luxuriating in the warmth...