And a New Year Ices in...

It's been a cold January. We are lucky though, in that the sun - when it's been out - still has a bit of clout and we have had some nice warm afternoons. Scraps and Bugs have been soaking up the rays whenever possible...and venture into the water less enthusiastically these days...
Here at the end of January, it's gone back to freezing and grey. A good time to play it close to the wood burner! But a heavy toll on the firewood. Our stocks are now pretty low.

We pollarded a couple of our willows which has resulted in a huge pile of withies. Some of them I used to build a short fence outside the field gate to stop the dogs from taking a short cut down the bank as they're eroding it somewhat... we are hoping that some of the stakes will root to make a living fence so we can keep it trimmed down as a hedge.
We also used some to build a framework for a shadery for Sylvi's soft fruit garden out the side of the kitchen. No withies planted in the ground here though. Great stuff for impromptu building projects is willow...
Once the hotter sunnier weather ensues we'll put up a cover of builder's net to provide shade when the sun is at its highest.
The front gate got an extension due to seeing Bugsy hurl himself straight to the top of it a bit too easily. Very Aztec now.So far the extension seems to be working. Our worry is when let out last thing at night, if he can get out, he goes racing off into the woods for hours and there seem to be a lot of Wild Boar around this year... Speaking of which, Sylvi and the dogs had an 'encounter' with a large boar on the track to the river a few meters down from the house yesterday.
When she heard Bugsy barking furiously ahead down left of the track in the undergrowth, she thought something was up...confirmed when Bugs came racing full tilt up the bank, looking behind him as he ran and headed for Sylvi...followed by a boar twice his size! (not this one but very similar) Sylvi had nowhere to run to so yelled and screamed at said boar...banging her walking stave onto the ground (broke it actually in the event) and the boar veered off into the undergrowth....followed again by Bugsy! He has more courage than brains and ferocity that dog.

Apart from this it has been a quiet month and a bit frustrating for me as I have to contend with plantar fasciitis - inflammation of the ligaments that run from the ball of your foot back to the heel. The pain concentrates just in front of the heel and basically there’s not a lot you can do about it apart from exercise, ibuprofen and rest (hah!). I’ve had bouts of this a few times over the years and this one’s a corker and really restricting my walking. Not good at a time when there’s much to do on the land, very tedious.
Sylvi's neck and right shoulder were playing her up too for a week or so, but now seems to be getting better. What a couple of old crocks! (Not so much of the old, thank you Fraser!)

Because the weather has been so weird we have stuff blooming all over the place..hoping it won't be massacred at the next frost!
Wild strawberries even.....


and of course the winter pansies are still going

Sylvia ran a patchwork workshop in the barn the yesterday...so over to her.

Yes it was a good full day and enjoyed by the three friends who attended. I really love sharing stuff like this with other people and hopefully enthusing them to take it up for themselves.

Maggie with her finished piece

and Justine with hers.

Lyn´s piece in its final stages
It is really so important here to have something that you can really get into during the winter time in particular. So when I get back from my trip to the UK at the end of Feb I am going to advertise another one for the spring.

Meanwhile here in Portugal the election for the new President ended as expected with the same muppet being re-elected. It is truly very difficult to understand the details of all the politics here since we only have Portuguese TV. But this guy really does look muppet likeand this is the real guysee what we mean???

VAT here has now gone up to 23%. As our friend Pedro in Lisbon said..'soon we will all be eating sand'.

So I'm off to see Lexa and the family next week and staying for 3 weeks leaving the dogs and Fraser to guard the house.I can't wait to see her again and give one of my other babies, James, a special dinner for his 36th birthday!!

And as the year ends.....

Very brief blog this month since the Christmas season is upon us and all now chilling out after the mad preparations. The weather has been changing from frosty,cold and sunny to dark dismal and rainy so we never know from day to day what is happening. The oaks have changed colour and the creatures around us are getting sorted for winter, and some getting lost too.
We are of good cheer and enjoying the Christmas break.
Photos follow of Fraser's Exhibition opening night, our Christmas day with Seana and Harry in their wonderful new home kitchen and latest shots of Lexa at home at Christmas.
We wish you all a wonderful new year and hope you will keep on following the blog.

The Wintersmith is Stirring

It is the end of our warm Indian summer and the dogs made the most of soaking up the last rays of the autumn sun. Now the fires are lit in the kitchen, lounge and barn during the day and the weather has turned sour for the most part.

But we have our own little miss sunshine and the photo of one of Lexa's first smiles brings us warmth every day
The turn in the weather has meant little happening outdoors, although Fraser has valiantly put up a new fence, which in fact is much nicer than what we had and our 4th back garden gate... post tree-event... and I have re-planted the fence border with mainly lavender.
We have lots of wood in the woodshed and the dogs are happiest in the house now either curled up in front of the fire or on the sofa!

There is still colour out there though ..our pond side Maple has been glorious and the local Medronheiro tree is putting out is new blossom alongside its ripening fruits...
the heather is gloriously in bloom and our little orange tree has borne fruit for the first time. Cool!

But this type of weather is good for allowing us to work in the barn on our various projects.
Fraser is busy framing his newest paintings for the exhibition in Tábua Library which we are setting up on Friday. It will be open from 6th to 31st December..hopefully in time for some last minute Christmas gift purchases - well maybe!
I spent a really fun day with friends making soaps and lip balms and our hostess, Shelley was an excellent teacher. She makes great home-made organic soaps. You can see her soaps for sale in the uk at this website Simply Portugal Soaps .

I have been making Christmas gifts for some of the family, home-made Christmas crackers (40 so far!!!) and fabric gifts and decorations for the regional expat gardening group Christmas bazaar, taking place at a friends quinta on 22nd December. We will be taking some of our smaller paintings and fabric hangings too and I am dressing up my jam, jellies and chutneys for sale. Hopefully to make a few euros profit to help towards Christmas expenses.

So, we are girding our loins, adding fleecy layers to our daily garb and getting ready for Christmas. Thank goodness for internet shopping and my brilliant sister who is acting as Santa for me in the UK to make sure that everything is ready for the family there.

So although this cold and wintry time of year makes us feel a bit down in the mouth we are also getting into the spirit!!!!!