2024

 We have rain. It's raining like it used to way back when I first came to Alentejo.

I am living my minimalist life in the van, with my dear Bonnie and sometimes the cats are allowed to join us.

I fear that the internet is rotting my brain. In the old days I would spend a lot of time writing and thinking. Now, if I have a 'spare' moment I am drawn to the videos and posts of other people's lives. Days go by. I miss having a garden and a house, but am not ready for that yet. 

I will try and squeeze back into blogging.

August Heat in a Peaceful Place

 I managed to avoid some of the heat waves by going to Wales for 9 days of blissful soft rain and 15degreesC, and later, on my return, by taking the van to the coast. 

Hazel Rainforest

The coastal footpath near St David's

Cavaleiro, Alentejo Coast.

A couple of kittens have come to join the family. They love to play in the van, on the shade netting and everywhere else.

That's the news from a peaceful place.

New post from Old blogger

 I know, it's been a long time away from my blog. My excuse was that I couldn't use my laptop due to no electricity, but my darling son, Robert, installed a system donated from my other darling son, Billy. I feel so lucky and blessed to have my kids.

I have done some travelling around Portugal in my van but I am mostly parked in my darling daughter, Laura, 's garden. I decided to build a wee bathroom out of the mud here. It's perfect mud for building. It took a couple of months, just doing it slowly. I love the rain shower. The younger granddaughters decorated the inside using coloured clay.

It's nearly the end of July and we have been lucky with the weather, as it has not been as hot as last year. The van is well insulated so it's really pleasant. I sometimes go and park by the sea for a night or two. I love to hear the waves as I'm lying in bed. I also love to go onto the beach in the night when there's maybe a fisherman and that's all.

I hope to do a bit more exploring in the van in the autumn when it's cooler, as my wee dog, Bonnie, suffers the heat.

Meanwhile, life is good.

I lost the blog plot

 I've been doing lots of thinking and trying to figure out how to make changes without making too much change! 'Tis the nature of the beast... I thrive on change. I love to have a new challenge. 

These last two years have been weird and challenging in some ways. 

I thought it would be fun to buy a van and do it up to go visit other places. I've spent a few months playing around with wood and cork and hessian and made a cosy home on wheels.

I've taken it out to some lovely places nearby to practice sleeping and living in it. I love it. I love the minimalism. I love the outdoors being one step away. I love the changing views. Last weekend I went to a groovy place near Ilha de Pesseguiero, behind the old fort, and spent 24 hours with a big flock of crows!

I am also making the old compost loo room into a shower room. I found a shower base by the rubbish bins and that triggered me into action. I have cobbed it in and now I just need to finish the plumbing.

I think the oldest guinea pig has gone... She was much older than the normal lifespan of a gp, and she had a lovely life. I  miss her.

So now it's the beginning of spring. We hardly had winter. Very little rain, which is worrying. But everything is beginning to burst into bloom. 

Such an exciting time of year. I have prepared a few beds and sewn some rocket and carrots. (Always the optimist). Let's see what happens. With the price of fuel going up so much I may not be travelling far in my van, but this is such a beautiful country I can mooch around locally.

 

I went with my daughter and granddaughters to visit Sintra. It is a dreamy place.

There's so much to see.

The new loo, which I've decided to use as an undercover wood store, so one doesn't get wet getting logs. Let's hope we get some rain. It's been so dry.

That's the news. Oh, and I've got a cold. Lots of sniffing and sneezing. Staying at home. I put in a few rows of garlic and some sprouted potatoes. Pray for rain.

It's Been a While...

 August is half way through and it's been VERY hot. I've been like an old trout in a deep bend in the river, lurking. Today it felt different. The poplar trees are going yellow and falling to the ground. The fig trees are also thinking they've had enough. It's still hot but not so hot!

The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are almost ready.

Oh, and what's this??? It looks like mud! Yes, I couldn't resist a wee dabble. I've decided to build a shower room next to the compost loo. One mix a day before it gets too hot. It's nearly done. Then I have to figure out the roof.

The walls are quite thin but strong. It will do fine!

Good book came in the post. Full of scary stuff.

The guinea pigs are finding it a bit hot, too. They burrow deep into the straw and sleep.

 The vegetable garden is rubbish.... well, one bed is brilliant because I used a whole compost heap of compost on it and planted sweet corn and melons and water it copiously. The rest is over.  Swiss chard just keeps on.

So that's how it is in August.

June is fast fading.

 For some reason (or for many reasons) I have been a bit 'doon in the mooth', as they say... I've spent a lot of time alone in my garden and house. I love it. My refuge from the world.

I did a few home improvements and lots of spinning and knitting.

I had a bit of broken marble which I made into a surface beside the cooker. Very simple and satisfying.

The blanket. I had planned to make it bigger but it got quite heavy! So now it's just right for me on my bed.

On a visit to a beach I saw these sea hollies. I love their blue green leaves.

My sunny kitchen.

A bouquet from the garden.

This summer hasn't been too hot, so far. I am grateful. Tomatoes are ripening and pumpkins are swelling. Beans hang from their vines. Courgettes get picked before they get too big. I'm not growing a lot of stuff as the watering becomes a chore and I'm not in the mood for chores!