Getting too hot to work...

37 degrees today.
We are making progress on the dome, but it is slow, due to the heat and  having other things to do.

I did a whole row of earth bagging by my self one day.  It was slow, but not too hard.  I realised I can fill the bags much more quickly using the black rubbery builder's buckets.  That was very satisfying.  Bim and Billy helped me do a row the next day and between us we did a row in two hours (instead of five).  It's a great shame they are going back to Bristol!  The building is now over a meter high and as solid as a rock.

One of the guavas I grew from seed has lots of buds and flowers on it.  I wonder if they self pollinate.

We went to Pega das Pias on Friday.  It's so lovely to sit in the shade of the big poplar trees by the edge of the water and watch the blue damsel flies and dragon flies hovering over the surface.  When swimming up the cool sweet water we saw some large turtles sunbathing on the rocks, and small leaves floated on the water like boats. A group of women from Tamera sat in another shady bit and one had a two month old baby, still curled up and so fresh and wonderful!  It's such a precious time as a new mum, when you have good supportive friends around you
It's the season of the popular saints.  Every village and town has some kind of party and procession to celebrate their saint, and some villages are decorated with paper flowers.  Sao Teotonio is usually outstandingly lovely and well worth a visit.
The fields are being harvested at the moment.  Big rumbling machines are turning the hills to straw corduroy!  I would like to get some straw for mulch as it works very well.
I ate a strawberry from the garden that was so sweet and hot from the sun that it tasted just like jam!  The cherry tomatoes are beginning to show through the green foliage, little red beacons.
Having water on tap is wonderful.  All the plants are appreciating it.