Laughing tank

We had Isabella for the day. That was fun! We went and started to fill the tank and got in. Ah! Cool. So we played in the tank for a while, then swung on the hammock. Soon it was time to go back indoors. Too hot. 39 degrees.
So we did some painting, some colouring in, some dressing up and some mixture making (macaroni, rice, red lentils and coloured water) Yummy!

After lunch round about three o'clock we all went down to the tank and sank our hot bodies into the water, and stayed for an hour, just getting cool. Well, Isabella had a piece of insulation to float with and roared around the 2x1 tank. When Isabella and I went up to the house to put the kettle on we could hear R laughing with the sheer pleasure of feeling cool in the pool.

In the garden, the tomatoes have finally decided to ripen, but they are not the big fat juicy ones I thought they were going to be. There are also lots of rogue cherry tomatoes from last year. So sweet. The cucumbers are only just beginning to 'hatch' and I sowed some more sweet corn which is rushing along, in a new bed with lots of manure and that black plastic mulch which is actually quite good for somethings. I was not impressed with growing potatoes under it last year. So many were green because they grew just under the black stuff.

I started to improve the strawberry bed when I found that some one lives in it.... Hmmm a mole or a mouse. That is not good. That is probably why the strawberries were not racing along. I think I will move them and completely redig the whole bed, and perhaps line it with some kind of netting, either rabbit or nylon stuff. Perhaps that will keep them out. I have also planted a caster oil plant as it is supposed to deter moles.

The big rain water tank is getting closer to being finished. R goes down in the evening and does another bit, in the cool.

I decided to go on the maple syrup detox diet and am finding it very boring. I want to eat all those delicious tomatoes! We'll see how long that lasts.

August is the month when everyone goes on holiday, to the beaches near us. I can completely understand. It's too hot to work outside. But the cork cutters do it. They just work in the heat and drink gallons of water (and madronho) and climb the beautiful trees and peel off their outer skin. They can only do it when the weather is hot, otherwise it damages the tree.

Tomorrow I will paint the house with cal (lime) and the new tank.