Digging, Planting, Dreaming

R has been digging. Seriously digging. New project. On the steepest part of the land.

 Favas are coming up on the terraces I made last year. Small pepper tree beside a bucket.

 I have dug some new terraces  and Isabella helped me plant the garlic. Hopefully there will be enough to last the year. The system of using black plastic over the brambles and other tough weeds works a treat. After nine months the weeds are dead and the ground is soft and crumbly. A treat to work the ground. No chemicals needed.
Portuguese saying 'No dia do Natal, os bicos do perdal', which means on Christmas day little partridge beaks (garlic) will appear.

The holy trinity. An enxada, a fork and a rake. I call my enxada a one-woman plough. When you get the hang of it, it is a very useful tool. At the moment I am using it to dig out the floor of the studio in order to put down gravel and then more mud tamped on top. That's proving to be not so nice and crumbly, more rocks and the occasional root.
Look how green everywhere is!

 Isabella demonstrating how to sit next to the fireplace on the bench with your back tucked into the warm cob. (It takes a while to warm up, but once warm it lasts)

I like the way the sunlight is reflected onto the other side of window and thrown into the room.
I love my studio. Whenever I open the door and come in it smells nice. Almost perfumed. The earth, the wood, the cane. I am looking forward to the floor being finished and to have my sewing machine, spinning wheel, easel, etc ready for creative activities.