August - The month of searing heat. It is 35 degrees outside. Too hot to do anything physical and practical. I stay indoors, reading, cooking, sleeping.

I went to Cercal to do the laundry because my washing machine is not working. There is a laundrette there! I sat in the covered deck of the Pastelaria Inacio, drinking freshly squeezed orange juice, feeling the sweat run down my spine. It's not pleasant. Bonnie lay on the wooden floor among the old flakes of previous pastel de natas, panting. I watched as people came and sat and looked at their phones, got out their computers. One rather truculent teenager sat next to her parents painting her nails. Is it the heat or is it the time of our life when everyone seems bored? Or is it a reflection of my own sentiment?

I love my house. I love my family. I love my life. But... I think of doing things and the heat melts my enthusiasm.

I have been helping a group of parents to build a round cob building in S Luis. It is to become a play group. I love the work and how it is progressing. I love the way cob allows people of all ages and dispositions to join in. I also enjoy watching men think they know better.

I am hoping to find some bales of straw to put on my roof, for insulation. The house has held up well to the heat, remaining 26 degrees when it is 35/40 outside. That is pretty good. It feels like a fridge when you come in. The cats and dog like to lie on the cool earthen floor.

The vegetable garden is a sorry sight. A few shrunken tomatoes struggle through their mulch. The strawberries keep on coming but now they are smaller. A few midget aubergines glint from the straw. Next year, I tell myself, I will make the vege garden in a shady place and use more compost and manure.

This time last year

Early morning

I haven't been taking many photos recently. In my next post I will put up some photos of the village decorated with meters of bunting that we all made. It looks so colourful and fluttery, with dancing shadows on the ground.

Meanwhile, I lurk in the shadows, waiting for the sun to loose it's teeth, and dream of building/digging a small pool. Oh, but the work....

Simply Hot

New House Mates

 

I never had cats before these two sisters came to live with me. They are fun. They love to crawl under carpets, climb into bags, climb up the cob walls and chase each other at great speed through the house.

Family Fun

I love that my stairs are good for sitting on.

Summer Landscape

 The land has got that dry brown summer look. We had a few days of scorching weather last week. Scary. My heart goes out to the people of Monchique who have suffered from the huge, fierce fires.

Polishing Earthen floor

I finally found the strength to do the earthen floor and am now in the process of polishing it. I painted it with the red earth from the top of the hill and now as the polish goes on it is beginning to look like terra cotta. Lovely, even though it is full of CAT foot prints....

Bonnie is not thrilled with the new arrivals but tolerates them.