Aclimatising

The Well Where I get Drinking Water

Basiclly, You're Welcome

Recently Peeled Cork Oak

Psychedelic Sunset

Weaving Away the Hours

This is the last day of August and I've been sweating it out under the cover of an insulated tin roof... The temperature rose to 37 degrees outside but now the late afternoon brings a breeze and some relief. It is now 30 degrees outside and 30 inside... I am reluctant to go out in the car so I take a lesson from the dog and just lie in the draught in the shadows, waiting for coolth.

Earlier, before the heat had really struck, I went down to the cob house and carried up large 'biscuits' of straw in an improvised net, up two ladders, to put on the top roof. It was looking thin in places where a big storm a few months back had blown off some of the straw. It seems that after a few seasons the straw does become a kind of matted material that will allow new grass to seed and grow. Until then it needs replenishing. That was hard work. I kept saying I would just do one load, do it, and then say, I'll do another. I had covered about half the roof  when I realised I was so hot and sweaty that it was becoming dangerous to climb up the various ladders. Still, I am pleased with the efforts and hope to continue tomorrow morning, before the heat gets unbearable again.

I am trying to think about living somewhere else as this project started out as a two-person one and since one person is not here I feel I don't want to live with all the work glaring at me, and the top house is growing  big cracks along the east wall. It will be hard to give up my cob house but if I have the opportunity to build another I will leap at it! Until then, I will move down to the village and do the home improvements and repairs necessary to make it rentable again.

Return to Alentejo

I was away for three months. Mostly in Scotland and some time in Bristol, where I used to live when my children were small.

I loved being in my old country, (Scotland, that is). I had planned to get away to avoid the hot Portuguese sun but in fact it proved to be hot in Scotland and cool in Portugal.

My first farm was on the Isle of Oronsay, next to Colonsay. I was a bit nervous as it was my first time being a wwoofer! I needn't have worried. My hosts were so nice and I could manage the work and I had a bothy to myself. I walked all over the island, discovering the bays and cliff and rocky pools. It was brilliant and the sun shone every day except for my last one.

While I wandered the hills I gathered bits of sheep's wool and used my spindle to spin up enough wool to make a hat. Hebridean black sheep a have lovely soft fleece.

The Walled Garden

My next port of call was to the Outer Hebrides, to wwoof on a croft of a weaver. I was allowed to shear a sheep and did other woolly stuff and gardening and painting the fank.

Sallie's Studio

Angora Goat

One day it did rain and the feel of that fine Scottish rain on my face took me back more than forty years to when I used to live on Mull, where it rained nearly every day. It was a delicious, bitter-sweet moment. It had never been my intention to leave my homeland, but life has lead me to this hot, dry place.

I am still trying to get back to earth. I have mixed feelings about living on this hillside. I love the work that I have done here, but I don't want to work so hard and on my own.

Meanwhile, the flies buzz and shift from bare shoulder to knee to nose. Life goes on.