Wow has it been that long since I did this... I just dont know where the days go.. Well 2nd week in August and its hot....bloody hot.. when I say hot I mean over 100degrees at our place... thank God we have the pool, its only an above ground one and not a flash built in job but boy is it heaven in this weather... there's nothing like it..
The trouble with this weather is that its just too hot to get anything done... we do try to get up early and accomplish something in the cool of the early morning, but the last couple of days its just not been possible as we've been awake most of the night (too hot to sleep) so we tend to sleep late in the morning , well late for us is 8 o clock...Our problem is a uninsulated roof... half of our placew still is just tiles, you look straight up to the tiles and there is nothing to keep us cool. Even with a ceiling in the bedroom it still gets very hot... mind you I do think even with insulation it would still be too hot... thats just how it is, we know that and its something we cope with for the few weeks of the year its like this... part of 'Living the dream' . By the end of summer I actually long for winter and the cooler weather... but at least we know during winter that sometime the rain will stop and we'll get a fantastic summer... unlike the UK when it seem never to come...
Well the garden has gone to pot... the main area is more or less finished now, all done and in the freezer, there are still a few cabbages, brussels and a late crop of onions to come, meanwhile we work on the top area, with the toms peppers and aubergines and squashes... all are going great guns, Ive harvested 27 butternut squashes already and a 2nd flush of small ones are coming now... the toms have been fantastic, kilos and kilos... soon I'll have enough for the winter in the freezer so will be making passata and sauce etc.
we expect to be eating courgettes, peppers toms and aubergines well into oct when we get early frosts sometimes...
The freezer is jam packed with our produce as we expect winter to be tricky this year moneywise, we've had rentals in the cottage but Rik s had very little work so have next to no reserves now, Ive madly marketing our cottage and hopefully that will keep ticking over this year. We need so little money to keep going, so Im not too worried really... Ive stockpiled loads of stuff just in case though... shame you cant grow loo rolls..
We are trying to concentrate on sorting out our wood barn , we still dont have enough for the winter, its just trying to find time to fit it in...
Im making chutney and pickling tons, also set to start blackberrying, they are so late this year, trouble is not much room left in freezer now...
well thats it for now
Pat
Frugal living in the Portuguese countryside,Eco-tourism, Agri tourism, recipes,family life, self sufficency, eco living, vegetable growing, tips and self help ideas for country living.
