Summer Update

Summer sunshine is upon us at last after a disappointing start in June and July. I think we have had the tail end of the low pressure system that has been pouring down on the UK. The weather is bizarre around the world at the moment with snowfall in South America, heatwaves in southern Europe and heavier than normal downpours in the UK.

Our harvest continues to please with plenty of sweet, fresh vegetables and salad crops. The tomatoes are bad this year due to the damper than normal conditions and still air - fungal infections thrive in such environments. The fruit trees are performing really poor this year with hardly any apples, no hazelnuts and a marked absence of peaches and cherry. The garden is growing well and flowering to impress. The sweet peas are a local attraction as they have not seen the likes of them before.

The wildlife continues to amaze us with sightings of deer, pine martins, slow worms (which are now resident in the brushwood hedge - see pic), toads and numerous insects including staghorn beetles, glow worms and butterflys.

We are busy with the Sunday market at Cangas de Onis and Luis has off-loaded the chair caning to me as he thinks he has enough on with the rush........wimp.

PLEASE NOTE: OUR PC CRASHED FOR GOOD AND WE LOST ALL OUR INFORMATION SO PLEASE EMAIL US SO WE CAN RE-ADD YOU TO OUR CONTACT LIST

Livestock.......

Found this little fella in the garden - disturbed by the haymaking we think. A young pine martin. Luis wanted to adopt it but it disappeared overnight and has not been seen since. Weather continues to be mixed but generally warm and pleasant with the occaisional overcast day. Harvesting loads from the veggie plot, just got a bumper lot of red and white new potatoes and enough salad to keep Tescos stocked.

We have decided to get two kittens from Luis' sister Rita. Luis has seen them and has already decided on which ones to bring home. A male and a female - both will have to have the snip or chop or whatever, otherwise two will become 22 in no time. A bit too young at the moment but probably ready to relocate at the beginning of August. We hope they will have some impact on the rato (a small but ugly mouse that makes tunnels in the veggie plot and eats things - not a friend of Luis).

More visitors planned for next week - busy painting garage/workshop, had a slight dispute with the builder but issues now resloved and a new door has been ordered.