Quinta das Abelhas

Only just found this out …

Back-to-the-land advocate John Seymour, 90, the English-born writer and anti-GM activist died in Wales last month. Known since the 1970s for his self-sufficiency books - which sold in vast numbers - he spearheaded the Irish protest movement against GM crops in 1999, landing himself in court as one of the famous “Arthurstown Seven”.
“Never be afraid of being called a crank,” he once famously said. “Look up crank in the dictionary. It’s defined as a useful object that starts revolutions.” More: GM Watch Newsletter, 13th October.

Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour

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Went in to feed the chickens this morning and as usual, checked for eggs - what did I find? 7 - yes, SEVEN - goose eggs! On top of the straw right in front of the door, so no way they could have been hidden - did she really lay 7 eggs since yesterday evening?

Then, in the evening there was a huge hornet trying to burn itself to death on the lightbulb in our room … and then Elvis the bantam cockerel came in our bedroom and wouldn’t go out again - had to pick him up and put him back on his perch in the shed.

Well, today it’s been raining so I’ve been using the time to continue with the re-design our website to fit in with the blog which will take over as far as news and updates go. I’m really pleased with how it’s looking and can’t wait to upload it cos I really don’t like the current rushed-together design. It’s taking a long time to write though.

In the afternoon (in the middle of my Portuguese lesson) our neighbour came round to sort out our electrics - now we have a proper fuse box and wires with sockets on the end - not just a huge jumble of fire-waiting-to-happen extension leads. Hoorah!

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Well, the computer is working, but we still haven’t found where all our saved stuff is - should be on the hard drive somewhere - so kind of in computer limbo at moment. Hence I haven’t updated here for a week. So … what have we been up to? Digging mostly. Planting leeks, lettuce, chard, spinach, strawberries. Weeding. Mulching. Generally tidying up the garden and tucking it up for the winter.

Sorted out the ’spare’ room (the one with the leaky roof) for the boys to have as a bedroom over winter (seeing as our building aint gonna get done). Bought them each a double bed from moviflor sale (50 euros each!) and got some cheap rag rugs from market. Need to wait until it rains so we can see where it comes in and fix it (usually works just moving the tiles a bit from the inside).

Also re-arranged the living/bedroom/office (our main room in use) for winter. Feels much bigger and more open now. Had the stove lit for 3 days now as nights are getting chilly. Also filled in the gaps between the walls and the roof, so it’s lovely and toasty warm in here now. Great to come into after a day in the garden.

Well, tis late and I’m tired.
Boa Noite X

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Just a quick blog entry to say we’re in the middle of a computer nightmare. The desktop just died on us, and now the laptop has serious problems. So online time will be sporadic for the next few days. Damn microsoft - just got hold of linux and before we get a chance to play around with it windows fitzes up on us.

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Took Andy over to Povoa de Mosqueiro fishing today, then came home to do some work on the Pure Portugal website. In the afternoon the builders turned up, as promised yesterday on the phone, but not (as we’d thought) to start work - to tell us they couldn’t do the work as they have to go to England. Arrgh! Well, they’ve said they’ll contact a friend to see if he can do the work for us. Let’s hope so, or we face another winter with all four of us living in one drafty, windowless room with a tendency to flood when it rains heavily. Then I had a 2hr Portuguese lesson: past perfect, imperfect and pluperfect tenses - so confusing! Don’t think I will ever learn this language.

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