Quinta das Abelhas

Went to see our friend in hospital yesterday. He’s remarkably unscathed, considering. We were expecting to see him really battered and bruised but he was looking good. He has had to have 3 big pins in his thigh bone though and his shoulder is pretty swollen. Should be out of hospital in a week so that’s a big relief.

It’s been raining pretty heavily most of the day so Andy & James dug new water channels to try and direct the runoff so it doesn’t create huge ravines in the new track. Still have a big problem with water coming into the house though, even now we’ve dug a drainage ditch down the side. We’re hoping that rendering the outside wall and putting a concrete channel at the base will solve it but if anyone reading this is a drainage expert please please tell us what to do!

Andy & James also chopped a load of firewood as we’d run out. They also went next door to chop firewood for our new neighbours (people who are renting the house whilst our neighbours are away for the winter) in return for using their washing machine. Yippee! I have a big bucket of washing that’s been soaking for about 3 days now which I haven’t had a chance to finish washing and now it’s raining so a right pain to dry when it’s dripping wet.

I was feeling tired today (all that running around to hospitals etc) so I got to sit inside doing some work on the computer out of the rain and with the fire lit. Did feel guilty though while all that work was going on outside.

At least I managed to finally get around to finishing making the xmas pud, though the mixture seems to have come out a bit dry (it’s a recipe I haven’t tried yet) but it’s steaming and bubbling merrily on the stove as I type.

This evening I’ve been reading the forums on www.acountrylife.com great source of info and advice on anything smallholding related. Also found a new website www.selfsufficientish.com which I haven’t looked at properly yet but seems interesting.

Now I’m going to have a ‘tub wash’ (got a big pan of water heating on the stove as the new bath is not such a pleasant prospect in the rain) and then I’m off to bed.

Boa Noite.

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