Day two, in the woods

Today was successful, we felled alot. We had a couple of hairy moments when one tree split and snapped and another didn't want to fall down and wanted to go the opposite way to the way it should have gone, Rick's chainsaw got stuck and we had to rig up a chain and still the tree didn't go where it should have, I'm learning alot about felling, and although I'm not allowed to use the chiansaw (for obvious reasons, for those of you that know me!), i'm still enjoying it and enjoying watching my husband being manly.

Blokey stuff, part four?

Walnut whipped.....

We have been very lucky since we arrived in Portugal, lots of things falling in to place and even more things falling in to our laps! Thanks to our old neighbour Lia, we have bought all the timber we will need to build our house, but first we've got to cut it all down and plank it up and dry it!!!!!
30 trees, varying in ages, from 30 years plus, all walnut and chestnut. We have purchased a mobile saw mill, which arrived today from sweden and it'll be put to use on site to plank up and haul out.
Without the mill this job would be only marginally easier than the felling of the dark side, we've got a lot of work to do and only felled 8 trees so far (the smallest), more tomorrow and the next day and the next day and.........

Hidden terraces

We have made good progress on the land and it's meant Rick can start doing some of the other jobs that aren't so pressing. The olive grove is looking good, but there is more of it that had become completely inaccessible and as we want to harvest as many olives as possible Rick decided that he should thrash back some of the growth now to give the trees a chance to fruit for the next season. This is what the terrace looked like before and now, still needs a bit of work, we'll get there.

The lighter side

Remember the pictures of the dark side?
Rick finally finished clearing the forest, all for one tree....it was 30-40 meters high and at least 2 foot in diameter, when he dropped it it reached the length of Georges' feild (that's how we knew how long it was). It was diseased and needed to come out, several other trees had to come out before he could fell the wrongun!
It was a difficult job and very steep mountainside, with no access, doing this stuff by hand took it's toll and it took a winch and several burly men to push the dead tree down the mountainside. Our friend Wayne managed to jump on the tree and surfed it down.......all the wood is now on our land and is slowly being logged up for fire wood.

The day of the first vegetable...

It has been raining relentlessly for days, which has made gardening impossible, so we've been lying low and cooking and visiting friends. However, I have been to see the chickens and given them treats, mostly pasta and collecting their eggs and I couldn't resist a quick look at everything in the garden. As I was inspecting my not so neat rows of stuff I chanced upon some radish that not only needed thinning out but were ripe for picking, we'll eat them tonight dipped in salt, I know it's not a big deal, but it's the first thing we've pulled out of the ground since arriving, there will be lots more but the radish will always be the first.

Dragons den...

here's a picture of a fire salamander, only a tiny little thing. I accidentally disturbed it whilst digging, luckily he was asleep!

Basket case

Thanks to the happy hens we are now making money to buy their feed!!! that's how it should be, everything on the farm produces something that goes back on the farm

Under construction or should that be destruction?

Sorry to everyone and followers have massively cocked up blog by trying to get clever. Won't try that again......please follow us again

One a penny, two a penny

Hot cross buns

Easter bonnet

All stirred up...

I'd been meaning to do a bio-dynamic preparation for the soil for some time and today was a favourable day for it, so we both stirred for an hour and then I sprayed the whole farm. It's a wonderful thing to do at the end of the day, helps you to remember what it's all about and to give something back. I know some think us bonkers, but those of you that saw my allotment in UK will know that whatever it is that I do works.....
For more information about bio-dynamic preparations and the method of check out http://www.biodynamic.org.uk/

Buttons and beach

Finally visited the beach with some family, too cold for sunbathing but was wonderful all the same.
Also chanced upon a great haberdashery, hence the photo of buttons.......

Wildlife

Spring has well and truly sprung......butterflies are everywhere on the quinta, some very small and beautiful and others rather grand like this swallowtail. We have also uncovered various snakes, not so keen myself but Rick likes to take pictures and identify them.
ps. first cuckoos of spring are here