And so it rained.....

Candido and the forecast were right about the weather..... some friends dropped by on the way home from a walk on Saturday, stayed for lunch (just a bowl of home-made soup and bread - yes, home-made as well) and left in between the showers about 4 o'clock. Then it rained Sunday, Monday and today. Not all day, every day, I got 2 wash loads through and dried on Monday morning, but short sharp showers which make you grab the washing and get under cover. This afternoon there was thunder rumbling around and a bit of drizzle, then suddenly about 5 o'clock the heavens opened and we had half an hour of torrential downpour followed by lovely clear blue skies and sunshine. We have just come in from an evening drink - but not sitting down as all the chairs are wet!!

Strawberries

3 years ago we bought 6 plants from a friend and although the plants were small, had a few strawberries that year. The next year 5 of them died off, no apparent reason as they were all in the same bed, but the remaining one has gone from strength to strength. We had a strawberry on New Years Day - yes, just one - and it has flowered and fruited all summer. Sometimes only a couple of fruits a week but always something. Then suddenly it has put out loads of runners and today I potted up 17 plants with a further 12 runners that are still a bit too small for pots but are in the ground for rooting. If nothing else, we can have jam and maybe strawberry wine if that's possible?!!!

After last weeks torrential rain - worst day was Monday but it also rained on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - this week has been back to normal with blue skies, t-shirts and shorts. Hovering around 22-23 in the day. But Candido (cooked for us a while back) dropped in this evening on the way home from a walk and said the rain was coming back and after checking the forecast for the next week, it seems he could be right. Depending on which forecast we look at we are either in for 8-9 days of bad weather - storms, thunder and lightning or just Sunday and the end of next week.

The freezers are full, the firewood is dry and we have moved some more onto the terrace so we have a lot close to the house - just in case!

Rain

This afternoon in Montenegro. . . .

Sorry that there is no sound - but it's an old little camera.
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11 SEP 09

Last time I wrote anything we'd been out to dinner, well yesterday we were out for lunch. These are quite rare occasions but enjoyable. Candido cooked yesterday, he's just retired from the Guardia Civil after 38 years and he also invited his neighbour Paco who also has land up near us, so we see quite a bit of him during the week. We started with boquerones - fillets of sardine marinated in olive oil, vinegar, garlic and parsley - jamon, capers, pate and bread then he made a paella with prawns, calamari and clams followed by a melon from Paco's land here washed down with lots of Pacos wine. Candido looked very fetching in his wife's flowery apron - I wanted a photo of him serving lunch but he wouldn't let me, even though I promised to take it from the shoulders down so he would be anonymous!

We also had a drink or two with friends in the evening sun at Anna's bar in the village. I'm going to try and upload footage of Antonio going home on his new donkey....it's 1 year old, cost him 400 euros and seems to have a mind of it's own!

Our wine making continues with white and black grapes this week - we're up to about 120 litres so far. There are still grapes out there to be had but the white figs are nearly over and there's not many black ones left. Lots of prickly pears which we could use! Their biggest drawback is the prickles - they have to be picked using tongs and then washed to de-prickle. One way is to make a bundle of twigs and stir them up in a bucket of water. Next Sunday - watering day - would be a good day as we could put the buckets in the running acequia water and send the prickles onto the land.

01 SEP 09

Just a quick update while I'm passing on the way for a swim.....still hovering around 30 - 31 degrees at the moment... Pip is on version 2 of the bandage which lets the air to the wound but she can't scratch it and it is looking slightly hairy so that's good as the crepe bandage is looking rather scruffy now, last night a bottle of ginger beer went all over the kitchen floor when I opened it as it had rather too much fizz and despite the fizz didn't have much flavour. At least it didn't explode like our friend's did..and hers was bottled in beer bottles...just what you need to come home to after a day out! 3 litres of ginger beer and glass shards all over the place. Need to start from scratch again instead of re-filling I think. More wine of the go, smells very yeasty downstairs! I think we have 80 litres on the go now but could be wrong.

Went out for dinner to a friends house on Friday night, Mike said he'd make a curry which every one likes except his girlfriend but she bought some yoghurt to cool hers down with....don't think he tasted it before serving as there was only a passing resemblance to a curry flavour! I don't think he's heard the last of that, he had the mickey taken out of him all evening. But the pud was good, fresh figs cut in four, honey drizzled over and then finely grated goats cheese on top.