So what's new this week?

The pool is full and looks wonderful again, the frog/s haven't reappeared, next door's pool also had frogs - 2 of them - and they have gone as well. Maybe something ate them, who knows. There are owls around at night - sound like screech owls, so maybe the frogs have been a meal for them.

42 quince from 1 tree, (4 quince to a kilo) so far made into 7 pudding sized portions for winter pies and crumbles, 12 jars of chutney with jalopenos, ginger and figs added, and still 14 quince to go. Friends of ours have 5 trees, I can't imagine how many fruits they produce! We have jalopenos sliced and pickled, red ones hanging up to dry and countless more on the bushes and some have also been given to friends. The tomatoes are coming to an end, although they are still on the bush, are slow to ripen. Maybe a kilo a week at the moment. Also coming to an end are the aubergines and dwarf beans, they are still producing but not much.

The weather is iffy, up till the weekend it was in the low 20's, then Monday got cloudier as the day went on, Tuesday started off well but followed Mondays pattern and last night/early hours of today the wind got up and it poured down - the wheel barrow was full - and today it hasn't gone above 14! There was snow up on the Sierras above Valor and Berchules this morning.... Quite chilly feeling, the lady in the tabac says we are going from summer to winter without autumn although the forecast is ok for next week, back to low 20's again, so we shall see. There was a lovely smell of wood smoke as I came through Yator this morning, from all the wood burners/log fires and we lit ours this evening as there seemed a nip in the air indoors. First fire of ours alight since end of March though.

I emptied one of the compost heaps yesterday, I needed it - unfortunately for me - up 2 terraces which meant going up a slope, along past the aubergines/dwarf beans, round under an olive tree, over 2 water channels and then onto one of last years onion beds. 6 trips to cover the bed and then to dig it in. One of my new years resolutions is to make a compost heap on each terrace, preferably near the water supply which each terrace has anyway, as it's easier to barrow it all downhill, not up!! Then 2 barrow loads went up - but only 1 terrace- to be dug in the old strawberry patch. The strawberry runners are all doing well, but they also have self seeded broad beans in with them, some of the beans have popped up in the strawberry pots and some in between the plants.

And what else...trying now to cook double batches of meals, one for the freezer, as come November we will be busy preparing the land ready for olive harvest i.e. strimming under the trees,raking, clearing and levelling land as it's easier to lay the nets, and need "ready meals" at night, plus soups and bread for quick, tasty lunches. The olives are starting to ripen, seems earlier than usual so maybe an early harvest this year. Some varieties are always ready from December onwards, and we also need to pick, brine and bottle for next years tapas.