Catching up...

Almost a week has passed since I was here - so what's been happening?  Tuesday we realised that we hadn't taken the carpets to be cleaned before the winter comes,  usually they go as soon as they get taken up - when the floors start to feel nice and warm in the spring.  This year we put them into big bags and into the caravan out of the way,  and forgot about them.  We did think about trying to wash them ourselves on a day when the acequias were running,  we could put them into our side garden water storage tank,  but they are pretty heavy when dry and I'm not sure that we'd be able to get them out easily - and then where would we dry them?  The lavandería has big industrial machines and driers,  she charges €10 per carpet,  well worth it.  I collected them yesterday morning.

The mornings have been lovely and clear recently,  some cloud though in the afternoons and thunder rumbled a couple of days but only gave a spot or two of rain.  So swimming still in the afternoons,  except for Tuesday and Friday,  on those days I did some odd jobs indoors that needed doing but hadn't done as  I prefer to be outside when it's nice. 

The sage bushes,  all 7 of them,  have been pruned and the leaves dried and stored in jars.  The celeriac - never managed to grow any before - and this year we've got 5 looking healthy - the book says to take off any leaves growing out sideways and only leave top growth.  I bought the leaves back and googled to see if they had a use and yes.  Bouquet garni,  or chopped small in salads,  or added to stews and soups,  a very strong celery flavour so not much needed.  Yesterday John washed the leaves and shredded them,  then this morning they went in the drier for a few hours,  he just crumbled them up and  they are now stored with all the other herbs. 

I've cleaned the pool this morning and done my normal Monday morning jobs too as there is a notice in the phone box in Yátor warning of a power cut tomorrow morning for 'routine maintenance'.  Not perhaps the first place you'd think of looking for notices, but that's where they are always put,  any information about anything - fiestas,  lottery tickets for Christmas or el Gordo,  meetings,  whatever. 


You may have noticed a sad lack of photos on here,  it's because my camera has died,  given up,  won't stay turned on,  it's four and a half years old,  May 08,  John bought it for me.  When I turn it on now,  the lens zooms out, then in,  and it turns off.  Once this week it stayed on so I reset it back to factory settings just in case something had happened, but it didn't make any difference.   I don't like to throw things away so have put it back in it's box, minus the battery and memory card and I'm going to use one of John's cameras.  Even his smallest camera is not as 'pocket friendly' as mine is - or was - but still,  it's better than nothing. 

The last photo it took - our Autumn Crocus is blooming.  This was taken Friday,  there are now 3 flowers open.  Beautiful.