Starting tomorrow some provinces and municipalities in Spain advance to 'Phase 1' of the de-escalation process. Others (including Malaga province) must remain in the first 'Phase 0' for at least another week. We don't quite 'meet the criteria' for advancing forward but we're not far off it since the overall trend (the fabled "curve") is going very much in the right direction. In practice, that means we can continue to exercise during our allocated time slots and can now visit the hairdresser but all other 'activities' remain as they did in full lockdown. I guess we're OK with it, it's better to be safe than sorry. For now we must hope that the rush to the beaches and promenades seen in the last week was just a little "liberation madness" and people will return to their senses and act responsibly again which is vital if we're not to blow this initiative before it barely gets started.
I've already been for my haircut and whilst both parties were masked and gloved for the occasion, it was a little nerve wracking being away from the comfortable surroundings of our Finca. For Mr Forbes, however, his trip to the 'hairdresser' still involves travelling from the bedroom to a stool in the kitchen! Armed with a new set of dog clippers that arrived this week (the Men's Remington set still being somewhere on a packing line!) I set about giving him his fourth trim since the lockdown. Thankfully, it went well this time (the chunk I took out of his hair on its third cut - oops! - has since grown back!)
At Finca Tres Hermanos we continue to favour the management of our garden and bees over any desire to rush back to this 'new normal'. We are of the same opinion that even when this virus is no longer a threat, our 'new normal' will involve more time appreciating what we're so lucky to have on our own doorstep. When speaking to others we realise we're not alone in that opinion either. We've had time to look at our little corner of paradise through different eyes and with a whole new perspective and it's become just that little bit more beautiful. We need to slow down and enjoy it.
A small sample of our array of abundant flowers.
Mindfulness of what's best for our bees has been at the forefront of our progress in the garden this week. Our lower terraces (here on in known as our "bee terraces") have been planted out with a LOT more Lavender, some Felicia and another Bottle Brush bush, all of which the bees love. If we can keep these terraces watered, hopefully the flowers will keep coming and the bees will be happy and well fed. Our Plan B though, in the shape of artificial feeders, arrived this week with another consignment of beekeeping equipment.
While the first lot of lavender is producing a proliferation of flowers down on the bee terraces, we plant LOTS more (and a few patches of blue Felicia which will not only feed the bees, but will keep the banks in check as it spreads). Close your eyes and imagine the lavender perfume filling the air!
There's a good chance our long-awaited honey in a year or two's time will be strongly flavoured with Lavender!
The access to our bee terrace from the orchard now made all the better from Scott's dug out stairway (which a slightly camouflaged Fudge is happy to road test!)
Elsewhere on our plot, whilst the citrus blossom has long since been replaced with the next batch of growing fruit, the meadow continues its profusion of wild flowers (the cornflowers being particularly beautiful), and the palm trees are now bursting into blossom. I wasn't even aware that these tiny little brown flowers could be such a magnet for our bees but they are! Our bees are teaching us so much about our natural surroundings. So much so, our dog walks now involve us searching out and counting bees, examining the wildflowers and deciding which of their seeds we will gather to scatter at home.
The mass of cornflowers in our meadow; difficult to appreciate on camera but in the true light of day their brilliance is spectacular!
A healthy mix of structure and wild abandon. A bee paradise either way.
Our vegetable garden, of course, also remains high on our priority list and our summer plants are taking the place of the winter veg as they come to an end.
Tomatoes coming along, plus the beginnings of sweetcorn! Elsewhere, we have peppers, melons, and pumpkin (the latter, seeded itself!)
Broccoli and Broad Beans going to seed (the bees love the broccoli flowers!)
Uneaten Pecan Nuts being soaked before planting out. We'll see how many trees we get!
Mr Forbes has begun work this week to instal an irrigation system around the veggie patch
The life cycle of our veggie plot in glorious technicolor: From nursery, to plot, to feeding the next generation. Nothing goes to waste
While our attention has been so focused on Tres Hermanos, we haven't forgotten our other Finca, my previous home: Del Olivar. Scott managed what he could while attending to emergency call outs nearby and managed to revitalise the pool which had turned a nasty shade of green but lockdown has meant people are forbidden from visiting their second homes and poor Olivar had fallen into a certain degree of neglect. Out of sight is not out of mind, however, and while restrictions are being eased slowly, our gardener has been back and has tidied the place up tremendously.
From overgrown to tidy: I know some people will be pleased to see Finca Del Olivar looking spruced up.
We're not neglecting our health and fitness either (as if gardening didn't keep us fit enough!). Scott's perception of the strength training I was doing prior to the lockdown has altered somewhat. His outspoken views about it being "easy" and "only for girls" are now mere echos in the past as he regularly sweats and grimaces his way through each of the routines I'm in charge of putting together. He's even happy to try and contort his 6'2" frame into a variety of yoga poses on our recovery days! In fact, he's become so keen on working out he's often the instigator most days and perhaps more shockingly (especially if you're a man reading this!) he's not resisting my persuasion to invest in a home gym. Needless to say, yours truly has already lined up a supplier and is looking forward to going shopping as soon as decency prevails over greed and those mad lockdown prices return to normal!
As I wrap up this week's update, Scott is finishing some weeding (a non-stop job at Tres Hermanos) and I'm reflecting on a day which should be reserved for quiet leisurely pursuits. While I'm certainly not averse to doing my fair share of weeding, I've enjoyed putting my feet up, dedicating the best of the day to writing, making coffee and scouring recipe books for things to make with the last of our citrus fruits. I think this could just be the order of the day for Sundays from now on.
The lime cheesecake has been polished off so time to flip through the pages of this old favourite and make something with our oranges and lemons
More next week!
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