Mowing Over Oranges: Update from The Finca

My last update was after week 3 of our post lockdown 'new normal' . That was 26th May. I didn't bother with the weekly updates after that as it seemed that we pretty much had a semblance of 'business as usual' and what's so interesting about that? I figured I'd return to where I was before: to picking different themes to write about surrounding our lives at Finca Tres Hermanos when I had the time.

I didn't expect it to be quite so long before publishing another blog, I guess I've been busier than I expected. But yesterday (Sunday) came around and I was rather taken with the idea of simply taking it easy (for once!), pottering about, catching up with my Mum, then putting my feet up and waiting for inspiration to come for some writing, all while the delicious smells of our Sunday roast wafted about the house. Given the relaxed mood of the day, the inspiration didn't take long. So, I delivered a cup of tea to the hard working gardener and opened up my laptop.

We're riding out this roller coaster of a pandemic the best way we can. We're complying with the rules on wearing our masks and keeping our social distance (OK, I will admit that once or twice we've let our guard down but, then, who probably hasn't?). We're also reshaping our lives and habits a little to feel comfortable with this changing world that this virus has created in the last 9 months. We're happy to stay at home more and we're choosing to keep our socialising to our immediate circle of friends; sometimes out but more regularly gathering at each other's houses. That's all I shall say on the matter. This and future blogs will be a COVID-free zone unless some reference to it is vital to contextualizing the story.

Freedom to socialise again: ladies night out; another BBQ at home; paella at a Spanish finca, and Sharon's 50th birthday.

But, time spent with hubby is still the best way to spend time!

So in the intervening period where there's been no blog, a few significant headlines are: we celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary, we experienced our first beekeeping disaster, Daniel arrived in the Summer to "work from home" and has rented an apartment in town until January, I've got back in the saddle after vowing I'd retired from horses!, I've started amassing equipment for the home gym we are planning, and Scott turned 55 and is officially 'retired' with a British Gas Pension (although currently shows only mild signs of slowing down in his current day job!)

So first to the beekeeping disaster and, sadly, we lost our rescue hive. We'd noticed that numbers had started to dwindle but wondered if perhaps the new colony had merged with the first as it seemed to be getting stronger at the same rate as the other was dwindling. A preferable consideration, as that would mean fewer lives lost. Merging of colonies hasn't really been heard of though I don't think, and much later our wise old Spanish friend (Jose) suggested that the stronger colony had simply raided and killed/forced out the weaker. Sounds brutal but that's nature I guess; survival of the fittest and all that. In less than a week the abandoned rescue hive (which was being bravely defended by the last handful of remaining honeybees or quite possibly by those who'd been displaced by the previous raid) succumbed to the devastating work of the wax moth whose larvae ate through the combs and destroyed what was left. The saddest part was lifting the hive lid and seeing collapsed frames and no bee activity. We were at least spared the added distress of having to scoop out handfuls of dead bees. But, now that we've come through our first disaster, we will be better prepared for the next. On a positive note, our (now one) colony is thriving and growing hugely in number. We'll continue to monitor their development closely until they are up to full strength. Only then might we be able to breathe a little! With food sources being scarce in July and August, we've been feeding them weekly with sugar syrup and will continue to do so until they can forage successfully again.

Left: The damage caused by the wax moth, and, right: a thriving hive

Daniel, Scott's eldest, has returned home for six months and is working remotely from an apartment he's renting until January. If working from home becomes the new norm for him, he may well stay. He has a great deal of drive and ambition though so anything could happen in the next few months. For now, it's wonderful having him home and just up the road.

Good to have Daniel home

So, yes, I'm back in the saddle after a four year break following the accident that nearly killed me. Brian, who made my wedding dress, kindly invited me to go out with him and I could ride his quieter second horse, Apollo. I felt like a complete beginner but the nerves quickly faded when I realised what a good little horse I'd been entrusted with. I'm still working up the courage to have my first little canter out on the trail, but it'll happen! Not sure yet if it will be a regular thing; we'll see.

Back in the saddle

The creation of a home gym is somewhat more of a mission for me than riding, and Scott is pretty enthusiastic too. My training has picked up in pace quite significantly since the lockdown ended and I've spent the summer eagerly watching equipment come back into stock with my chosen suppliers and haven't hesitated to place orders before they've immediately sold out again.

Gym equipment beginning to arrive!

Gym equipment hasn't been my only internet purchases of late, I've also built up a stock of sewing tools, fabrics and wool for craft projects to keep me busy well through the winter months (as well as occupied should our freedom of movement be curtailed again!). I've also bought a new sewing machine to replace my old Singer that finally bit the dust this summer after 35 years of faithful service.

A wool order: this should keep me busy!

I think I'm behaving quite like a lot of people insofar as preparing for ways to keep busy and happy at home when there's less enthusiasm for going out. It's quite evident people are doing the same as me since just about everything I've wanted to order is subject to long delays and lead in times; still waiting for the sewing machine that was ordered on 5th August!

Scott is dealing with the dawning realisation that he is now a pensioner. I fondly tell him that 'retired employee' is a better way of saying it. In 14 months, when I turn 55, I will join the same rank and take my own private pension. What we do at that point is still up for discussion. I keep hinting at making some sort of plan but it's hard work trying to pin someone down who prefers the more relaxed and spontaneous approach to life! For now, he's just happy to be supplementing his income enough to slow down a little so I think he will concentrate on that in the coming months.

I'm not a cake decorator, but I was rather chuffed with Scott's birthday cake, plus as a bonus he gets to keep the props I bought!

So, on to tales from the Finca itself:

Norfolk Island Hibiscus: One of two planted in early summer. The bees love them!

This summer has been a tester. Temperatures in July and August sustained themselves in the high 30s to mid 40s which has seen records being broken. Gardening activity was reduced to simply tending the growing summer crop of vegetables and looking after the bees. Gowning up in full beekeeper attire was no fun in 40 degree temperature I can tell you! It seemed all our hard work in the garden during lockdown was at risk. Our meadow and orchard is dry and barren (but that happens every summer) and we unfortunately lost some of the lavender we planted. Hardy weeds cropped up unchallenged where, previously, we'd worked hard to clear them from our borders and, overall, the finca started to look a little bit more like the wild abandon it would choose to be if we weren't here to keep it in check.

Neat rows of tomatoes. It didn't stay like that for long!

The vegetable plot, which always begins each growing season looking perfectly neat, with things growing in orderly rows, soon became a higgledy-piggledy mess of crowded and intermingling chaos. I have to say, I like a little bit of chaos, it rather suits our garden to be honest. If you should take a wander round, you'll see some sort of chaos exists elsewhere and the veggie patch is not alone! While we admire a friend's weed free and immaculate show garden, I had to gently remind my lovely husband that our plot is perfect in it's own way and that it truly reflects the years of hard work he has put into making it the way it is. When you consider our garden was an open field 20 years ago, you can see just how far it's come today.

I realise that I haven't made any jams or chutneys this year. I've only managed to turn some of our tomatoes and onions into sauces to use over the winter months. The hard summer has actually been pretty detrimental to yields so we've had to be content with mainly picking what we can eat each day. When we've had a little extra, we've given it away or exchanged it, so keeping up our 'campo currency' arrangement with friends.

Campo Currency from Antonio: Plums and Pears

Our greatest success has been in our tomatoes, these have been full of richness and flavour this year. Everyone who has received a bowlful from us has been unanimous in saying that they have been the best they've ever tasted. Our tomatoes are now coming to an end and we just can't imagine coping with supermarket replacements in the coming months!

Courgettes, garlic, sweetcorn and tomato sauce for the freezer!

We haven't had any failures to speak of, but our sweetcorn has certainly been interesting! As our husks have matured on the stalks, we've eagerly opened them up to find a cob only partly covered by the edible seeds (kernal). Despite being watered and fed organically (with horse poop basically!), it's nevertheless been a lesson in expectation vs reality; not everything looks like it does on the supermarket shelves!

Right now, our pumpkins are maturing and we've had a decent crop of melons and courgettes too. If we're lucky, we'll also have the odd pomegranate or two with which I shall decorate the odd salad or rice dish for as long as the last.

The growing habits of pumpkins is a little random, the stems and tendrils of which simply refuse to remain in the confines of the vegetable patch and stubbornly and resolutely snake their way in whichever direction they choose. This makes for some interesting step work when negotiating one's way outside to hang out the washing! Mr Forbes has plans to grow next year's crop somewhere in the orchard away from human traffic. We'll see how that goes but I have visions of pumpkins hanging from startled and invaded fruit trees!

Pumpkins have a way of taking over....

...but look promising...

...while providing a bountiful home for the local fauna!
(She's a Golden Orb Weaver)

Somewhere hidden amongst the pumpkins, a crop of aubergine flowers have reared their heads. With a bit of luck, the fruits will start to grow. Elsewhere, we have a good crop of peppers and these are deliciously sweet without their seeds, or a little spicy if we chuck those in the pot as well.

Beautiful aubergine flowers

Glorious Peppers

Now that we are in September, Scott has prepared one of the beds ready to receive the first planting of winter vegetables. The soil has been turned over and a fresh lot of manure has been rotovated in. In the coming couple of weeks or so, the seedlings will start arriving at the garden centres and we'll be busy planting.

Scott hard at work with the rotovator

A costly but unavoidable job this autumn will be to engage the services of a contractor to reform our swimming pool. After 20 years it's braved the ravages of the hardest well water in the district, but is now failing in quite the most spectacular way. I've spent the summer tearing my hair out in despair but managed to slow its decline and keep it in service. The refurbished pool will be resurfaced, the levels corrected, retiled and finished with new coping stones. We'll have to work hard to make sure the refurbished pool remains in top condition but I consider myself pretty well placed for that, having graduated from the School of Hard Knock Pool Maintenance!

Long overdue weeding now that the weather has cooled off a bit

The palm trees get their annual trim at Tres Hermanos and Del Olivar

We're looking forward to autumn's arrival, when we can be out in the garden for most of the day and get a good amount of work done. We have lots of plans and, not surprisingly, much of them are centered around what we need to plant to make our bees happy. We've had thoughts about turning the meadow into something a little more structured and beautiful (having been somewhat inspired by Channel 4's George Clark visits to National Trust houses and gardens). Now, that might sound hugely ambitious for a hot climate and chaotic garden such as ours but we're not put off ...... yet.

And now for a few little extras: