It's day five of the WordPress 'Ten Day Poetry Challenge' and I am on a roll. Well, not quite. For today's challenge we were asked to write a Limerick but after several stressful hours of tapping out the rhythm I almost conceded defeat. The Limerick is a far tougher form than it first appeared. Imperfect... Continue Reading →
Poetry Challenge Day 4 – Similes Please Dally Awhile
Day four in the WP Ten Day Poetry Challenge and we are tasked to write a poem which include similes. Always up for a challenge I dedicated this nonsense poem to the humble simile. Why is poetry so exclusive? It’s meaning to Joe Bloggs, elusive, like a crossword of cryptic clues. A jigsaw puzzle in shades of... Continue Reading →
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Day Three: Acrostic Poem (Poetry)
Day three in the WP Ten Day Poetry Challenge and we are tasked to write an acrostic poem. Poetry, Often opaque in delivery Elusive metaphors Tormenting - testing – teasing Readers Yet, sublimely addictive. According to the young writers poetry website An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in... Continue Reading →
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Problems With My Geraniums -Stem Rot
When I bought my geraniums at the beginning of March they were healthy and produced lots of repeat flowers. I religiously dead-headed the plants on a regular basis and fed with MiracleGro to encourage growth. and by April the flower stalks had started to rot. I sprayed with a fungal spray but it did not... Continue Reading →
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Poetry Challenge – Day One: Water
Looking for inspiration and a cure for writing procrastination I decided to accept the WordPress Challenge and write a poem a day for ten days. Okay, I can already hear the footsteps of a herd of elephants in retreat at the mention of the word 'Poetry'. My first attempt is a Tanka. The Prompt: Water... Continue Reading →
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Reflecting
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: this week's challenge is 'Reflecting I was taking a walk though the Portuguese countryside when this reflection caught my attention. Can you see what is missing from the picture that is reflected in the rather large puddle? '
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Mosaics -My New Hobby
As part of a gardening project I decided to 'tart' up some old flower pots to add colour and interesting focal points to shady areas of my garden and as a feature for pots containing cacti. So after a visit to a local garden centre, where the lady owner tiled anything and everything, I felt... Continue Reading →
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Piglet’s Plot: Problems With My Onions
You name it, my fruit and vegetables probably have caught/will catch it. I was a sickly child and my fruit and veg seem to be following in the family tradition. With this in mind I literally love my plants to death, or so I've been told. In December I added rotted horse manure to the plot,... Continue Reading →
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Do you care about the environment?
National Geographic will be streaming Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental documentary 'Before the Flood ' entirely free from October 30th till November 6th. Before the Flood will also be available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, iTunes and Google Play, in over 170 countries and 45 languages. https://youtu.be/8dxAgt9XXPU National Geographic says it’s distributing the movie for free as part of... Continue Reading →
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Strawberry Quest
I've been meaning to set myself this challenge for some time so after reading the theme for this week's photo challenge is 'Quest'. and according to Merriam Simple Definition of quest : a journey made in search of something : a long and difficult effort to find or do something I think a 'quest' to pick... Continue Reading →
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Diet in Denial
Today my friend gave me a nice top she’d bought on a whim but then decided it ‘was not her colours’. Great I thought, until I got it out of the bag – it was huge! Convinced it was going to swamp me I tried it on. REALITY CHECK!!! I could barely get it over... Continue Reading →
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Why Are My Kumquat Leaves Yellow?
After making some Kumquat marmalade which was absolutely delicious, I decided to grow my own Kumquat tree. Kumquats are expensive here in Portugal so planting my own tree seemed the logical step says she, who kills most things including fig trees which are meant to be indestructible. Fingers firmly crossed I planted a healthy tree... Continue Reading →
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FitBit and Senior Moments
I accept I'm not the sharpest tool in the drawer when it comes to mastering technology and digital gizmos, but even I had to groan at this particular 'senior blond' moment. Wanting to lose weight I invested in a FitBit Charge HR. So far so good. Much to everyone's surprised snickers I managed to 'set... Continue Reading →
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Palácio de Mateus Reflections
This week's WordPress Photo Challenge is all about reflections. One of the least memorable trips on our Douro river cruise was a visit to Palácio de Mateus, near Vila Real. Please don't ask why but I was expecting to visit a vineyard for the Mateus Rose wine. Yep, the devil is always in the detail... Continue Reading →
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Why does my Aloe Arborescens have black leaves?
Is there a cure? About a year ago I noticed my Aloe Arborescens were covered in dappled black marks. After a few months the leaves turned black, shriveled and died. There is an old adage: Don't put off till tomorrow what you should do today. Unfortunately, I never acted immediately and when I did seek... Continue Reading →
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Narrow: Locks, Dams And The Douro River, Portugal
The theme for this week's photo challenge is narrow. When I was reviewing my photographs for this challenge I was reminded of a weeks cruise with Croisi Europe along the Douro river in Portugal. The river cruise was a seven-day leisurely return trip from Porto, in northern Portugal, to Vega de Terron on the Spanish... Continue Reading →
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All Aboard The Aperitivo Train!
On my last visit to France I discovered an unusual way to serve my favourite dips hummus, Tzatziki and guacamole. The idea was SO simple yet effective I'm surprised I did not think of it myself! As you can see from the photographs the peppers form the train carriages which hold the vegetable sticks, and... Continue Reading →
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Gazanias – Unusual Daisies With Exquisite Detail
I love the way the droplets of water linger on the petals and leaves like tiny bubbles. These are small details we often fail to notice yet when captured in a photograph remind us of the simplicity of nature. Other details include the unusual combinations of colours. And bees gathering pollen. While I find Gazanais... Continue Reading →
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Monster Tomatoes!
I don't know the name or variety of these tomatoes but they sure are HUGE!!! (I've since been informed they are 'Rosa' tomatoes). This year I bought several baby tomato plants from Silves monthly market which is held on the 3rd Monday of each month. This is an excellent market for vegetable plants, fruit bushes... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 