A Creative Spirit
Shame on me. I completely forgot to write my monthly vegetable diary for May and I only took one photograph of the raised vegetable area. In my defence, I was away for several weeks so my garden was left very much to its own devices. Unfortunately this created problems with bugs and of course my... Continue Reading →
Recycling in the home is one of my passions, so before disposing of anything from egg boxes and string to plastic bottles and containers I now ask myself "How can I reuse this item - either in its current form or in an alternative way?" It's amazing how creative one can be! Recycling and conserving... Continue Reading →
On Monday, I met up with Joan a fellow "container" garden enthusiast and a regular visitor to my blog. It was great to not only see all her wonderful pots of fruit, vegetables and flowers, ask numerous questions ranging from types of compost, worm farms to problems with insects, but also discuss our successes and... Continue Reading →
Recipe Brigadeiros are traditionally made from condensed milk, sweetened cocoa powder and butter. Cooked to a fudge consistency, rolled into little balls and coated in chocolate granules (sprinklers). Ingredients 1 can of sweetened condensed milk 1oz of butter 3 large tablespoons of cocoa powder Chocolate 100s and 1000s (chocolate granules) for decoration Method Place cocoa... Continue Reading →
April 23rd 2012 - My monthly diary for April continues with my ongoing experiment to grow fruit and vegetables in pots and various containers. This year I planted some orange and red peppers seedlings which I bought from São Teotónio Market in March. At 25cents each they were quite expensive, but still easier and cheaper... Continue Reading →
The Ugly Bug Spring Jive by PiP With the Herald of Spring the bugs start to arrive in my Garden of Eden for the "Ugly Bug Jive". The weird and the ugly they give me the jitters who may I ask created these critters? There are black bugs and green bugs and stripey ones too... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago we returned to Praia do Vale dos Homens to show friends the pair of white storks we'd discovered nesting on an outcrop of rocks. As we drove through the back streets of the sleepy village of Rogil we noticed a group of elderly men gathered on some waste ground. Some were... Continue Reading →
I love Zumba classes, so how on earth did I end up 'doing' Pilates I ask myself. All those impossible body-contorting exercises don't feel in harmony with my body shape - my legs and arms just aren't long enough! Neither can I seem to master the special breathing or find my "inner-core". Do we all... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Photo Challenge is Contrast After my previous post about the white mold attacking my cabbages and the long-term consequences I wanted to post something a little more upbeat to cheer me up. They say inspiration usually comes from the most unexpected sources and when you least expect it. This... Continue Reading →
These pictures taken in March 2010 are unfortunately a little hazy due to heavy sea mist and high humidity. As you drive through the countryside of the Algarve and Alentajo regions you cannot fail to notice the Portuguese landscape features many abandoned houses - ruins as they are called. I often wonder what happened to... Continue Reading →
My monthly diary continues. Over the next year I'm keeping a monthly diary of the fruit and vegetables I grow in my urban garden here in the Algarve. Gardening is one of my passions, and although my efforts are not always successful my tenacity makes up for what I lack in knowledge. Despite a couple... Continue Reading →
This post is inspired by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. The theme is Hope I considered naming the tin which contains all my packets of seeds, "My Tin of DOOM". Why? Because many most of the seeds fail to germinate. I'm not sure if this is due to the quality of seed or if I'm... Continue Reading →
Praia do Vale dos Homens beach is located in the Costa Vicentina Natural Park just outside the village of Rogil in the Western Algarve. It is well off the beaten tourist track which makes it an ideal choice for anyone looking for a great “get away from it all” location. While some websites say it is... Continue Reading →
This post is inspired by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. The theme is Peaceful. My little grandson sleeps peacefully with not a care in the world. His only needs are love, food, warmth, clean nappies, "winding" and sleep - how simple life is when you are a baby! As I watch over him, his basic... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 