This little "critter" has quite an interesting face. !!

Second load of wood deliverd and........stacked.

Sunday ,September 18th., 2011

The beautiful San Pedro flowers are now just about over, however, I captured this Datura flowering in the garden just outside the house. 

You can see from the photos that our new piece of irrigated land is coming along well. I am looking forward to planting. We still have a fair amount of preparation to do.

Another night flowering Medicinal Plant. Once again a very short flowering time of about 24 hours. This is a Datura flower .

This is the land under the biggest Apricot Tree in El Rio. Greenpeace helped me clearing the land, see previous blogs, and today Mihai has been clearing bushes which Allan cut, and I have been digging. This is very nice piece of land, unused for, I would say, at least 30 years. !

Saturday September 17th, 2011

Well,  though I say it myself, I think those are some pretty amazing pictures. So many flowers. I am hoping to catch some Datura flowers this evening. 
The "team" are off to the beach today to check out a music festival. I am going to do a little rotavating and keep an eye on Dashinka who is "hot". !

The night flowering San Pedro. From buds to flowers in 3 hours, 8.30pm - 11.30pm, last night September 16th.

Wednesday, September 14th., 2011

I don't really need to write much today - the pictures "speak". The "desert creation" by my neighbours is amazing. That land used to be covered with old almonds, bushes, old grasses, a few olive trees and was a beautiful area for running with dogs .... now......!

The second finca is virtually abandoned land, though the family do pick the olives and almonds and sometimes keep goats. Undeveloped is certainly much kinder to the land, and to the eye too. !!

Mihai, Allan, and myself moved and stacked our first load of wood for the Winter. With luck we will get another load tomorrow.

The first picture is of a "developing" finca - trees all cut out, the land flattened and the rocks and roots bulldosed out. The eucalypt tree is surrounded by a fence , in effect a small goat coral, good fertilizer for the tree, which is noted as being the largest Eucalypt in Almeria. ! The second picture is of the neighbouring finca to the first one, undeveloped with a few Almond and Olive trees and sometimes goats. The third picture is of my "huerta", irrigated land, in the valley

This is 300 Euros worth of old dried Eucalyptus wood. We received it this morning and stacked it this afternoon

Tuesday , September 13th., 2011

I have been much more "on the case" today. We had three visitors from Almeria this morning, after which I took the dogs for a walk/run. We went out through the end of the valley where a large earth mover is "creating desert". I did not have my camera with me, so I could not photograph the scene. I will take the camera tomorrow to show you.

Then to Sorbas to get "the shopping" and petrol for the strimmer and Rotavator, lunch, then to Turre with the "old lady dog" taking her to have her baby making equipment removed.

Back here, hola to Ondra and Eva then strimming, then watering and here I am at the keyboard. !! A good day, good vibes, and good to be busy.

Another one day wonder cactus flower, this time from a round spiky cactus, who's name I do not know. The other two photos are of the house, the old picture is from 1990, and the new picture from this evening. !.!

Monday, September 12th., 2011

Good evening all. I have had a super lazy day, more like an extreme Sunday. Nicky and Kuba have gone off to the beach. Robert has gone off to Madrid. Peter and Ivi have been working in the Filabres, and we have not seen Ondra or Eva all day, so I guess they are having a quiet day too. I have been reading King Rat by James Clavell and saying "hi" to various visitors. I feel that I need to "get on the case" again tomorrow. I want to do some strimming and maybe even a little rotavating.!

Still no outlook for more rain. It is, on the other hand, beautiful weather with  Autumnal temperatures, high 20's  and bright sunny days. !

Nashko and I looking at our "mining". Nickie climbing at Leukanaena. Irish Dave climbing, and Ivi at Turre.

Sunday, Septermber 11th., 2011

Good morning all. Greetings from another beautiful sunny day in El Rio. Ondra, Eva, Peter and Ivi are by now, set up on the "Rastro" in Mojacar, continuing the "trouser selling". Dave and Alie will be back from their "European Tour" this afternoon. All in all, things are pretty quiet at present. !

A Sunday mix of Aliens, the Upper Amazon, and an Andalucian Beach. !

Thursday, Septermber 9th., 2011

After Sacha arrived last night, then came Nickie, who had hitch hiked from Germany in 2 days. ! That's got to be quite a record. Had a good day, quiet really.  Mañana Mas. !

This is the actual location of some of "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" movie shots. Next down is a view of "Eagles Head" above Los Molinos, and finally, a social afternoon on the terrace. !

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Thursday, September 8th., 2011

Mihai and Robert have been cutting wood on the small terrace where we used to keep the chickens. Alan has been digging out salt bush roots. Peter and Ivi have been working in the Filabres and are now down in Nijar helping Honsa with a well pump. Filipe is in "babylon" and we expect him back after a few days. Kuba is "parrot sitting", for Dave and Ailie.

Sasha arrived this evening. I have not seen him for many years and it is good to catch up on the news.

Driving into Tabernas, "Spaghetti Western" land where The Good The Bad and The Ugly was made, also The Dalton Brothers, in which we "starred". Next down is nice view from my window. So great to see unspoiled nature. The last picture is of Kuba doing some bead work. He makes beautiful wrist bands.

Wednesday, September 7th., 2011

Another good day. I did some internet work this morning with my Internet friend - see picture. ! Then for a walk/run with the dogs. The light is really clear and the landscape, beautiful.
This afternoon I painted the table again and touched up the paintwork on the doors and windows.Later on  Mihai and Robert arrived from Madrid, so great to see them.
Watering the garden and then coffee with Salva.
Hola to Eva, Kuba and Peter and Ivi over at Graham's house, and here I am. ! A nice full, varied day.

This is my Internet helper. Notice the dust of the desert, and the time stamp. ! We are, after all, living in an oasis.

Not quite up toMira's special insect, however, this one sat on my computer whilst I was typing E mails this morning. !It has great antenae for helping me get the signal. !

This is a picture of Maria and Luggie's house in Albach, Austria. This is where I stay when I am in Albach.I learnt to ski in this village in the late 1960's and subsequently enjoyed army ski race training there. At present they are holding the "Economic Forum". Not much progress there though. !!

Tuesday , September 6th., 2011

Actually yesterday felt more like a Sunday and today has also been fairly quiet. I finished another Ian M. Banks book called Surface Detail. That man is brilliant. His plots are very clever and well thought out and his imagination, phenomenal. !

The weather has been  a bit cooler since the rain, and there is a feeling of Autumn in the air.

Peter, Ivi and Allan on Playa Monsul, near San Jose.

Sunday, September 4th. ,2011

This has been a musical Sunday. We went for a walk down the valley and up along the other side this morning, and this afternoon made music with the Ash Wood Didgeridoo and the Caña Saxaphone. It really does sound like a Saxaphone. !

A Musical Sunday. Flamenco Workshop at Timbes, and an Ash Wood Didgeridoo and a Caña Saxaphone here in the Casa De La Realidad.

Ondra and Eva on the beach at Retamar with their stand and some customers.

Saturday, September 3rd., 2011

Thanks for the greetings from Klatovy. 

We had a ceremony last night with Mira - very good - as ever, deep and insightful. Our theme was consciousness.

This morning I went to Almeria with Peter and Ivi and Mira. We stopped off to see Ondra and Eva at Retamar beach. I will have pictures for you tomorrow.

In Almeria I bought a new washing machine for Tim. We got a good machine at a good price from a shop selling slightly shop damaged machines - full guarantee.

Mira took the bus to Malaga for his next ceremony tonight.

Here again, and some visitors and a very late blog update with my super slow line. !!

An El Rio Frog. !

The Caña Bridge, here in El Rio.

A view in the Amazon rainforest

Friday September 2 cnd., 2011

Well, it rained today. !! I collected "the medicine" from Sorbas this morning in a thunderstorm. It was a good trip on the motorbike. I got well soaked. Internet has been very variable today, hence quite a late post this evening. Later we will take the medicine in the house - outside is very wet and, for us, pretty cold. !! More tomorrow.

There is a feeling of Autumn in the air

At last some rain. !

Thursday September 1st., 2011

I filled the cracks in the table, sanded it down and gave it it's first coat of paint, just in case it rains. !

Oscar came for lunch, so I bought a couple of Melva fishes and baked them in the oven with butter and Ras Al Hannout, a Morrocon spice. Good lunch, good chats.

Ondra and Eva are having a quiet time at Retama - too quiet -  looks like it will get more busy into the weekend. Ondra repaired his generator - "always something ! "

Kuba is "parrot sitting" for David Veevers whilst himself and Ailey deliver 26 dogs to Holland. They will be back in 10 days or so.  

Oscar shelling Almonds

Oscar's farm in February with Almond Blossom

The table has it's coat of primer. !