Some beautiful views and my doggie friend Fidel.

 Fidel, now nearly 7 months old.

 Well, this is a dry year. !!

 An unusual view looking South and East down the valley towards Mojacar.

The "five star" compost toilet is progressing.

 The base and "receiving chambers" are built. Notice the nice arches.

 The floor is ready to be made, and the concrete to be poured.

Jochan and Leo smoothing the newly laid concrete.

Hot dog, Kuba strimming and a view of the old mill tower used 70 years ago to drop water down ino a turbine building to supply DC electricty for El Rio and Sorbas.

 Hot Dog

 Kuba Strimming

An interesting view of the old mill tower

A look at our environment from a distance, and then a picture from inside the valley. !

 I recently received a picture from Kabul. This looks similarly wild and dry. !

In our Oasis things look very different. !

Dogs on a rock face. !

 Dashinka trying out her mountaineering skills

Princessa taking the lower route.

In the foreground, cleaned strimmed terraces. In the background you can see the river full with caña.

Kuba has done a brilliant job of strimming the terraces. This is a fire protection necessity. !

Moving the tanks for rainwater collection.

 One ton rain water collection tank on the move.

The rain water collection tanks in place. And now - the rain. !!

House and Garen

 The garden and strimmed terraces up to the house.

The garden.

A view lookig from the North end of the valley, looking South. You can see the Casa De La Realidad on the right and the path leading down to the gardens. Today Nashko and I have been working on the Irrigation Line. We have improved the flow. Kuba is strimming and is doing a fabulous job. The valley has not been so "clean", I would say, for at least a half century.! Mihai and Igor and Andreea and Patricia have been raking the grass. Teresa and Ivi have been cooking. "Irish" and Silviu are working in the gardens. In short, we are all keeping happy and busy. !!

Not a cloud in the sky. !! Around 29 degrees C. forecast for today

This is El Rio De Aguas above the "spring" line. The river is still flowing in our "Oasis", and we have enough water for the gardens and the houses in the village. Temperatures continue to be lower than in previous years and it is very DRY. !!

Pepa is cutting the cement / fibre corrugated base for the tiles. The roof will be caña, on top of which the cement forms, and on top of the cement forms, the old tiles, thus maintaining the "old look", and creating a strong "water tight" roof.

 Pepa cutting the roof "plaquas" prior to screwing to the beams, over the caña.

5 little swallows about to "fly the nest".

New guttering for rain collection.

 Fixing the new white guttering

Waiting for rain. !!!!!!

Nasko candle making.

 Pouring the wax

Removing the candle from the caña mold.

Harley Donkinson on sand delivery

Pepa is getting ready to set the first beam

Today we may have the warmest day so far this year. We are forecast 30 degrees. Recent temperatures have been in the top teens by day and quite often below 10 degrees by night. I think Summer is just starting this week.

 Start of the second day on our roof replacement work.

Today we started to replace the roof of Femia's backroom.

 The tiles from the old roof, ready to be replaced.

 The old roof has gone. ! Big clean up. !

 Dashinka under one of the new beams on the move.

Pepa is in the light.

Peter is taking off the leaky roof from the battery box.

New fuse boxes for the Solar Panels. Each group of 2 panels will be fused, so, 10 fuses, bringing in 60 to 70 volts through each fuse. James and Peter are doing a first class job. More photos to follow.

Pepa cutting a "groove" in the wall for the new cables for the Solar Electricity System.

New, enlarged solar oven is taking shape with entrance for pots from the back and not from the top. The top will be doubled glazed and we will have a second plywood box inside the first box, insulated with sheep's wool, and then a metal box over the inside plywood box. The metal box will be painted black. I am looking for 200 degrees centigrade. ! My other box does 125 to 150 degrees centigrade. !

Nicki varnishing the new kitchen stools.

Enrique, Leo and Daniel creating arches for the new Compost Toilet

Spring Time pictures on April 17th 2012

We had a "washout" on this terrace wall. Mihai and Lenny have started renovation work.

 Flowers on the Yurt terrace

The new compost toilet is growing.

The puppies are getting bigger. !

Waste water again. !!!!! Cleaning the gravel beds and laying the foundation for our new compost toilet.

 The foundation for our new compost toilet, being built by Leo and Jochan.

Gardening Action and GRASS.

The incredible sprouting pineapple. !

 Dashinka and the incredible sprouting pineapple. !