CRUEL BLOW, RUNNING AWAY & TURKEYS (written 30 July 2015)

(This post was initially written on the 30th July, but I have only just remembered to post it).

Life has dealt a cruel blow to us recently.  On the 28th June 2015, after a very courageous and tough battle with cancer, C died.

Devastating.

We feel lost even though we have goals to reach, life is about to change dramatically.  We are moving on, although we haven't a definite date yet, but hoping by the end of the year.  J is off to school in the UK and I am sorting and organising as much as I can at the moment so I can follow him over as soon as possible.

J is coping amazingly and apparently so am I, many of my friends have been telling me how strong they think I am.  I have to say that I don't feel it most of the time at the moment.  I would love to run away, but I have too many responsibilities.

The Ruffa Roo and Rex are both fine, although Rex seems to be having a few problems with one of his legs, which he damaged in an accident many years ago - he's getting on a bit now.

I never managed to plant any more veggies, so the land lies fallow for now.  The pool is good at the moment.  We've currently got pears and the figs are ripening.  Shame I don't like figs.  I will have to pass them onto friends and family this year.  I have no time to make fig jam!  

The weather has been exceptionally hot this year, the humidity high, which makes it feel even hotter, everyone is suffering. It is fine if you are on holiday, but when you live here, work and lead a normal life, it's a big struggle to find the energy to keep moving and not flop into a pool or the sea somewhere!

We had some turkeys again.  3 in total, that I bought back in February/March time.  Two black and a white one, they are Mallorquin turkeys - locally known as 'Indiots'.  They are smaller than the usual big white birds we get in the UK etc.  Sadly, the white one escaped and Ruffa ate it!! Horrible - white feathers everywhere! Luckily for me I wasn't here, but sadly for my Mum, she was! She arrived at the finca to find millions of white feathers everywhere - but no turkey - nothing!  Today one of the black turkey's escaped, Ruffa got it again, however, it managed to escape from him and is safely back in it's pen! Turkey's are not the most intelligent animals I'm sure.  He is injured, but I cannot catch him to examine him to see how bad he is.  Perhaps he'll be ok, here's hoping.  I will try to get him tomorrow.

We still have hens producing lovely eggs, I am about to give the turkeys and the hens away to someone, I need to concentrate on getting things organised for the UK.

I am trying to work out how to keep our Ruffa Roo, and get him to the UK.  At the moment it isn't looking too positive, but I won't give up until the last.  I have had an offer of him staying here where he lives at the moment, but if he can come with us, he will, he's my lovely boy, after J of course, even if he does have a taste for live turkey!! 

The cats are as ever carrying on their semi-wild lives out the back of the finca.  There have been many deaths and many births and lots of funny moments in-between.  

This blog will probably stop by the end of the year, but we will see what happens and for now I will try to update when I can.  Once this one stops perhaps I will start another one, about moving back to the UK!!!! 

INTO 2015 WITH A BANG!

Well, another year, HAPPY 2015 EVERYONE.  
It has been a bit of time since writing.  

This winter has been particularly cold (unlike last year).  We haven't had any snow down on the ground in Sa Pobla, although I know there has been some in other parts of the island.  The mountains had LOADS of snow dumped on them, and the chill winds blow freezing air off them down to our town! brrrrrrrrrrr!!

PUIG DE MASANELLA (Mallorca's second highest mountain)

Puig de Masanella (Puig means 'hill' in Catalan - although technically this is a mountain!)

Puig de Masanella

These photos were taken from near our finca in Sa Pobla.  A beautiful sight on a cold but glorious sunny day.  

On to the animals... The hens are all grown up and laying well.  Our cockerel is growing enormous but luckily is still friendly.  I haven't heard him crow very well yet, but I have heard him trying, which seems to be a strange mix of a gurgle/strangling sound and a yodle!  The dogs are fine except Ruffa Roo seems rather sick today - no food for him tonight and we will see how he is in the morning.

We still have no vegetables growing, we will see what the next few weeks brings.
  
Hope to post again very soon.

GOOD RIDDANCE TO DECEMBER 2014 - BRING ON THE NEW YEAR 2015.

December 2014 was a particularly AWFUL month.  After C being away from us for 10 months he arrived home just before J's birthday at the end of November.  C was very thin!  During December we had to cope with my aunt having a heart attack and surgery (which she is recovering well from - a positive thing), then C was diagnosed with cancer - such a shock!  To top off the month a close farming friend died (only 40 years old), he will be very sadly missed by us all.

The medical profession jumped into gear very quickly here and C has now completed the first chemo cycle! extremely nasty stuff.  Second round - 9th of January - HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We are fighting it and hope to bash the hell out of it, we are raising funds to keep us going day to day and medically - isn't life bizarre!

So, to the finca.   Finally the cold has come and the trees have lost their leaves, some of the vines and fig trees (and I dare say other plants) began growing new bright green leaves as November was particularly warm!  Snow covered the peak of Puig Major (the tallest mountain in Mallorca, standing at 1,445m in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range) for the last couple of days but Sa Pobla hasn't had any so far.  It isn't usual for us to get any, we lie in the Pla (plains) which are flat and the damp often hangs upon us like a soggy blanket in the winter! it's heaven when the sun comes out, like today - bright, sunny and cold, but crisp not damp.

Sunrise over the fields

The hens are doing great.  We now have 7 whizzing about the coop with a young cockerel who is enormous already.  His wing feathers sick out at angles! I need to check them and make sure they aren't deformed! He has only one long tail feather, I am hoping he will grow more.  So far, he is a lot more tame than our last one!! Long may that last.  Eggs are plentiful, even in the colder weather which is wonderful.

The dogs are great, Rex is getting much older and seems rather like an old bloke, but then suddenly bursts into a run across the yard barking warnings to the cats to get out of the way of the car.  Ruffa (our boxer) always looks to Rex for guidance and often doesn't bark until he sees one of us or Rex says it's ok to do so. 

We still have no veggies in the vegetable plot.  It is more than ready to receive but unfortunately there is no time for the moment.  I would love some broccoli/carrots etc etc in there.  We will just have to wait.

All the cats that live outside seem to be fairing well.  Several of them have had colds, but have got over them quite quickly.  Puss (who lives indoors - much to the horror of C) also now has a cold, but he is snuggled up near the fire at the moment, so he'll probably recover quite quickly.  We have had to put him back on kitten food as his stomach is so sensitive, adult cat food seems to upset him horribly!! No details required!

Well, as soon as I have any recent pictures to post I will put them up.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.  FELIZ AÑO NUEVO

AUTUMN IS ARRIVING

Another long gap since I wrote anything.  Life has been somewhat hectic of late and the uncharacteristic weather from this summer has contributed, along with work constraints and visits to the UK, to the craziness of life.  

I am sad to say that our final original hen has passed away.  I found her stiff as a board in the hen house on Friday afternoon. I've no idea what she died of, she was not showing any signs of obvious disease. Now I am left with 3 hens who only lay when they feel like it! so rather a shortage of eggs at the moment.  I will probably need to buy a few more hens to get the egg supply going again.  I loathe buying them from the supermarket.

A whole day of rain yesterday - which was good for the land, but dark and dismal for me - means that the earth is soft for planting.  However, I am not sure I have the time on my hands to plant anything this week - we shall see.  I could do with cauliflowers, broccoli and cabbage.

The pool turned emerald green the other week and I couldn't get it back to its wonderful blue colour, so we've emptied it and we'll start again.  

Puss-cat is sleeping in a little more, especially over the last couple of days, he isn't keen on rain!

Puss, having a snooze and chilling out

 As the Autumn is upon us, when it isn't overcast and grey, we are having chilly evening sunsets, some of them are beautiful but I haven't caught a great one yet.

When the skies aren't overcast we are having wonderful Autumn sunsets

 J and I went snorkelling up at La Victoria - there is always lots to see there.  Sea urchins, octopus, lots of different fish, crabs etc.  I don't think we'll be going again this year unless we have another hot spell, but that's doubtful.

A dead sea urchin collected on our final snorkelling trip of the season at La Victoria near Alcudia.

 The farmers are harvesting their corn at the moment and I watched as they gathered it up in the next door field.  Their corn is used for animal fodder.  After the harvest, the field lies bare with only the short stems remaining and we can see over to the poligono (industrial estate) across the fields.

Jess, keeping me company as I watch the harvesting of the corn next door.

Harvest time - this corn is used for animal fodder.

Ruffa Roo waiting for the huge combine to reap the corn

The cloud builds, on a walk with Ruffa in Sa Pobla

FIG JAM

Incredibly, for the first time EVER, I made some jam last night.

Firstly I'd like to say that I had no idea how painful it is to burn yourself with boiling jam! OUCH, but with super-lightening reaction I managed to save a blistered finger - lucky.

The green figs on the tree are ripening and I picked about two kilos of them yesterday late afternoon.
I looked at the pile of figs and, as I don't like them, decided to try my hand at some jam making.  I think it worked well, although, my chief taster hasn't tried it yet.  I shall deliver fresh figs and a pot of jam later today - the jury is still out!  I added some ginger so I hope that gives it a kick, I will definitely try it later.

The figs and grapes are really coming along.  Only some of the grapes have been covered so I hope that the rest don't get eaten by the insects, only time will tell. 

The olives are growing ready for the olive season! I can never remember when that is, we have two olive tress that fruit at different times so it gets a little confusing.

The prickly pears are abundant but won't be ready till they are a lovely pinky colour - again I'm not keen on these fruits, but I know many that are.

PRICKLY PEAR FRUITS - HAVE TO BE PICKED IN A SPECIAL WAY AS THEY ARE VERY, VERY PRICKLY - AS THE NAME IMPLIES!

BEAUTIFUL YELLOW FLOWERS OF THE PRICKLY PEAR PLANT.

We have pears growing by the pool which will be ready very soon and the veggie plot is about to have its soil turned over ready for (finally) some veggies to grow in.

The kittens are growing (what's left of them).  We lost so many this year due to a terrible cold virus they all caught.  Puss cat is doing well and enjoying trying to make friends with the cat family.  He is in quite a bit during the day, but goes off into the fields at night.  So far no sign of him fighting - I hope he behaves himself.

PUSS HELPING ME UNPACK THE SHOPPING!

The hens are fine and the broody one seems to have broken her broodiness, thankfully.  However, I found it strange that I couldn't find any eggs at one point and searched everywhere.  They have been allowed out of their pen and roamed free around the veggie plot and pool area.  In the undergrowth near the pool I discovered a hen snuggled down (looking broody), when I put my hand under her and lifted her off - there were 15 eggs!!! I had to test them all before eating them.  You do this by placing them in a deep bowl (or basin) of water.  If they sink they are good.  If they float - bin them!

THE HIDDEN PILE OF 15 EGGS!!

Add caption

THE POSSIBLE CULPRIT UNLESS ALL 4 HENS BANDED TOGETHER!!

That's it for now.  Back with the verdict on the jam.

CATS, KITTENS, DOGS AND HENS

We have had a crazy time of it recently with various animals appearing, disappearing and joining the family.

Firstly, our four mother cats all had kittens.  In total I think there were 12 kittens.  Sadly 4 died because of sickness etc.  The others seem to be doing OK.

We have had another two new additions to the family also. 

Puss our new indoor/outdoor cat, as you know from the previous post.  Pink has joined us, she is a lovely little dog, her breed is Ratero (possibly mix), she came to us from friends who are about to move to the UK and various people who said they would have her, changed their mind!! My friend's only option was a dog home - or us.  Of course we would have her.  She has been great, but as she has a habit of escaping and disappearing for a week or more at a time, we are keeping a close eye on her.

PINK GOING ON A CAR RIDE TO THE BEACH.

She is quite nervy but terribly sweet and I hope she'll be with us for some time.

A HOT DAY ON THE BEACH. 

PINK MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE KITTENS

AS DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE BEACH, WE WALK ALONG THE ADJACENT STREETS AND PEER AT THE SEA THROUGH THE OCCASIONAL CLUMP OF TREES.

The hens seem happy for now.  We have no veggies growing so they are running about the veggie plot and pecking about quite happily.  We have a broody hen, who I need to do something about still.  But she is feeding and drinking in this warm weather.  About 31 degrees today.

More to follow very soon.

WHERE DID THOSE MONTHS GO?

It has been nearly 7 months since I wrote anything here and so much seems to have happened.

We are still here in Mallorca, for the time being at least.  Life just seems to have taken over and left me no time to concentrate on the blog, but I am hoping to take it up again and leave as many posts as I can.

Animal update: We still have two dogs here, Rex and Ruffa.  We now only have 1 of our original hens but we have another 3 girls as well, the cockerell, as you will know if you have read the blog, has gone - thankfully.  However, we now have a broody hen who will sit on the nest for hours incubating eggs that won't hatch!  I have to lift her off constantly.  Not sure what to do about her yet.  

Cat update: some have gone, some are still very much here, and there are many new additions.  Samuel Sprat comes and goes, and he turned up tonight with loud meows and is currently asleep on one of the kitchen chairs.  He'd been gone for about two weeks and I did miss him.  The lovely Jess has had babies (3) and Pipla, her daughter, has had two, one of which is not right (just like her last ones), we will have to wait and see what happens to that one.  Another girl has had 4 kittens and is keeping them nestled under the log pile in a small nook.  Her name is Mittens, but she is not very trusting of humans and quite feral.  Total number of cats (including kittens) around here at the moment is about 16.  The good thing is that I haven't seen any rats or mice for ages!

The vegetable plot is suffering.  It is full of weeds, which we are tackling next week, and there is nothing growing in it at the moment.  We are going to deal with it and put some chicken manure down, dig it in and plant again.

The pool is still covered because although the sun is warm during the day, the nights and mornings are quite chilly still.  The weather should start hotting up pretty soon.  We had a very mild winter, I didn't even put the rugs down this year, which was probably due to laziness, tiles are so much easier to clean!

Well, I hope I can keep this up again, feel free to nudge me if I don't.

Here are a few pictures of the past 5 months!!

AN OSTRICH AT NATURA PARC - ZOOLOGICAL PARK.

EARLY MORNING SUNRISE

MASSIVE RAIN STORM.  ONE OF THE HENS IS STANDING OUT IN IT - CAN YOU SPOT HER?

JESS WITH HER BRAND NEW KITS

PIPLA IN THE FOOD BOWL, SOAKING UP THE SUN AND HAVING A SNOOZE

POSSIBLY THE WORLDS SMALLEST MANDARIN, GROWN ON OUR TREE.

STREET BONFIRE BUILT AND READY TO BURN.  SANT ANTONI JAN 2014

THE STORM IS COMING.  (AND IT WAS A HUGE ONE).

SA POBLA WINDMILL

SANT ANTONI MAYHEM, ALL THE CHILDREN CHASE THE DEVILS AROUND THE TOWN, THE DEVILS GO INTO EVERY BAR!

And finally.....

OUR 4 GIRLS, PECKING HAPPILY IN THE 'NO VEGGIES, VEGGIE PLOT'.

OLD CATS, NEW CATS AND OTHERS

It has been sometime since my last post, due in part to the craziness of life and also living here in Mallorca.

There are so many things to write about and catch up on that I am sure I won't remember them all, but here we go..

Our cat population increased to 11 in total.  Adolf, if you remember him from previous posts, has managed to see-off Samuel Sprat, which I am very sad about, Samuel was a very loving pusscat and he'll be missed around here, especially in the vegetable plot where he took up refuge, but perhaps he'll come back one day and challenge the moustache off Adolf.  Our lovely old Abuela (grandmother) cat has also been seen-off by the same culprit.  Again, another one that will be missed.  Where she has gone, I have no idea, there is no sign of her.  The two tiny kittens that never seemed to grow stayed very tiny and never really flourished.  They were constantly skinny and bony and even though they ate and drank without any problem it seems there was an underlying fault in their biology.  The little brown and white one passed away the other day and the black and white is wrapped in a blanket in the kitchen as we speak, I don't think he'll make the night.  All really sad, but you kind of get used to living with the ferals' and dealing with life and death as it gets thrown at you.

This week, we had two new additions to the cat clan, both kittens, probably about 5-6 months old, they were bothering a local farmer, so we bought them home.  However, they seemed quite happy for a few days and even fitted in well with the rest of the cat clan, but suddenly they disappeared yesterday.  They may return, unless they belong to someone nearby.

We managed to get two more hens to keep our solo one company.  They are all doing well and laying abundantly.  Don't ask me their names as I can never remember, something like Bertha, Dorothy and Gloria - who knows.  But they are happy and enjoy corn and mixed greens as treats.

The vegetable plot is now ready for rotovating, once done I will lay a layer of compost or dung over the top and leave it to settle for about 15 days, then it will get churned in and then I can begin planting again.

The weather has definitely changed.  We now awake feeling cold, time to get the duvets and heated blankets out of hiding.

The dogs are both great, the pool is now covered, the trees have produced an abundance of figs/pears and oranges this year, amazing.  Next fruits are the olives, which are already growing.  I also need to prune back the vines and the various overgrown fruit trees, but that will wait till its a little colder.

So just to say that we managed to grow tomatoes, aubergines, corn, chillies and other peppers and swiss chard.  All did fairly well considering I didn't water them all as much as I should have! I know for next time.

Pebre Bord - Tap de corti peppers.  These, when they turn red, are picked and hung in the sun to dry, when dried they are ground into a paprika powder and used in the making of sobresada sausage.

The two new girls.

Protected grapes.  The birds didn't get them this year.

Corn

Resting wherever they like! (Mittens)

Some harvest, including a 5 litre bottle of great olive oil from a local farmer.

HEAT, HUMIDITY AND GROWING VEGGIES

Well, a brief catch up.  The last few days have been very warm indeed.  It reached 35 degrees C here at our finca today, and with the high humidity it is a little stifling to say the least!  Numerous cool showers were the order of the day, after I spent most of yesterday feeling ill and overwhelmed from the heat - I forgot to drink enough and with cleaning someone else's finca for them I became overheated! easily done - I suppose.

So, the animals seem to be doing well, the dogs are keeping cool by lying under the orange trees in the dusty earth or in the cooler earth, where the sprinklers from next doors fields have left cool, damp ground.

The hens (what's left of them) are keeping cool under the hen house. I have been sprinkling cool water on the earth for them to bath in.  I am thinking of getting them a mini pool and putting a little water in for them, just to see what they do!  I don't think hens can swim, so it needs to be shallow!  I will get back to you all on how we do with that one!  The feathers are finally beginning to grow back on one of the girls, her back was virtually bare after the cockerel had been at her, but now she is beginning to recover.  The girls are also laying really well, I believe it must have been 'him' that was eating the eggs occasionally!

The cats, all lie about sleepily for most of the day, somewhere shady.  In the bamboo, under trees, amongst a pile of leaves etc.  All the kittens seem to be doing well.

Tomatoes are growing nicely, although they are exhibiting strange markings.  It is either a tomato illness or under/over watering.  I have to research that tomorrow.

All the other vegetables seem to be doing quite well, since we've been watering correctly!  I can't wait to get some new plants in, so I can really see things grow at their proper rate, instead of being water starved!

More updates to come.  Stay tuned. Over 'n' out from a very hot Sa Pobla.

NEARLY BOUGHT A GOAT!

Hello to all.  The weather during the daytime seems to be improving, I am hoping it will now get better and better, not wishing to speak too soon of course.  There is still a breeze which is very springlike but it is bearable.

 So the latest is that we have been discussing getting more chickens as we'd like more eggs, we have people that would buy them so it would bring in a few more pennies each week.  ALSO.. C & I went to Sineu market on Wednesday this week - just to browse of course.  I love going to look at the animals they have to offer, always wishing we had much more room and perhaps a field or two! 

We still have to finish off the portable chicken run, for new hens etc, the cockerel (The Corsican) is still alive, most of you will be pleased to know.  We may just trade him for a more docile chap.  We saw some very lovely looking cockerels at the market, most seemed to be a Menorcan breed.

So, I was looking at the sheep, dreaming that I'd one day be the proud owner of such lovely beasties, and then I saw the goats.  The photo is of a bigger breed than I'm considering.  

A Possible new friend!! 

On the way home we chatted about the impossible task of where we would even put a goat, without the dogs getting her! We are still thinking about that one...

We have had our first barbecue this year, homemade burgers, sausages & jacket potatoes followed by marshmallows..mmmmm.

Old Abuela waiting for a tasty treat.

J toasting a marshmallow.

The safareig filling up.  Fresh water for the carp.

UNPREDICTABLE MARCH

Not much to report at the moment.  The weather is very unpredictable with it being about 18 degrees one moment and the following day only about 12 or less.  Apparently we are expecting more snow on the mountains and I have reports from Puerto Alcudia of snow falling yesterday! yikes. The sun is out here in Sa Pobla for the moment, but there is quite a lot of cloud about.  

No new planting as yet, perhaps in another week.  We had our first cauliflower yesterday for lunch - delicious although it was a bit small.  

The hens are still laying, which is great and I am supplementing their feed with blended veggie cut offs, stale Weetabix and a few oats, they seem to love it mixed up with their corn.

I'm happy to report that the rice husks are proving a godsend on the ground and so far neither the hens or us have any problems with the dust from it.

There are many spring flowers out on the island now and it is very beautiful.  Almond blossoms, large headed daisies in whites and yellows and the poppies are out now also - lovely.  

A stroll across the Albufera

View down one of the lanes on the Albufera national park.

On a walk in Puerto Alcudia

The irises coming out.

Our first cauliflower this year.  Small but perfect - yummy.

Puerto Alcudia, lovely sunny March morning

The cats all snuggled up from the chill.  Adolf, Samuel Sprat and Pipla.