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!!!! 

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

WHAT A HOTTIE!

A very hot and humid day today, but this evening was wonderful and the humidity seemed to drift away, a little, as a cooler breeze blew in from the North.  

A quick dip in the pool cooled us down - with a few shandy's thrown in!

Not a lot happening at the moment.  More figs are ripening - may try to do more jam.  The grapes are almost ready for picking, but don't taste as sweet as usual!

Will post soon on the fruit situation.

It's Friday again - yippeee.

VIEW OF PORT IN PALMA DE MALLORCA

EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO ANIMALS - WHY DO WE DO IT?

So this week has been rather stressful for us, as a family, here.  As you may, or may not, have read my previous post, you will have seen our lovely, new family member - Pink.  We'd had her for just over two weeks and the friend of mine, that gave her to us, called me with a dilemma of strange irony.

A couple had driven up to her house asking about a little black dog!  It turns out Pink had another family, in fact she quite possibly had a couple of families, including the librarian in the village, who used to feed her regularly, thinking she was a stray.  The couple were devastated to hear that my friend (who actually owned the dog) had given her to us.  This couple, it turned out, was my friend's next door neighbours, neither of them knew each other, and my friend had had no idea that Pink was going there regularly.

To cut a very long story short (there is a lot more to it), I battled with my thoughts for a few days and in the end decided to do what would be best for Pink, not for the couple or for us.  Pink had been with this other family for about 4 years, she'd only been with us for 2 weeks.  She also knew the village she was from very well, and the people in it, she didn't know our area very much at all.  And there were quite a few other factors involved.

Yesterday I met the couple at the veterinary surgery so we could change over the paperwork.  I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, and I didn't expect to feel so upset after just 2 weeks.  My son J is devastated also, I don't think I'd seen him so upset for a long time.  I didn't stay to chat to these people as I couldn't really speak and needed to get home quickly.  My friend appeared at the vet's and helped out with the process of transfer.

Why do we get so attached to our animals so quickly! We get broken hearted, bereaved etc and then we do it all over again! Are we (by 'we' I mean people in general) gluttons for punishment?   

So Pink is now back with who she should be with and although I am happy that she will be happy there, it has been a rather devastating blow! We will certainly be getting another like her (or a little smaller) when we can.

Onward to other things...

Yet another little kitten has died.  It didn't grow and thrive so it must have had a problem inside!

The figs are growing and the grapes are coming along beautifully - I need to put paper bags over them to stop the birds and insects from destroying the crop.

The pool is lovely and clean and great to jump into when the weather is too hot to move!

No photos today and my blog won't be written for the next 10 days or so as we have a very busy time ahead.  

See you all in July.