July '12

No. 11
They have started putting on the sand coloured Pavistamp render on the road side wall this month. The kitchen area has got the framework for the suspended ceiling that hides all the plumbing from the ensuite bedroom above.

The floors are being put down now, with the "Ulldacona Marble" or polished limestone for the hall, lounge, stairs and landing, with tiles for the kitchen, terraces and all the ground floor. The garage will be polished concrete. The window bars and balcony railings and banisters are all being made by Amadeo, the village metal worker. Our neighbour Salva is painting them a metallic bronze

House ?
Is our new puppy.
We have always wanted to get a dog to live at No. 11, as it has been 6 years since our staffies died. There are two dogs that live under Bar Mario and they had had 5 puppies in May. We said we would take one when it was about 8 weeks old and on the 14th July, we picked up our new puppy and took him home. He is called "House" as he was always called the "house dog" after we picked him out.

The first couple of weeks with him had me sleeping on the sofa with one hand in his crate so that he could chew on it when he was lonely. Soon after that he was sleeping on his own, with just a couple of night-time pee breaks. He obvoiusly loves us, is intelligent and very friendly, especially with other dogs. Also, he is happy to get in the car to go to and from the finca or Tortosa if he has to see the vet, which is great. All in all a great little addition to our life.

Finca time
Lemon grass and fresh ginger are growing well down at the finca this summer. The cherry tomatoes have been amazing as usual. The chillies have been rather interesting as they started out green, then went purply/black for about a month or so, before turning red. The purple peppers were an experiment, but seem better as an ornamental plant rather than an eater.

The grass in the background of the centre picture is the Lemon Grass and the aroma is quite unbelievable when it is fresh. We have lots more growing for next year, so we hope to be self sustaining in it now on, as with the ginger which is the bamboo looking stuff growing in two pots in the first picture above.

Ouch
My third wasp sting of the year resulted in a bit of a fat hand. The swelling did get worse (I had to open the silver braclet 1/2" as it was constricting my forearm), before it subsided. May Budda forgive me for spraying the hell out of the nest they had made in my tractor trailer in retailiation.

June 2012
August 2012

PB