Catching up

ETA:  Even more apologies for not replying to your lovely comments.  It´s an issue of logging in to Blogger through Google, I think.  But I have yet to figure out how to get around it.  Sorry!


Apologies for not posting in so long.  I´ve been busy with the flower farm and trying to minimize the destruction of the puppy princess.  Add to that ongoing family drama and there´s little time for blogging.


We´ve had a very unpredictable spring in terms of weather.  Heat waves in February and May, lately cold snaps and ¨cyclogenesis explosivos¨ or cold front rainstorms with high winds.  We even had a frost yesterday, in the middle of June.

It seems to me that I´ve been blogging about the garden for so long, and I don´t want to bore those who aren´t interested.  I have been visiting florists and the reception has been generally positive, though orders are non-existant.  I need to work on selling.

The latest culinary project is chive infused vinegar.  Very simple to make, it´s about 1 cup of chive flowers to 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar.  Crush the flowers (fresh and not too past their peak) before adding the vinegar.  Let sit 2 weeks at room temperature in dark storage.  Strain and ready for use on salads.  It turns a beautiful pink color.  I´m going to give more thought to edible flowers.

Briga continues to be a challenge at eight months.  Now weighing in at 30 kilos, her latest obsession, aside from digging and stealing footwear to chew on, is climbing.  We found her up on the ¨roof¨ of the barn the other day.  V nearly broke his neck getting her down.  At least the enclosure around the flower patch is finished and seems to be working.  Fingers crossed.

In other news, there are projects on the horizon.  I desperately need a space to store craft stuff and process harvested flowers, so I´m studying the Swedish empire catalogue for cabinets to finish the laundry area.  And we may finally see progress on the barn this summer.  Stay tuned.

Galicia remains bewitchingly beautiful, and thankfully far away from the horrors which dominate the news.  I´ve planted tomatoes, onions, carrots and green beans, along with more flowers.  The roses have been particularly spectacular this year. We have firewood that should see us through the end of the year.  Breo continues to be a miracle of patience and loyalty, especially when I´d like to strangle his little sister.

2018 in Review

It´s time again for that year in review post.

I´m afraid not much on the list of 2018 got done - again.  Once again, economics got in the way of the bigger projects.

No well.
No barn.
No laundry room.

But, I did make progress on the flower farm.  Didn´t sell anything at the market as they have a waiting list and a 2 page long list of administrative requirements, but I gave away several nice bouquets to neighbors (bonus points for social engagement), had lots for guests over the summer, started up an Instagram account, refocused the Romanesca Facebook page and got actual enquiries from other businesses.  Met some guys in Pontevedra who are absolutely deeeelightful and have exactly the same interests in wild, organic flowers and greenery that I do.  They are keeping me sane and giving me hope.  If you´re in Pontevedra check out Indigobygm.  And, I´m in a Whatsup chat with several other women who are flower farming around Spain, so I can ask questions and get experienced answers.  Thank you social media!  Did a lot of reading and planted a bunch of seeds and bulbs/corms in the fall for Spring 2019.

And Breo is now enrolled in school at Montegatto, in Oza dos Rios.  We´ve signed up for 10 classes with the trainer, who will help us out on basic obedience and getting him to cooperate a little more on the leash.

And finally, we brought home Briga!  She is growing apace, and starting to settle down into a good puppy.  Not quite so much ferocious biting, lots more tail wagging and we´re tremendously relieved she sleeps through the night now.  We´ll be applying what we learn with Breo to her, and hope to have 2 well-behaved, well-adjusted canine companions by summertime.

In the meantime, we´re stocking up on more firewood during this frosty spell.  Now looking at two weeks of rainy weather, and so, so much more weeding to do.

And started some sweet pea seeds for planting out in a few weeks.  Onward and upward.

Presenting the new Intern

Salutations and well met!

It is I, Breogán, Chief of Security and I have commandeered the glowing screen device to inform the wider public that I am happy to announce that I´ve finally gotten a staff increase approved by management.  It is my great pleasure to introduce our new intern, Brigantia, Pearl in the Crown of the Ancient Kingdom of Galicia.

She has mastiff credentials on her mother´s side with additional guarding qualifications in German Shepherd (and I suspect from his impressive mustachios, some wire-haired gryphon tracking aptitudes, as well) from her father.  All in all, she brings the whole package to the mix. She comes to us highly recommended and I´m sure will be an invaluable addition to the operation.

She is quite young at eight weeks, but you can never start too early with a new recruit and I fully expect her to be assisting in standard investigative and monitoring operations within a few months.  I will, of course, personally oversee her progress and initiation into the mysteries of the Mastiff Code and ongoing training in critter patrol, bone hiding/rotation and ball keep-away.

In the meantime, please join me in woofing her a warm welcome to the team.

Constant vigilance!

A courteous canine wag of the tail to all.

Breogán, The Belligerant, Bone Crusher, Cat´s Bane, Celtic Cur
Head of Security

Catching up

A potpourri of recent activities.  The rhubarb continues to bloom.  This is for all of you who prefer your rhubarb in nice red stalks, just so you know what a blooming plant looks like.

Also, they came and finished the installation of the stove hood.  There was a lot of grinding and a strong smell of ozone in the kitchen when they finished, but it does the job.   I might not have used white silicone caulk, but it´s done.  Now I really want a steel plate to cover the hole in the wall where the stovepipe goes to the chimney.

And since there was a sudden break in the weather, and we´re now getting 24C/80F and sunshine, the mud has turned to cement.  The pasture grass came back while the rain was falling, so I´ve gotten some black plastic and weed fabric spread to try some occultation weed control until I can get to making the remaining many, many raised beds.

In the meantime, I got a start on planting the roses that were languishing in their pots.  Th fence posts are in, but I haven´t found a local source for plastic rolled fencing to keep Breo out of the garden and provide a little wind break.

Speaking of Breo, it is such a joy to see him galloping around like his old self.  We´re still pondering finding him a little sister to play with, since he thinks I go outside just to throw him the ball all morning.

And lastly, as I was giving him some well-deserved tummy scratches, he swiped me with a paw and managed to scratch my eye.  I guess my reflexes aren´t what they used to be.  So I´ve spent the last few days recovering in piratical fashion with eye patches, and applications of antibiotic ointments and eye drops.  The good news is I got a tetanus booster in the process so I can fling manure and compost around with even more abandon.

Goals for 2018

New year, new goals (some old).

1.  Find and refurbish the well out back because...

2.  I´m going to try selling some flowers and herbs at the Sunday market.  On a very reduced scale, barely 1/8 of an acre at first, and if there´s any potential, grow from there.  Gallegos are famous for only spending money on what they can eat, hence the herbs, but these days, who wouldn´t want a little joy in a vase on the kitchen table?  And, even if I don´t sell so much as a single stem, all the infrastructure and soil building can be re-directed to veg, and as a bonus we´ll have the prettiest garden in the county.  Original Crazy Idea post from way back in 2012 here.

3.  Refurbish the barn.  I´ll still need a studio and some space for processing the flowers, stow tools, stack firewood, etc.

4.  Finish the laundry room/pantry with a sink and a countertop and some shelving.  As I gear up for more food preservation, I need room to store more stuff.

5.  Get Breo some training.  He´s now healthy and strong and acting up on walks again.  Also, we´re thinking about getting a second dog to give him someone to play with and tire him out a little.  But he´s not a great example of an obedient pet, which is entirely our fault, so some classes and guidance are going to be necessary first before he´s in charge of training a new companion.

The flowers from 2017

Darcey Bussell

All in all the flowers did great this year.  There will be some moving around of things that are too big for their spots and things that aren´t thriving, but that will have to wait for colder weather.  William Morris just hung his head and looked pathetic all summer, so he´ll need some shade.  Darcey Bussell bloomed well, as did Munstead Wood who needs and deserves a better spot.  Falstaff lost his leaves in September, he may be tired of being in a pot.

The Roses

Comtesse

Don Juan

Roses old and new all did well.  It was a hot, dry summer so foliage suffered.  Blackspot arrived and stayed. 

Bremer Stadtmusikanten

Apricot Nectar

Special note to Eden (Pierre de Ronsard), famously stingy and slow growing, who pumped out no less than 4 flushes from his pot.  To be planted on a yet to be built arbor around the veg patch.

Eden

 

A new problem appeared, in some beetles, first irridescent green, then black that started eating the light colored, fragrant roses.  First spotted on the unknown white in June.

unknown

 

They then hit Sharifa Asma and Molineaux, leaving the blooms half eaten.  By that time, the giant white dahlia  My Love was blooming and acted like a beetle magnet.  Since it´s too big for it´s spot, and I´d rather not have the roses chomped, it will get moved.  Fortunately, it´s also very attractive for all kinds of bees and butterflies.

The Dahlias

Dahlia Cactus ¨My Love¨

Dahlia Decorativa ¨Duet¨

Dahlia ¨Black Prince¨

Planted some bulbs from the Ag coop.  Two of the three came up - Pompom was a no-show.  Also, since I loved Black Prince from last year, I dug up the roots, separated and stored them for spring and then planted them around the place.  They mostly survived OK, but are very floppy.  I love that burgundy color.  I don´t believe I´ll bother digging this year, except for the giant white beetle attractor.

Others

Indigo bloomed, despite suffering from the drought.  Now waiting to see when I should harvest for seeds for next year.

Some surprise fall-blooming gladiolas showed up.

The marigolds were crazy this year.  I´m gathering flower heads to try some experiments with natural dyeing.

I have to note that I´m really having a hard time working up any enthusiasm for the long list of redoing beds or moving things around.  I need to put up some more wires to tie the climbing roses who are actually climbing.  The iris need digging and separating and several other things moved but that can´t happen until I free up some bed space somewhere else.  We have the number of a guy with a tractor to till up a section of the pasture for veg next year, but that area will then have to be amended and turned into beds.  There will be leaves to be gathered and spread.  I have to get more manure from the horsey place, which will then need deep mulching to keep grass from sprouting.  I´m tired thinking about it.

And, Breo went back for surgery on his other knee and is now hobbling around the house needing attention.  He had a bad first night, but since then has cheered up and started showing some more spark.  It helps that we´ve been through the procedure before and know a little more what to expect, but we still stress out about his welfare.  Keeping him relatively still is nigh unto impossible.

So, blogging may be haphazard until the new year.  But in any case, I wish everyone a Happy Halloween, Blessed Samhain and fall season.

The Breo Report

Saludos,

this is Breogán, chief of security, reporting from operation Fogar de Breogán, or ... my house.

Commandeering the glowing screen thingy after the shocking lack of reports on my convalescence.  I´m now 13 days post surgery for my torn anterior cruciate ligament.  The injury was sustained on duty while in pursuit of a suspected intruder of the fluffy tail variety, and left me limping and unable to adequately fulfill my duties.  Rapid pursuit was out of the question.  I could barely confront strangers who approached the compound perimeter.  Constant vigilance!

Fortunately, my team have mostly stepped up and are coping during my recovery.  The female staffer is a keeper.  By that I mean housekeeper, groundskeeper, gate keeper and bookkeeper (while I am monitoring evening neighborhood movements, she reads a book.)   She is also the keeper of the bones, which I am gratified to note, have not been lacking.  With my movements strictly curtailed, I would go stir crazy without something crunchy to snack on.  Despite my injury, buried bone rotation policy is strictly enforced on an ongoing basis.  She also monitors my bandages, and provides physical therapy in the form of tummy and back scratches which are greatly assisting in my recovery.  Perhaps that´s the reason for blog-silence.

The male staffer is the operation´s PR person.  I deduce this from the hours he spends talking loudly on the phone and looking at the glowing screen.  But, to his credit, he has stepped up patrol frequency, at least as far as the patio, and continues night shifts which started when I first came home from the operation. In addition, he has provided activity objects which allow me to hone my crushing, rending and tearing skills.

Primarily, my duties now consist of supervising the female staff as she excavates and providing alerts, should vehicles or individuals approach.  Although long range reconnaissance is impossible at this time, local patrols and perimeter checks continue on a regular basis.  Communication channels remain open with auxiliary outposts in the surrounding territory and alarms duly repeated as necessary.  Constant vigilance.

The stitches came out Friday, and a case of rash has precluded more bandaging.  The vet staff have been universally impressed with my physique and forebearance.  The now regulation applications of sticky stuff on and around the injury are a constant temptation to self-cure by licking.  I know I´m not supposed to take measures into my own paws, and when I can´t help myself, the staff bring out the collar of shame.  I hate that.  So undignified.

I fully expect to begin extending patrols for longer distances next week.  In the meantime, I am happy to report that I was finally provided with a sofa worthy of the name on which to recover.

A cordial wag of the tail to my canine comrades.  Keep to the Mastiff code.

Signing off,

Breogán, Bonecrusher, Cats Bane and Celtic Cur.

May showers, May flowers

Finally had a few showers, mostly during the night.  There was a downpour with some hail earlier this week, which didn´t help people with grape vines who suffered a frost a week ago, but didn´t do any damage here.

Seeds still germinating.  The squashes have been potted up, waiting for new beds which will require a trip to the horsey place for manure.

Got the tomato panels up and some RAF and some Santiago black tomato starts planted.

Gave up on the parsnips and turned the bed that will be peppers.  Ate the garlic scapes in a scramble and a stir fry.  Now, enjoying fresh salads, too.

Calima bush beans transplanted.

And FINALLY the potatoes showed. Whew!

Iris are still going.

Don Juan looks spectacular.  Unsurprisingly, I´m a little in love with him.

V couldn´t wait and planted some annuals in the beds around the old oven.

An unknown rose, fighting with the old grapes for a space.  Unfortunately, no scent.

The unknown pink rose that climbs the crabapple.  She smells really good.

Breo enjoying a sunny break.  Judging from the dirt on his nose, he´s been in the veggie plot again.  Must arrange more secure fencing.