Moringa Decisions and other outdoors.

26- 29 December 2019

 Every year, around now, we have lost our Moringa crop.  Although this year, two trees regrew from the previous year's roots.  So do we leave them alone, or try to protect them as the weather gets colder?  We decided to experiment.  One tree we cut to about 12 inches high, and the other we have left to take its chances.  We'll see how it works out.

   The cut pieces looked quite lively, so I filled two deep pots and stuck them in soil.  It is the wrong time of year, but there's a slim chance they'll grow roots in the warmth of the Solarium

The photo above shows the Moringas we have grown from seed this Autumn.  If we can keep them alive a few more months they will have a head start in Spring.

 Dave completed the water butt plumbing.  Its a very severe white, I might paint some leaves or something on it.

 In the garden, after three hoeings, the top Moringa bed was mostly weed-free, so we put five bags of goat manure on to keep the soil warm.  This is the bed with the unprotected Moringa tree.

 The tree had already lost its growing tip, we think to rats climbing the nearby apricot.  The two trees that survived last winter were ones that had come up very close to mature trees, and may have benefited from their microclimate.

 The other Moringa, under the old pear tree.  Under polythene stretched over water-pipe hoops and held down with bricks.

Down on the hugel mound, the six self-seeded apple trees were vigorously pruned, hopefully to make them stronger and maybe productive.

Continuing our festive walks, friends Malin and Michael came to visit on Boxing Day and we walked about 5km including a sea-front stop in Nidri for coffee.  Malin was so impressed with our freshly whitewashed house that she gave us a lipstick kiss on the wall

 x

Festive Doings

21-25 December 2019

The festive season is upon us, and we aren't planning anything special.  Just a meal for two on the day, and let everything else arise as it will.  No presents (some money to the grandchildren), no fuss, hopefully no (plastic) waste.

 Rosa asked for volunteers to take part in a video she is making, so we went to Lefkas sea front on a blustery Saturday morning, which was interesting, and nice to see people unexpectedly.  We have been going to Rosa's Fun Pub Choir for the last few Tuesdays, learning a pop or rock song in two parts in each session.  Lots of fun, and a nice group of people.

 The next day being Sunday, we determined to have our usual walk, despite mildly threatening weather.  How bad could it be? we asked ourselves and set out for a 3km roundabout walk to Nidri, with the promise of Sunday lunch at a restaurant on the sea front when we got there.  

 All went well, until half way through lunch, when the weather really started.  We took advantage of a brief lull to get to a pub a little nearer home, but that might have been a mistake ... Eventually the rain stopped and we walked home, but were quite hungover the next day.

 Christmas Eve, and Dave wanted to finish the downspout from the Solarium roof.  We decided to use this barrel as a water butt, but I didn't want the black/red colour up against the Solarium white wood.

 So my job was to paint it.

 Meanwhile, it being Christmas Eve, I retrieved our tree stand from storage and put in this sprig from one of the trees cleared near the new car parking.  I must have some baubles somewhere ...?

A perfect iris spotted on our track when we went out for Christmas morning jollity at Bill's Bar in the village up the hill.

 While inside, rose and buds from our bushes that needed pruning, but these were too good to compost.

By the end of the day - a very unfair photo of Dave (sorry Dave!)

Clearing the back

19 - 20 December 2019

As the track is too spongy for big trucks, we can't get any sizeable deliveries.  I need stones for dry-stone walling and terracing, but they can't be brought to us yet.  So we focused on the view out of the kitchen window and did more clearing.

 The fence was finished, and Zed put a little overhanging roof on it, so that tools can be stored neatly under cover at the back.  At last, a proper place for the scaffolding and garden stuff.  Very pleased.

 Dave worked on fitting guttering in the only remaining un-guttered area - the front of the Solarium.

 While I stacked the unused decking wood neatly away, and dismantled some of the spaghetti irrigation hoses.  This cleared the area enough for me to start planning the layout I want here: barbeque, sink, raised beds, seating areas, and suchlike.

Disappointing crops

18 December 2019

We're not growing very much at this time of year, although we have tried a few things. 

We planted cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli, but only the red cabbages are surviving slug attack, and they are not so cheerful, either.  We put carrot, parsnip and turnip seeds in the new raised beds, but everything was eaten except some turnips in one of the beds.  Dave transplanted a few seedlings to thin them out, but those got eaten too.  Slug defences will be required, when we start serious growing.

We tipped out a pot that has had turmeric in it for about three years, expecting a massive yield, but it was extremely skimpy.  Obviously year-round neglect has stressed it out too much. 

 The flourishing turnip bed.  But whenever we move any seedlings to the other bed, they disappear.

 The turmeric harvest.  Not impressive.

But the artichokes are looking healthy, and the salad bed is very happy, with rocket, parsley and a little kale providing winter greens straight from the ground.

Out with the Old

16 December 2019

We have been taking Sundays off and going for a walk either through the olive groves, or down to the sea in Nidri, taking in a coffee at Elite en route.

We did this on the 15th, and bumped into Shrimpy, someone we haven't seen for some time, and I thought to mention our old generator, the big one that has been badly chewed by rats, and which put Dave's shoulder out every time he tried to pull start it.  Anyway, it turned out Shrimpy really needed a generator, and being a mechanic, was quite happy to take on ours with all its troubles.  We are just happy for it to go to a good home, and to clear some of the space we now need for the car.

 The area behind Dave at work with the wood chipper has two generator boxes.  The nearer one is a re-purposed triangle chicken hut.  Just behind it is the big, brown generator box, with the old diesel monster and lots of rat droppings in it.  

 On one of our walks - we discover that bigfoot is alive and well and living in Nidri!

 After Shrimpy appears and removes the big generator, we move the smaller one into the big box, and move the chicken hut away - either to reuse if we introduce chicks, or to dismantle and burn.

 The cleared area - pipes and wires buried in a trench.  Lots more room for the car and a lot tidier.

 Our gates have arrived, but they were measured badly, and one side doesn't swing open, so they are propped up against the fence waiting for someone to fix them.

 Meanwhile, our land gapes open at the mercy of passing sheep.  

Not that much is growing, but they might eat our turnip-babies.

 The house wall after thorough wire brushing - looks very smart.

 Dave's updated one-way cat-flap.  We have been plagued by a random black cat that comes in at night, clears the cat bowls, sprays the territory, and sleeps on our sofa.  It had to stop.  So Dave improved the one-wayness of the cat-flap, making it now impossible for a large cat to lift the flap from outside.  Our cats can get out through it, so they aren't stuck indoors with no litter tray. 

It turns out that the little black female is dextrous enough to get back in on her own too, which is a relief, because she's very nervous and likes her comforts.

 Stone flags cover the pipe trench to the rain barrels

Dave and I start on the fence to screen the barrels from the kitchen window, and provide a tool store.

Off to Kalamos with Lefkogaia

15 December 2019

Out of the blue, we were invited to come along on a trip to Kalamos island, on behalf of Lefkogaia, where there was to be a talk to school children about recycling, and a bicycle repair effort to encourage make do and mend.  We met up with others in Lefkas and drove round to Mitikas to take what we expected would be a ferry ...

 But turned out to be a building materials and truck shuttle.  Still, we were out on the water and it was lovely

 We pulled into a little bay with an unloading ramp, for the Lefkogaia van, not very close to the only town on the island.  Wonderful blue-green sea in the bay, but an absence of taxis ...

 Until we found out that's what the pick-ups were!

Lucy, Elena, Dave and others in farmworker transport

and me!

After the talks, Dave, Panos, Lucy and I did what we could with the kids' bikes.

Various works

8-12 December 2019

It was all go at the house in warm sunny weather.  Lots of helpers and masses of things done.

 Dmitris and Panos were back to varnish the exterior woodwork

 Dave was raking the track over the ruts after every foray out and back.  The car was now making it in one go, taking it easy, as the track compacted each time.  We found this fabulous bug on one expedition to check conditions - it was very cross at being scrutinised and waved its tail end at us.

 I started work on terracing the sloping bank in front of the Solarium.  I have long wondered what to do with this bit of the land, and suddenly realised that it would be perfect for annual vegetable beds, as there are few trees in this area.  Not quite a front lawn, but far more useful.

 Dave started piping up the downspouts off the music room roof.

 With all the made-up limewash around, I finally got to paint our citrus tree trunks white - it dismays ants and will stop crickets eating the bark off later in the year.

 One day we were out all morning, with the house locked up.  When we returned and opened up the Solarium doors into the house, the gauge was showing a temperature of 41 degrees.

 Dave was digging and working near the chicken pen, which had them all clucking excitedly.  I noticed that there was an amazing amount of fresh greens just outside their door, so I set up some netting, and let them at it.

 Carrying on piping ...

 ... and piping ...

 ... until feeling pipped!

 

 The ramp up to the back door is finished too

 Panos and Dmitri wire-brush all the stonework on the base wall.  This has needed doing since it was plastered.  It looks much more spruce without lumps of plaster dribbled all over.

 Working water collection tanks.

Phew!  What a week.