Sun & Sea

Summer’s arrival has brought us a truly magnificent gift – sunny warm days and the cool sea just minutes away. We have been swimming almost daily at the swimming area just a five-minute walk away and appreciating the little changes from day to day…the cycles of tides, the still days and big surf days, the occasional troublesome jellyfish incursions…

The above photos are from the swimming area in the neighboring village of Biscoitos. Despite having visited many times through the year it has been amazing to see it come to life in the summer – more sea life, more shades of blue, more tourists. Even the novelty of walking across the plank bridge to further lava field swimming areas. We are proud to share that we FINALLY jumped from the high ledge into the “Belo Abismo” (beautiful abyss) area that consists of a channel 24-30 feet deep that cuts through the lava rocks and allows for some spectacular diving (below: Raymond and his mother there back in April).

Tree Trimming

In an effort to bring more sun to the orchard, we cut down a few trees growing along the banks of our stream. First down was a tall Australian blackwood tree that unfortunately fell on a banana tree, destroying its bunch of bananas. Next down was a nightshade tree (also Australian, also invasive) that is an especially troublesome tree here – their brittle branches break easily and, along with their leaves, are covered with irritating hairs that cause a rash (they also smell like gasoline…). Lastly we cut down a smaller blackwood tree that was shading the passionfruit vine and the terrace. With some additional cutting back of the wild cannas we had planted (on the left) and our neighbor cleaning up his hillside, the yard is feeling really open and airy!

Garden Progress

Our little watermelon patch is doing really well! We planted them around the stump of the “cherry” tree we cut down last year (we have since learned it was actually a plum tree). The butternut squash are taking shape on the uppermost terrace – it’s unbelievable how large the vines are! The collards have been cut back to provide more light for the beets and carrots in the lower terrace, while the black-eyed peas are vining like crazy on the middle terrace, and some yellow pear tomatoes are ripening on the upper terrace. Lastly, the fig tree has really taken off in the last month or two. It has lots of new leaves and a few side branches forming.

Front Wall

The stone wall that runs along our driveway and parking area was in need of a little help. A few of the rocks had become loose or fallen out allowing rain to flow through the wall towards the stream (above photos, left and center). So we filled the gaps with small rocks and, batch by batch, cemented the entire length of the wall. Afterward, we went over it again with a smooth stucco.

Back Wall

The property line with the neighbor’s hillside is not well defined along the orchard. There is evidence of an old stone wall but it was overgrown with vines and collapsed in places. It has been a lot of work clearing the vines, digging up mounds of invasive ginger, and consolidating rocks. We are looking forward to continuing the rebuilt wall section, completed last Fall, all the way to the back of the property.