Raining

I am still getting used to the Galician climate. We seem to get very hot dry summers and very wet relatively mild winters (compared to the UK). I have experienced snow here and frosts and freezing water pipes are usual in winter. At the moment it is raining and has been since the weekend, the house roof leaks but luckily not over any important objects. The goats are miserable as they are in the stables this morning, when there is a brief break in the rain I let them out for a run. Ducks don't care, the ponds are full so they take full advantage. I have been cleaning and de-shucking seeds from their branches. I now have enough coriander seed for the year I hope, Dill, anise and parsley seed are jarred and labelled, and the goats are picking over the dried branches that remain. I haven't blogged recently because life has been a little more chaotic than usual. Tim finally found a job in the UK and has been working hard for a couple of weeks. It is permanent which is not ideal but as everyone knows, with the employment situation being so difficult we didn't feel we had any choice. Temporary contracts were not getting us financially ahead as we had to support ourselves during the breaks in between. We both hope that one day Tim will be able to work from home in Galicia where he belongs.

Meanwhile my winter preparations continue. I have taped plastic freezer bags over the missing panes of glass in the windows to stop the rain coming in. I have sewn a blanket over a stick which hangs from bent nails to use as a curtain. Real curtains go mouldy in the damp climate. I hope I have sown sufficient winter vegetables to provide the bulk of my needs. I have still got beans going, sorrel, chard, lettuce, herbs, cabbage, sprouts, courgettes (still going until the first frosts) broccoli, cauliflower and kale. I have also sown broad beans for spring eating but not got the garlic into the ground yet due to the rain. I have been madly saving as many seeds as I can for sowing in spring. I like to use the Real Seed Company whenever possible which I am unashamedly plugging, their new brochure is coming out in early November. The exploding cucumbers sound fabulous.