sUmMeR tiMe...

This has been a reeeeally hot summer... one of my excuses not to write so often on my blog :-) eh, eh... but it's true, it's really discouraging to write during siesta when it's most hot, or in the evenings when I'm basically exhausted...
anyway, just wanted to catch up with the last month before I have another bunch of things to share...
After the time in USA I had lots of work to do here... mainly cutting grass/weeds to prepare the camping area for the permaculture course participants, and to open up the walking paths... at the same time I would use the same cuttings to mulch most of the trees...
I had to say that I had lovely visits who helped me on that...

while Lina was in Germany, visiting friends and going to the Freakstock Festival
Ulli, my sister butterfly from Germany :-)... just dropped by for few but very "filling" days :-)...it's always nice to see her... chat about life, praying, and this time working together...
I also thought it was the right time for me to get a motor strimmer... what a help... it was already worth the investment...
I had a very short visit from Cate, whom I only knew by e.mail through crazy brother Eric... she lives between India and Israel, in different seasons :-) depending on the monsoon or the next rainbow gathering...
not so long after she left, Miriam (who actually lives in the same community in India with Cate) came to spend a couple of weeks... it was such a lovely time... we had so many nice conversations... I received so much wisdom from her... It's a pleasure and a refreshment for me to be with older people... she is such a sweet and gentle spirit... I'm really thankful for the time she spent here... And by the way, the work you see around the orange trees on the first picture was done by her... while I was busy building the new compost toilet... and another investment, besides the wood, I also got myself a smaller and handier Chain saw... it does help!!! and it's gonna be sweet and easy to chop wood for the winter now ...
Miriam also taught me some new worship songs that I'm practicing in my guitar... I'm particularly pleased with the Indian Bhajans...:-)
she left just the day before our 3rd Permaculture course would start... I had 15 participants coming, plus Lesley, of course, the teacher... you can check here if you wanna read some more about it...

9 days hosting and hanging out with a nice group of like-minded people, but also a week of hard but pleasant work , cooking, getting drinking water, filling the water tanks for the kitchen and bath house, etc... (I was by myself cuz Lina went to some of our friend's wedding in Switzerland... Andrea and Zven... Congratulations you two !!!!!!! Many Blessings !!!

I was exhausted at the end, besides having a floo, but I was content and I really enjoyed meeting each one who came...
everyone left on sunday, the 5th of September, and after that I had few more visits...
Frauke and Dominik, with their 2 beautiful daughters... they were here on the first few months, 4 years ago, and Dhana, the oldest was born in Castelo Branco Hospital... I was not on my best conditions, but still it was nice to see them...
After them, other friends came over...they were here last year too (and friends for a while since I was in Lisbon), Carlie, Dane and Jilli (now married too :-)..) with some of their friends Mike, Nate and Becky with their 3 kids... it was such a lovely time...
Emma also came for a nice but very short visit of a week... she just left this last tuesday... :-(

Now it's me and Lyna again... no more visits soon as far as I know... I do need a break now...I keep working on the compost toilet and Lyna keeps organizing her stuff... Nolan is now in the nursery school in Alpedrinha and he seems to be enjoying it...


That's all for now... sorry that I don't have many pictures, but I've been rubbish taking them...
Oh, how could I forget ?!!!!
we do have one more visit, that hopefully will stay many many years...
Simba !!! that's his/her name (still not sure about gender... not so clear, eh, eh)

s/he is a sweet and very active one... definitely brings lots of entertainment ... and s/he is also our kitchen guardian...
It was so nice... I have been thinking and speaking about getting a cat to solve our mice "problem" in the kitchen, and when I went to pick up Emma, we decided to go out for a meal, and ended up in a place we've never been before because the restaurant we wanted to go was closed... so, as soon as we parked and Emma opened the door, there s/he was, crying like a big dramatic one... I immediately knew s/he was coming back with us... but we did have to consider if it would be the best option at this moment...
so it happen !!! I'm glad Simba is here with us !!! I was afraid that Muxima wouldn't cope with it as well, but so far , so good... Simba is really brave and doesn't bother much with the dogs...
Welcome Simba !!!
S/he is really funny, and of course, like all cats, very curious... but s/he didn't learn yet that she should check it out before jumping straight into a bucket...

yes, s/he did it !!! and it was not even water... this was taken after a shower... the bucket was full of "Borax" that I was using the treat the wood for the compost toilet... great !!! Thank God there was no sign of side effects... Tssss ...

But very sweet !!!