“We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.”
― Richard Rohr
Although a lot has happened, July felt like a slower month, and although it started out extremely hot there has been enough cooler days to make it feel milder and more pleasant than June. Each month I sit down to write a blog post it is the end of the month that dictates how I view the whole month, and I often have to grapple with events from earlier in the month to try and convey the gist of a whole month.
For July this means that it is the fire that swooped through the area, destroying many quintas in its way that is the freshest in my memory. The wind was in our favour, and even if it wasn’t I would like to think we would still have been fine. It was close enough to make me nervous, but far enough away to keep us safe. Billowing smoke on the horizon always makes me feel unsettled and vulnerable, and unfortunately that is simply one of the realities we have to live with here in Portugal.
At the beginning of the month Tim moved the rocks from various parts of the land and helped Sille to place some of the biggest ones at the bottom of the short end of the dry-stone wall. Watching a beautiful dry-stone wall taking shape is an absolute joy.
Mid-month the grass was finally cut and baled, which had an immediate effect on my emotional well-being, as it tidies up the quinta in an instant.
A Special Memory or Moment of Joy:
The resident fox is regularly spotted in the mornings with Midnight and Lily frequently alerting me to his presence, while I also occasionally spot a corça (local deer) with her youngster in the area. It is in these moments, and my daily walks with the cats, that I remind myself why living on this piece of land is so nourishing to my soul. It not only draws me into the present, but reminds me of the blessings living closer to nature gifts me on a daily basis.
Notes:
# I’m often jealous of the ability of cats to sleep most of the day, especially during the sleep deprived summer months.
# Midnight loves sleeping in the workshop, or later in the day on or near the porch.
# Lily sometimes sleep in the strangest places, like in an olive tree, although I mostly find her curled up in a cool and shady spot in the vegetable garden.
# Lily’s favourite look-out spot is a big rock next to our access road. To the left-hand side, under the broom, is a hollow where I suspect she sleeps many nights, as unlike Midnight who loves to curl up in bed with me, Lily is often nowhere to be found at night.
# The vegetable garden isn’t exactly thriving, and despite the fact that I lost both zucchini plants to a hungry vole, I am eating Peppers de Padron, eggplants and the odd cherry tomato, while strings of chillies are drying on the porch. Earlier in the month I processed all the coriander seeds I harvested and dried, and I resowed some zucchinis, as well as green beans, so fingers crossed I will have more produce in September.
Unknown facts or quirks about Portugal:
The longest bridge in Europe, spanning 17.2 km is in Lisbon. The Vasco da Gama Bridge connects the towns of Alcochete and Montijo to the city. It is an impressive feat of engineering, as it can withstand earthquakes and winds of up to 250 km/hour. Construction started in 1995, and the bridge was inaugurated on 29 March 1998 to coincide with the 1998 World Expo, and is named in honour of explorer Vasco da Gama, who, in 1498 discovered the sea route between Europe and India.
Written by: Jolandi
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Jolandi, I always love your posts and my precious glimpses into life at the quinta. Was Midnight sleeping on a bee hive? What are those boxes? I love how you explain that cats sleep during the summer when sleep is challenging. It makes me feel better, since we have suffered from lack of sleep. It’s not us; it’s the season. Lily’s choice of odd places to sleep reminds me that I have noticed our kitten, Jupyter’s, choice of sleeping places is where she can hang her head: on the counter with head in the sink, or on the cat tree with head in a hole. So funny.
I can instantly related to the inner peace when a big job is gone: like the grass is cut and baled. The fires must have been so scary. I’m glad that story is in the past. The report on the garden is reassuring to me, too, because our garden has done totally different things this year. Innundated with zucchini, but no peppers yet – so opposite last year. Gardens keep summer interesting. So much effort and expense for us, but I choose to do it again! I’ll be ready once more next year.
The sharka looks good; the big rocks for the dry wall look good. Always I enjoy these updates. I can’t explain why. I guess it feels like you are my neighbor, but you are far away. To return the favour, I will update you that we are about to finish the new chicken house. It will do so much good. It will move the hens to the very back of the yard – away from our bedroom window. This will also take the rats over there, because they like the chicken food. A pest professional told us there is no getting rid of the rats since they live in the creek nearby, so I am more satisfied to have them away from the house. The house is well built and will keep my girls cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. So you and Michael are invited over any evening. We will make dinner and probably force you to eat zucchini and cucumber and eggs, since we are having a hard time consuming them. We will eat out on the deck in the warm summer evening. Then we will proudly show off our new chicken house and tell you all our plans for the future.
Yes, Midnight was lying on the beehives, but they are all currently empty. Lily used to go sleep on them in winter when they were full. Interestingly enough the bees never seemed to have been bothered by her presence. Cats are so strange, and I find it funny to think that Jupyter loves sleeping with her head lower than the rest of her.
Vegetable gardens definitely keep summer interesting, Crystal. I’ve never had the same results year on year. I’m also not a very scientific gardener, as that will just take the joy out of it for me, but I do try and note down the odd observation to keep in mind during subsequent years. I don’t know if you are aware of the fact that apparently tomatoes and peppers struggle to pollinate when temperatures are above 32C (89.6F). If you are having a very hot summer that could be part of the reason your peppers are slow. I find it all very mysterious, and definitely rely on Mother Nature to help me out. And when I do pick produce, I am always very grateful and a bit relieved to be honest. 😆
What a joy your new chicken house must be for the girls. I hope they will show their gratitude by laying many eggs for you.
I love the picture you paint of what will happen if we were neighbours. Sounds like a divine evening. 💚
I’m so relieved to know the wind was on your side during the fires. The same for us in 2019.
I always find it interesting how unsettling a fire in the area is (even when I am out of harm’s way). – Jolandi
I’m so glad the fires didn’t go near your farm! It’s frightening when a wildfire, pushed by a brisk summer wind and fed with dry grass and trees, rapidly approaches one’s home. I fear these may become a regular occurrence here in California where I live, and which has a climate very much like Portugal’s. The current administration in the US hasn’t helped matters by disposing of climate data and the scientists who study it.
I love those photos of Lily and Midnight! I agree, it would be nice to nap like a cat, but someone has to pay the bills, as I used to tell my cat. 🙂
I often marvel at how many similarities in climate we face, Hangaku. It is a pity that fires are becoming part of life there too. And it is a tragedy when politicians contribute to the severity of the already existing problems. – Jolandi
Always a pleasure to read your news, Jolandi. And I caught up on your response to my comment on last month’s post. What a job to dig the drain for the dry-stone wall, but the effort looks worth it.
Not sure if I mentioned my publisher sent his edits almost as soon as I left for the States. I’ve returned the first round but am waiting to hear further from him. This process is calling on my reserves of patience, but there is a never-ending list of other admin jobs that keep me at the computer.
Much better to be living the open-air life – and at least with the cooler weather coming on you’ll be able to breathe without searing your lungs. I so remember living in Adelaide during a heatwave in the days when air conditioning was not common in homes. Or offices for that matter. To sleep I used to put an oscillating fan on the table beside my bed. Hang a wet cloth over it and a tray of ice-cubes in front. It might have been psychological, but at least I could fall asleep. Bit of mopping up to do in the morning, LOL.
I love the plan you made during those heat waves, Gwen. In summer I often say, “thank goodness for air-conditioning!”, but I also remember those hot, humid, summer nights when I lived in Taiwan without air-conditioning. I used to take a shower before going to bed, not drying myself off, and having the fan blow full blast on me in order to be able to fall asleep. I certainly count my blessings here in Portugal, as not everyone has the luxury of air-conditioning. I don’t like sleeping with air-conditioning on though, and currently, by the time darkness finally arrives, and I am ready to go to bed (flinging open the doors and window), it is often still 28C or 30C.
I can imagine that the editing process can be a stretch of one’s patience. Fingers crossed your publisher will be easily apeased by your changes for the process to tick over to the next stage. And good luck with the endless admin jobs. I also have quite a bit I need to take care of, and as we are in the midst of a scorching heatwave, I guess I no longer have a valid excuse to put it off. – Jolandi
Jolandi,
I always love seeing your blog post in my inbox. Wow, that fire is scary, and so sad for those that lost quinta’s or were severely damaged. I am so grateful you were safe. The photos are beautiful and I can understand why living on that land brings a peacefulness to your soul. It looks quiet and idyllic.
Take care of yourself,
Terri
I often think that my fortune is someone else’s misfortune, Terri, which is such a contradiction to grapple with. These fires are part of the summer I am still learning to live with. I hope you are well, and are enjoying a lovely summer. – Jolandi
I’m glad you could stay calm with that orange, fiery sky anywhere near you … I certainly could not! I’m admiring the stone walls again and hoping for more veggie growth during the remainder of the summer. Always fun to read your updates.
Thanks Lexie. I think it will look spectacular when we are done with all these stone walls. It just sometimes feel like a never-ending process. Hope you are having a lovely summer. – Jolandi
I’m so glad to know you’re safe from the fires. I totally get what you mean about the summer slowdown, but it’s great that you’re seeing so much wildlife like deer and foxes! Nature is beautiful regardless where you are.
I couldn’t agree more about how cute sleeping cats are. Your cats look incredibly happy and relaxed. I could look at them all day!
That is so true, Sarah. Nature holds such beauty, and when one takes time to slow down, she allows one to experience many wonderful gifts. – Jolandi
The neat-looking grass and the sleeping cats definitely imbue calmness, but those fires in the distance do look concerning. I’m glad you are okay, Jolandi. I feel bad for the quintas that were affected by this incident. I hope there will be a way to prevent such thing from happening again in the future.
I wish there were a way to prevent these fires, Bama, but most of them are caused by humans doing things they shouldn’t when it is so hot and dry, and every time the consequences are devastating for so many. It is just one more thing I don’t like about summer in Portugal. We are currently experiencing scorching temperatures, and I hope no more fires will spring up in the area. – Jolandi
Happy to hear the fire didn’t reach you. I love the little glimpses you get of the more-than-human life going on around you. “It is in these moments, and my daily walks with the cats, that I remind myself why living on this piece of land is so nourishing to my soul” — I can only imagine how wonderfully rewarding that must be.
Thank you, Atreyee. Thank goodness there are enough peaceful moments on the quinta to make all the hard work and challenges worth it. Life here is far from idyllic, but it is definitely nourishing to the soul in many diverse ways. – Jolandi
There is something about mid-summer onwards that makes me a bit reflective – a time to step back and notice the tranquility of the year, and this post has the same feel. You capture both the tranquility and the challenges of rural life so well. I’m relieved the fire didn’t come closer and glad you found so many moments of joy in nature and with your cats – and with all the ups & downs of your adventures – you continue moving through it boldly 😊. The details of your gardening efforts give a real sense of the ongoing relationship with the land. And the fact about the Vasco da Gama Bridge was fascinating! Wishing you a safe and bountiful rest of the summer, Jolandi. Take care ~