Update May to August 2006

My goodness – where has the summer gone?

We have had an action packed time these last four months what with a full rental season and school summer holidays (which aren't over yet!).

WEATHER:
Strange is the only way to describe it! We had a scorcher of a July – 4 weeks of high 30's with little respite at night when it didn't cool very much at all. Our stream dried up, our garden gasped for water and our tempers frayed! However, within 2 days of the beginning of August the weather broke and temperatures came down. And down! August was positively chilly! Ok – so mid 20's isn't really cold but it is when you are expecting it to be quite a bit hotter. Thunder storms raged and lightening blew my computer up (for the umpteenth time). Finally, on the last day in August the weather improved and we are now having a lovely Indian summer.

Just goes to show – it doesn't matter where you are – you can never rely on the weather.

PERSONAL:
Richard finally finished the roof! Praise be… now he's got to start on the internal changes we are planning to extend the farmhouse into a 3 bedroom house for rental next year. He's been given 2 week to do it before my family turns up for a visit… the odds are very long on it being finished!

We have decided to rent out the Farmhouse with an extra bedroom next year and we are going to rent a camper van and be nomadic for the summer holidays – I hope it will be fun.

All the boys are well. Both the older ones are looking forwards to going to school (three months holiday means we are all a teesy weensy bit sick of one another).

Marco and Richard are as brown as nuts whilst the rest of us languish in pinkdom.

We have managed to have a few days away this summer and recently visited a theme park called Mirabilandia which is near Rimini. It was great fun and highly recommended.

Richard is busy selling houses whilst I cope with the holiday rentals. Soon though I will be back to the keyboard and writing again. The summer has provided me with much material – now all I need is a bit of time to get it onto paper.

Our garden has done really well, despite the dry conditions early on. Problems with sweetcorn (shouldn't have bought the seed in the UK – don't think it liked the heat!) and cucumbers (they were just not cool enough) but beetroot, strawberries, broccoli and onions did or are doing great.

The best by far though was the apple crop – flipping tons of them, and you know what that means… cider! 75 litres of the stuff – a dangerous amount of alcohol in anybodies book. It has to mature for at least 6 months so we are safe for a while. Last years batch was great so we are hoping that this year's vintage will be even better.

The olive harvest is looking like a corker too. We'll be drafting all willing hands to the farm to help in November.

ANIMALS:
Sad news about Gladys – nasty Mr Fox came and ate her one afternoon. We were all devastated because she was such a sweetie. Mr Fox also claimed all the young chicks we had hatched so Mummy Fraser went to war and Mr Fox met a sticky end! We now have 4 chickens who are relatively sensible and stay near to the house for protection during the day. All other dogs, cats and horses are well and we have a new addition. The little dog ‘Govi' turned up as a stray and we couldn't send him away because he is so sweet. Gregory chose the name by the way – it is a combination of his, Marco's and Vittorio's names!

FINALLY :
If you fancy coming to stay with us next year then book quickly, we have started taking bookings already for 2007. Don't forget that the Farmhouse now sleeps up to 9 so is perfect for family holidays.

See you soon!