Spies, spies and more minced pies

Permaculture rules!!

These are taken from second year plants that have survived the hot summer, repeated cabbage moth caterpillar attacks, rampant dogs, bad parking and the odd woofer... I have self seeding lettuce, wild broad beans, wild beautiful girlfriend, so me of this stuff is actually starting to work.

Picked today, eaten today. Food miles 2.8 (went to the pub and back to celebrate)

I am using "Turex", an organic spray to keep the munching bugs way - any better ideas anyone?

Veg, home grown, Macht Nicked Frie sign in the background - - priceless..

"My son is a spy, but if I told you that,I'd have to kill you". He must be a crap spy if his mum knows what he does, ,or a double agent brilliant spy pretending to be a crap spy. Johnny bloody English not.
Wonderful, what a start to the festive season, a santa fatwa hanging like mistletoe over my head.. and after my last blog, someone has left the tap on - over 55mm of rain in the last 24 hours.


Katy Price was a popular choice for the pass the parcel prize

It stayed dry on saturday for the non spies Christmas party, and with a higher than average booze to food to people ratio, twas chrimbo jolly great, thanks to all who came.


Ex spy, Chinese Billy


Ex spy, Mafia Jimbo


Ex secret spies compare their persil whiteness..

We are off on the 7th Jan to Goa until mid February... communication by e mail, I will switch my phone on every two days for any texts and try and keep my blog going in between Kingfishers, Bullets and Thalis!!
Have a great Christmas and see you all in the New Year,
Stu, Owl, Holly and Becky xx

PS No spies were hurt in the making of this party, sorry Katie, we thought your clothes were part of the Christmas wrapping, you can bid for them on e bay if you want them back..

Under a hot tin roof

Rain rain went to Spain

Still a dry house here in the Algarve. Clouds came and went, temperatures dropped and it was into the first week of December that we lit our first fire.
Having offloaded my fourth lorry load of rough walling rock of the week, I had to water the garden.... gerrnash!!! Having installed a second tank to catch the (non) rain off the workshop roof, I am facing ordering more lorry loads of water. Down in the Sierras of Grazalema (Hi Clive!), they are approaching their yearly average already... 2000mms of the stuff.

My weather guru, Borde d'agua 2009 has been spot on, snow up North, humidity down South. On the next full moon, our only blue moon of the year (second full moon in the same calendar month) predicts not humidity, or chuva BUT - - Chuva abundantement, hopefully the full monty Spanish weather machine aka the ex love of my life Kate Bush in that classic video with Donald sutherland.
I bought the Borde d'agua 2010 last week, but will await until our return from Goa to read it.

Work continues to be hectic - we will be working through Christmas on some great eco landscapes - removing palm weevil destroyed palms, restoring a neglected orchard, recycling a garden full of rocks. Every day is so different, but I wish I could get a few days back at the farm.
Thanks to AR and her recommendation of Mercearia Bio (www.merceariabio.pt), who deliver the most beautiful baskets of mixed organic vegetables anywhere in the Algarve.

Mre later and pics... goto make my daughters dinner!!

Incredible U turn by Snr. Nobel

Bin Laden Obama hands prize to President N Griffin

Not Griff Nickin..

Mind the gap...

Between my ears or the epoc of Barak's illegal wars and the fact that Nick Griffin has upset less Muslims than Bararakafat (only due to the lack of TVs in Irak, Iran, Afganistan and Birmingham and that Griffin means Harry Potter in those languages)
Here's one to think about though. What if Obama is right and continued peace is only due to constantly chasing the Taliban and their version of terrorism? Maybe in fifty years time we can really give him a pat on the back and say he was right? I feel not, but comments welcome please!!

Big apologies for my last blog as it contained no references to gardens, farms, permaculture or even Jacqui Smith. I will correct that now.

The hour changed, the days shortened and the temperature has dropped. An offer of ten lorry loads of horse manure meant a couple of frantic days in reverse down slippery slopes has led to the whole garden being top dressed in twenty cms of horse poo. Another 15 fruit trees, 200 onion seedlings, more lettuce, brocculi and beetroot plantlings has the garden set up for winter. Keeper of all garden knowledge, Antonio the water man reckons I will regret the muck spreading because of the weeds, but heck what does he know (answer : everything....)

Biggest arrival was the very delayed pick up of my bread oven


How not to deliver a bread oven..

Given my impatience, I had it put on the back of my truck and drove home. I should have guessed it was heavy by the slewing of my faithful toyota. By the time I swung it upside down, landed it chimney side down, carefully blocked my drive, cycled to my supplier and had him lift it effortlessly with crane onto my raised plinth, it was beer time.


It must be easy after so many deliveries.. I mean it has to be..

The next day, with the help of Calvin from Algarve Tipi's (see link at side), we fired her up and produced three beautiful loaves, and with a bean stew, Aldi's finest non organic red, celebrated in style.

I chose the model with chimney for easy starting

Following Jonothan of Rainbow´s advice, lots of thin branches to heat all around

The final result!! Chiili and Coriander, Sour dough and German beer bread, oh yes....

This saturday awaits, bread, cornish pasties, cheese pasties pizza and lamb leg on the menu. It is another step away from the electric oven, gaz hob and more importantly bills!! Come and join us, come and cook, laugh, sing, cry. Our door is always open - and we have much to learn from you all,

Stu and Owl xx

PS On a bitter note, I have just been informed of about the twentieth house robbery in as many days. Pre Christmas opportunists emptied a house just West of Loulé, furniture and all. Keep it tight, vary routines with cars, parking, lights and shopping. Watch your mirror when 1000 metres from home and do an extra lap around the block if unsure. This serious stuff my friends.

Winds of Change

"Only when the last tree has fallen,
the last river polluted,
will we realise you can't eat money"


Small natural landscape completed this week

This quote is from an ancient Indian poem. Not untrue eh?
I have got itchy feet.
Frequent trips in the camper relieve them temporarily, we will visit the Roman towns between Seviila and Cordoba in a couple of weeks for three or four days.
I feel I am attached to the Algarve by my umbilical cord - and a badly expired passport. Time to go further afield. January and February are normally quiet. Always lots to do on the farm, plenty of firewood to burn, projects to finish, friends to see, wine and dine. But it is time to fly again. It is ten years since I left Europe, two years since I flew at all.
Time to crush myself in row 26, knees jammed probably tighter than ever in cattle third class, politely refusing year old plastic food, dehydrating gins, boring films, Tracy and Wayne, pee strewn loos, long airport queues.
All for a quick veggie Vindaloo or two. We are off to Goa for five weeks in January and February.
Gina of Solseta(www.solseta.com) has been brilliant and arranged the flights, mainly with British Airways (No Tracy and Wayne or Sacha and Marie but more likely university educated Gillian and Henry).


Faro Airport police pursue the silly Brits who leave cars outside the designated parking areas - runways are not the best place lads...

And congratulations, Bin Laden Obama, the only President to win a Nobel Peace Prize whilst waging two illegal wars at the same time. Apparently he replied to one of those Nigerian e mails and it turned out to be true.. If you would like to check the award is solid gold, try sending it to Goldforyou.com. - these guys seem really genuine, just like those nice Nigerian businessmen..

Make Jam From The North Side of The Tree

Guess who's back??

Three weeks in the saddle (or camper) followed by three weeks on my digger and the next thing I managed to do was to accidentally delete virtually all my holiday photos and reformat the new laptop to make sure I can't retrive them.

A few nights ago, it finally happened. The moon climbed over the tipi and shone straight through the smoke hole waking me with astounding results:-

1.) I am now 1000 years younger

2.) My disco stick is considerably longer

3.) I am back into making lists

4.) I am no longer in love with Lady Gaga (helped by the News of the World claiming she has a disco stick of her own!!)

We set off late August and headed to Cadiz. Cadiz was full. So full the car parks charge by the minute.. If I'm going to pay by the minute, come back Home Secretary. Heading down the coast we escaped the heat under a shady tree in Conil de la Fronteira, quite a nice town. It was one of those campsites where wrinklys swept the leaves off their pristine groundsheets and I wished I had my leaf blower and Bruno and a video camera. 

The Med is... well the Med, clearer, warmer and miles prettier than Portugal - and that's just the women. 

We called in to see Clive and Sue and little Sam, who run www.wildsideholidays.com, promoting eco tourism and had a great night and left with several tonnes of pumpkins, courgetes and tomatoes. And a hangover too...

Clive and a barbie doll. Screams really realistically!

The heat increased and even parking five metres off high tide in Mojocar didn't help - although it made for spectacular skinny dipping. It is a busy tourist place but is nice and relaxed. A bag of ice and a newspaper every morning, cheap menu de dia, live music, free showers. We will be back.

Mojocar is cool!!

One of the highlights of our trip was a stay at Los Gazquez above the picturesque village of Velez Blanco (www.losgazquez.com). Simon and Donna have spent two years and a shed load of money creating an off grid hotel at 1200 metres altitude. With six double bedrooms on suite, solar and wind power, we arrived as strangers, were treated like kings and left firm friends.

To spend a night with absolutely no light pollution, I fell asleep under the stars (and yes you guessed left with a hangover..)

Around every corner in Spain you can find something different - this was a full blown Aussie Bar in a small village near nowhere -note this is not a Nile crocodile!!

All my photos lost -only got this postcard..

Highlight of the trip was the desert region of Cabo de Gata, a peninsula of the SE corner of Spain and designated as the only desert land of Europe. Filling a 40 year wish, we went to Mini Hollywood and saw the wild west shoot out (and bought the tee shirt and CD!!), saw an earthship (www.earthship.es), and spent a couple of days at Sunseed (www.sunseed.org).

So back home and working hard - just started the tribrid wood cooking station:- bread oven, BBQ and rocket stove all in one unit. The theatre of dreams is finished, summers ending and we have now moved from the tipi to the Owl House. How was your summer? 

Tribrid cooking station , 2048 bottles of Sagres wanted to infill it..

Make Love Whilst the Sun Shines

It ain't looting if you leave a note..


A lesson from Hurricane Katrina, you need supplies, take em but leave a message....

I have taken August off. Don't ring, don't sererande, don't hire Lady Gaga to run past me naked***, I am retired for this month. Or I was.
Carobs, Figs, Almonds for starters. My water man and his never ending advice, only lightly dulled by Sagres injection - pick em, dry roast em, stuff em, good job the bugger doesn't know about jam or actually eating the things fresh.... Seems the neighbours are interested in the Carobs and nothing else, every morning I can pick a bucket of figs in five minutes.

And we have been finishing things!!


The Theatre of Dreams gains its sky roof, which we will cover with climbers. As well as a chill out zone, it will be used as an outdoor cinema to show some of the eco films I er accidentally bought on tinternet whilst sponsored by Sagres last week....



Roasting figs in the solar oven - six sunny days, no cost!!



Drying figs on an old pallet and chicken wire. At 700 calories per 100 grammes dried, this is essential winter power food. Neighbours don't even pick theirs....

Fixing the Food Chain

After a snake dropped out of the rafters above my office desk,(small black one 40cms long - any guesses anyone??) I did some research. Because of my chicken food storage (all over the floor because of the cat), snakes will move in to prey on the rats. since this is a touch disconcerting, I found the answer is the Nile Crocodile - 200 quid later from Ebay Egypt and I think he has cured the problem. The dogs are a little wary and we haven't seen the cat for a while but the problem snakes seemed to have disappeared. Owl is a little scared as we are still sleeping in the tipi, and since the dog can sneak under the sides she seems to think Tooting - come - on (the croc, natch!) might pay us a visit as well, seems just can't please some people............


A real baby at heart, Tooting - come -on is fond of all ends of the food chain




Two Mangoes - at least I managed to plant a good big fruit variety


Pumpkins, another great winter storage food

Crops picked, figs drying, tomato sauce made, it is time for a break. We are off next week to Spain for a couple of weeks - to Cadiz, then Sierra da Grazalema to see Clive of Wildside Holidays (www.wildsideholidays.com - great eco places to stay at) and Simon of Los Gazquez eco retreat - fantastic place 1000 metres above sea level(www.losgazquez.com), then down to the South Coast to see my pal Tee Shirt near Motril and along to see Dave and Laura and their earthship construction (www.earthship.es) and hopefully to see Eduardo at Spain's leading solar shop near Ronda (www.generador-electrico.com)
If you need me, text me or Owl on 917814261, or speak to the croc..... he won't fit in the camper.



***Ok, you can really, but she is lousy at gardening - look what she did to my palm tree!!

Up the Orient without a paddle, manager or hero

Sad day for the Toon.

.

The death of Sir Bobby Robson, Geordie Gentleman puts life into a sharper perspective. He turned out only four days before his death to watch the re run of 1990 England v Germany. You can guess in a few days, he will be a popular memory for us Newcastle fans.

In contrast, that little plastic spastic monkey Wacko Jacko continues to appall us with todays News of The Screws picture of his death bed, his heirs, more unknown kids, and whatever some low life papparrazi can discover for next weeks sunday papers.

It gets worse for Newcastle, Shearer finally signs for the BBC.... ending his chase to get Newcastle sold and become full time manager. Whilst he scored the winning goal on the re run of the 1990 England - Germany match, Newcastle lost 6 - 1 to an unknown bunch of cheats called Leighton Orient..

Enough of football, this is an eco blog, read by thousands to champion the cause of compost loos.

My latest volunteers have just left, having picked my Carob beans and stained all the woodwork. Nephew Purple Ronnie has arived and when the bright pink lobster colour he won at the beach subsides, will be able to help us finish the Theatre of Dreams. He has a sore purple head this morning as a result of back to back parties and olympic sagres consumption....

A Gloriette!! We are propagating the native Algarve white rose to climb over the whole roof. The raised beds that surround our version will be narrowed and heightened so we can top them up with a less friable soil in an attempt to use less water.

We have just watched "Garbage Warrior", a narrative on Michael Renolds (The founder of Earthships) and his struggle to legalise them. This has inspired me to keep all my empty bottles and build my hamman out of them - a semi sauna come massage room.

Watching the film with us was Jonothan from Rainbow who has decided to sell his share of the community and move on to a small farm with Jenny. He stayed for a few days and has fitted a hydrogen inverter on my old Mercedes (watch this space for economy figures!!) and also showed us how to make a proper sourdough bread - using freshly milled flour mixed with water and doubled for three days to make bread with only the wild yeast that the flour contains - worked well, better put building a bread oven on my list as well.. got to keep Purple Ronnie busy!!