And she certainly did fool us all didn’t she. Today it is like being thrown into the lion’s mouth, it’s as if we are in the throws of Winter, and I know I shouldn’t be moaning. This year has to be one of the warmer winters we have had, hence all the problems with the rain and landslides etc.
But today it is not only grey, miserable and the high winds are bringing all of the snow down from the mountain tops. The wind cuts right through you, so, a quick run to the wood shed is an expedition of great challenges. Even getting the fire going is fraught with anxiety and frustration. The wind and smoke being blown back down the chimney, it’s like Dante’s Inferno here at the moment.
The greenhouse though we are pleased to announce is still standing. Yeh what an achievement, although a couple of the edges that I hadn’t quite finished have certainly moved a little and fingers crossed if the weather is better tomorrow I can sort out really quickly. Even doing the horses a job I normally love is such hard work in these conditions, your body has to function but your mind just wants to hibernate.
I’d even started to spring clean and now looking around the house I wondered why I had bothered as the doggie paw prints wined through the house. Still I suppose it is a bit like painting the famous Seven Bridge in England, just as you finish the whole job you need to start all over again!
We have seen another month pass with such speed and I have seen another year start. So now is a time of deep contemplation for me, I do a little Life Review (although I don’t go into too much depth on the past as I can do nothing at all to change it) and I make plans for the year ahead. My work list gets longer!
Fun, Fun and more Fun is our plan for this year, although today snuggled up in front of the log fire, my thoughts go more to staying here, not moving not even thinking!! Although I want to do some translating for one of my new books, I have lots of Italian information but need to change it into English, so I see it as two fold, research and Italian lessons all rolled into one.
Monday (Don’t even know what the date it! – but that’s what it is like living here.) March 2014
So Mother Nature plays her tricks again, it has been an amazing week, an Indian summer. Way above the morning clouds of Barga we are awoken to sunlight, we can watch the suns shadow creep up the mountain as it crowns the mountain, leaving us bathing in glorious sunshine all day.
So is Spring finally here, a little earlier than usual and the locals warn me of impending snow, or tempo bruto. Although basking in the sun, temperatures around 25 degrees on our terrace it is very hard to believe. But the sun and warmth brings with it an energy burst, a new lease of life as the plants germinate and everything starts to come a fresh.
Today was a day of great blessings, we had to get up early to take Richard to hospital for some routine tests which thankfully turned out great. The findings were better than we had expected so thank you. We dropped Tim (one of our young Helpxers off to do the horses we would meet him in Barga as soon as we finished- which turned out not to be that long at all.)
We had left Sensone sunny and warm, but the sights of Barga as we drove down the mountain swathed in cloud. You could just about see Sommocolonia, as the clouds gently caressed the church tower. The clouds forming a mystical, magical lake stretched out through the valley.
We bumped into Sergio who for the last few days has been suffering with an infection, he’d had a tooth out and now one side of his face was swollen, he enlarged glands smoothing the wrinkles to form a half globe, But he too was a little better this morning. We arranged for coffee at the house upon our return but we really couldn’t say when that would be, we were in the hands of the hospital staff.
Barga felt cold, the temperature on the car dials read 10 degrees but it felt much colder than that with sun struggling to burn through, it would be different when we returned just over an hour and half later. Seems odd and I know that a lot of my friends think if it is cold in Barga then it must be even colder up here but how wrong they are. Today it is much warmer at Sensone.
It was 11.30am when we called in for our coffee at Diana’s, it was good to see her, I hadn’t seen her all weekend. The road was closed with The Ciocco Rally and I had thrown myself into reinstating a small dry stone wall that had collapsed at the back of the house. I was scolded for not just turning up over the weekend but we were encouraged to stay for dinner. It was great and we left Renaio at 2pm set for an afternoon of work.
Poor Richard had to work in the office, he is off to a secret location with some portable satellite dishes to help through filming but shush…. It’s a secret, we have both been sworn to secrecy. Whilst Tim and I work outside. Today I am told that the moon is in the right position for planting so I was going to plant my seeds and fill the greenhouse.
I had been working on and off on the veggie garden for some time now but I had to make some wooden kickboards to stop the garden rolling down the hill, this was the third year that I have had the garden and I am determined this year the goats and the pony with not ruin my harvest. Expanding the garden to the greenhouse is going to take time, when you are flattening an overgrown terrace piano, piano.
My poor hands have blisters, I am yet again reminded to use my gardening gloves but for me there is something wonderful about having the potting soil in your hands. My poor hands sore and now dirty.
But what a great day, onions and prezzemolo are planted outside in the garden whilst the green house is filled with lettuce, beans, peas, herbs, sage and tomatoes. Whilst in another corner are the seeds of the flowers, such an assortment, but my pride and joy will be the magnolia from the seeds given to me by the brothers of The Community of Jesus, that will fill my garden making it an oasis amongst the woods. (Well fingers crossed anyway).
I leave the garden clean watered and ready to burst into life, excitement run through my veins and heightens my expectancy, now all I have to do is wait – so watch this space……..
Article by Sensone