Andalucian March

I know I've done a lot of moaning about the weather - and it's still raining, thundering and lightening - when I looked around there was a lot flowering in these warm and wet conditions.

This year, the Bird of Paradise has excelled itself. Starting out with one blossom in year one, three in year two, there were at least a dozen this year.

The lilies went in in the Autumn, as did the hollyhocks grown from seed that are behind them. I wonder if they'll flower this year.

It is too wet to turn the soil in the veg patch, so nothing is in yet....a source of great frustration to Gonzalo next door. By now, his rows and rows of potatoes would be well advanced.

The rain in in Spain.....

has fallen mainly in Andalucia - or it seems like it. Not since the 60s when the river Iro broke its bank in the town has there been so much. All the services - fire brigade, civil protection, Red Cross and the police - have been out recently to cope with flooding near us. It even reached the National news. Some poor souls have had mud slides and flood waters right through their property.

Apart from a very few good days when we rushed out to the garden hacking the undergrowth like demented beings, it has been impossible to do anything. Gonzalo next door is fretting as he cannot rotivate and get his potatoes in. He's used what good days we've had to prune our fruit trees, graft pears onto the last old almond tree and graft grapes onto wild vines.

And on the days when there was thunder and lightening, I daren't take a chance with the PC, so have switched off and pulled the plugs. Two hits in a year (despite surge protectors) and the need to replace my PC is too much to ask on our budget.

Last year in February we were pottering about in Tshirts.....what a difference this year.