One week on from the big snowfall and things are now returning to normal, last Monday we attempted to get into our local village but found the road was blocked by fallen trees, so Simon went out with the chain saw and removed four big trees that were across the road, we then tried again to get to the village to find a 50ft tree across the road and on the electricty cable, which accounted for us still having no mains electricty two days on, so back home again. Then a police car came down the lane, they must have been contacted by one of the locals, and power was restored about four hours later.

What we have learnt by this is that although we no longer live on campo, if you live in a very rural area you do need a generator, a chain saw and a four wheel drive, also a deep freeze is a very good idea.

Although snow might look very romantic on cards, it can do an incredible amount of damage, this last fall has devastated half the forest just up the road, no wonder wood for log burners is cheap, we have been assured that this weather is not normal, so we will put it down to climate change, not global warming!

The first week of Dec has been rather a waste of time, first being without power and the snow, then having a helper that was not able to help as he was disabled, although he failed to mentiion this when he contacted us. So a day was spent in getting his room ready, and having to drive yet again into lugo to pick him up, a day explaining what an axe was and how to use it, which he couldn't, Then another trip to Lugo for a hospital appointment, and again , the next day to Lugo to drop our helper off, so the C/H instillacion is now a week behind and it is looking less likely that we will be moved into the new kitchen by Xmas.

The end of Nov and the start of winter?

November was quite a good month although we had a fair amount of rain, it was mild with some lovely warm sunny days. However this all changed on the 28th, when we arrived home from lugo to find a snow plough parked up at our turn off from the motor way.Spain is very good at being prepared for snow, so we guessed that we had it on the way, later that night the lights went out, and all we had was a few old candle stubs, so we did the practical thing and went to bed. the next day we awoke to six inches of snow, and still no power. We had talked about getting a generator, but this had been put on the long finger. We attempted to drive up to the moterway, which we knew would be clear but had to abandon that idea, come the afternoon the snow stopped and it did start to thaw so we thought the we might be able to get out if we went down to our village, the onto the motorway, this we managed and got ourselfs to Lugo, bought a generator, and home we went. The power was off for the best part of two days, but now we have a generator we will not be caught out again, although none of the locals seem to mind having no electricty, we like our creature comforts.

Last of the summer crops and flowers.

Autumn is now here, and the trees are showing some lovely colours, we have had about four days of rain, but now the weather is dry but chilly but very warm in the sun. We have picked what will be our last courgettes and the last of the strawberry's today, we have been cropping both since May, I'm still trying to find time to plant more strawberry's in the new tunnel so we might get early ones next year.

As I'm working downstairs painting all the new ceiling boards I've had the fire on, this woke up a beautiful Peacock Butterfly, we will have to find it and find more suitable accommodation for it.