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Here is some more news
from our home in Spain ~ |
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FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER |
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February (and hopefully
winter) has been and gone,
not a bad month really,
although we did have a few grey cloudy days but very little rain
and the cloud did keep the frost away.
Spring now seems to be
well under way ~
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~ with the return of
the Great Spotted Cuckoos ...
(Clamator
Glandarius)
(who don´t do "Cuckoo"
!) |
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And the
Hoopoes
are back for breeding time with their distinctive
"Poop Poop Poop" in the morning. (to see AND hear click-
HERE
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Hoopoes are amongst my
favourite birds not least because it’s the only bird whose latin
name (Upupa Epops) is the only one I can remember and is
evidently based on its call.
This seems a very
sensible system compared with that of the Great Spotted Cuckoo
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LISTEN TO NATURE |
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OUR SPRING GARDEN
IS BLOOMING |
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Temperatures are now in
the mid 30´s in the afternoons and we have put a summer-weight
duvet on the bed.
We do not envy our
friends and relations in the United States and UK who are busy
waxing their skis.
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Our son and
daughter-in-law in Kentucky have suffered ice storms and nearby
tornados although thankfully they escaped the worst.
Meanwhile an old friend
in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania set out to go to a party last week
but the 5 inches of snow which fell in the process dissuaded
him.
Sue’s family in Toronto
have of course been deluged by snow falls but in some strange
way people of Scots extraction seem to enjoy it.
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We hope we are not being a touch previous but our
diet is definitely switching towards summer mode ...
with lunch today being Moules Mariniere (Mejillones
a la Marinara) and chips. (patatas fritas).
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In fact we haven’t really had much of a chance
this winter to enjoy British style stodge, like beef stew and
mustard dumplings, it has just been so mild. |
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The flowers are bursting out everywhere |
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...
and we just hope that there is not now a freak late frost to
destroy the fruiting of the almonds. |
If by chance this should
happen, there is compensation available from the Spanish
government provided the area beneath the tree has been
ploughed.
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... As you might imagine, there are Spaniards dashing
around all over on mini tractors and what appear to be motorised rotovators to fulfil this obligation (just in case).
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The downside of the early spring is the
concomitant arrival of Hayfever from which both Sue and I
suffer.
We have now got the olive season to face, which
is particularly sneaky because you cannot see the blossom
although we are surrounded by olive trees ... |
olive trees |
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To ward off the worst effects we make a point of
using locally grown and pressed olive oil in the hope that this
is an anti allergen. |
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It is now 5.30 in the afternoon ...
and time to go and relax under our new awnings.
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...Goodbye
until next time ...
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My Recipe (TAPAS)
for February is
EMPANADILLAS
(Fried pies)
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which as
usual can be seen in detail
at
MIKE'S
TAPAS BAR
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REMEMBER! To find
a DIARY MONTH from our Newsletter,
just click
DIARY DAYS IN SPAIN
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And
see more recipes at
MIKE'S TAPAS BAR |
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©
PLUS
2006