WELCOME TO Val's Alentejo -I write about my region of Alentejo. My art ,painting, my cottages, Family life, my animals -Travels And my love for Roses- and rural country life.

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Wild flowers at home

Daucus  Carota. 
"Queen Anne's lace".  cut and ready for a little different touch on the patio.
Many of you will know, that I am not very good with the names of many flowers and plants.  I have thought that this plant , was a wild onion.   I had been told that many years ago by one of my neighbours.   They appear every year.  Sometimes my fields are full of them.
I like to leave my fields wild.  I get much joy out of seeing all the different colored wild flowers.


Various varieties of carrots ..  Maybe the saying is true " If you eat carrots , you can see better in the dark"
I love carrots. I use them a lot in my cooking.
Wellies on and dogs behind and in front, off we went for a walk around my Quinta  this afternoon.
 Its been a beautiful day...but windy and slightly cooler.  
 Ideal temperature for a walk.          Camera in one pocket and secateures in the other..  Every so often putting the secateures down and taking photos.   The dogs love to jump and scrumage around.  I could hardly see them in the high grass and flowers.



Carrotts are a domesticated form of the wild carrot.    I was amazed to read up about this plant during the afternoon.  It also has many medicinal values, for all sorts of ailments. (interesting reading on wikipedia)



The daucus in my vase on the patio.

different images of the plant.  Many of you i am sure will be quiet familiar with this plant. It has always fascinated me.    I can understand why its now called "Queen Ann's Lace"..  Its a soft delicate flower.

Here you can see the mix of colour.  All blooms in their different stages of growth, and shapes.
To have some wild flowers about the place brings the outside to my inside.  

looking lovely in one of my Alentejano pottery vases on my old antique oak table.  An enjoyable day.
 I  framed my  'Dutch Iris' water color painting this morning. one of  my  'Norfork' workshop paintings. I was rather pleased with myself, framing it and hanging it.
I picked some wild purple flowers , while picking the Daucus to add a touch of wild purple ,  adds a little extra flair to the painting .

I will be walking again around my fields again soon.   I was amazed at all the varieties that are hiding below the high grasses.  I changed my clothes and made sure that there were no ticks on me.. we have to be careful at this time of the year.

With the fresh air and the sun ... I fell asleep and had 40 winks after my days work.

Hope your day has been a good one.

val

Saturday 25 May 2013

From rain to Sun & garden

The rain has gone.  Just with a click of a finger the sun is out, its 28º and so beautiful .. If the weather was like this every day, I would be in heaven.    
Awful days of on and off rain up until last week. Some of you will have seen it on my last post.  My poor flowers were bowing down with the heavy rain fall.  These last 4 days have been wonderful.  The flowers seemed to have grown overnight.  Buds and blooming everywhere.   I think the sun , the warmth and the birds singing..play a big part in our happiness. Today , I am so happy.  Yesterday Pedro came and we mowed, and cleared dead heads and weeds and my garden is looking great.    My mother was a great lover of the Fuchia plant.  I have never grown them, thinking that they might not survive our heavy summers.  Here in my collage you can see just the opposite.  Its my first ever Fuchia and its so so beautiful ..red on the outside and white on the inside.   I will certainly be buying many more . They are so delicate. The Portuguese call them " Brincos de Princesa"   earings of the princess.



The three storks have been baptized.  On my way to Lisbon on Monday. With my niece and my friend Manuela.. we stopped to take photos of these storks.. The area that they are in is a landmark and often seen on post cards. About half an hour from  "Alcaçer do Sal"..    Manuela ,had stopped with her brother some weeks ago, the two of them decided to baptize them , with the names of their grandchildren.   Their names are  lst photo. Maria do Carmo..  2nd photo Carlotta. 3rd photo  Carolina.. with mummy or a sibling.  I thought that was so sweet.
This yellow rose bush, is about 4ft high.. its hidden at the back of my pergola amongst the  Oleander trees. Every year it blooms and blooms.  I get some lovely vases of flowers from them.
Its been a very busy couple of weeks for me.  Getting my patio set up for  now and summer.
Doctor's check ups..usual 6 month routine.. Guests.  And odd things here and there.. Things we all have to do some time or other.  I am finding i dont have enough shelves for my books.. next project.

Sending you all some of our lovely sun on this beautiful spring morning..   My grandson Thomas is 14 today. ..

                                                          Happy blogging dear friends.


                                                                             Val  

Thursday 23 May 2013

Odivelas dam

Hello dear friends.  Yes, I am still here.  Its been a very busy couple of weeks for me.  We all get those times , when blog having  more time. That's been the case with me.  I hope to catch up with all your posts and news during the weekend.
Thank you to all my dear friends for your kind comments left on my last post.

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I took two fisherman guests to the Odivelas dam last Tuesday. This post was for last week. It rained and rained for over a week, it was becoming depressing.  The poor guys, havent had much luck with their fishing, as the dam is so very very full. I haven't seen Odivelas so full in years. The dam is famous for carp. They spend their days there and while their time away waiting for the fish to bite.
                               This is how hard it was raining.   Here I had stopped, as we were to meet the forest ranger.
                                The sky was heavy and the rain just coming down by the bucket full. The views are spectacular.
                            Odivelas Dam. Is one of the most picturesque areas of the Alentejo.One one of the banks there is a nice sandy beach, and is much frequented by the village people during the summer season. No water sports are allowed. So its totally tranquil.  During the summer months there are paddle  boats to rent.
                               Crossing the dam itself.  I took this from my car window..it was cold rainy
The dam was built around 1972.. always having been a small lake there.  It belongs to the government.and the water is for watering government properties surrounding the area.
                   A view of the river down below.. i got out of the car and took this quickly. Below the sluce gates.
         On my way back home.. Two grown storks landed in this field.. this is as close in as i could get.. they fascinate me. such an elegant bird. I was happy with the shots


                                    Pic nick area at the beginning of the Dam
                                    An isolated island in the middle. the Dam is 109.96km 2
There is a little village called Odivelas.   In one of the areas, there is a place to park your caravan. and a restaurant.. serving meals only on a sunday.  We have had some nice sundays out at the restaurant. Taking walks and just enjoying the lovely views.




                              By the time I took these wild flowers.. through the window of my car.. the rain was not as intense.  We have the wild onion plant ..and this yellow plant..all over the hedges of the fields.
                     On approaching the village again... the sky became black and it rained for the next 3 days.

In the meantime.. was in Lisbon to see my family.    My grandniece was here for a week from UK..just finished school and will be starting university.. she wants to be an architect.. she is excellent at drawing and also a lovely niece to spend time with.  She will be 18 on whit Friday.

 In my last post.. I showed a photo of "something in my bamboo" looked like a mop.  Well dear friends.. here is my mop.. little Isaa.. all groomed and looking like another dog.  My niece remarked.. "gosh" have you got another dog.!  I rather like her as she is now.

So from me Isaa and her brothers and sisters.    Until my next post.
wishing you all a very happy weekend.


Friday 10 May 2013

Birds and more Birds

 I wake many mornings and tell myself, get your camera and "Today you will get some good photos of the birds around".  Waking every morning tho he coooo cooooing of the doves..the twittering of the sparrows. trills of blackbirds ..but boy oh boy, is it difficult to get them on camera.  I need one of those fast click click cameras. I did get some nice shots  and am pleased with them.
                                     I have a family of doves, many of you will know.. here i took this one on the telephone pole-.
                                   Another dove decides to take a meander
                                      I was so pleased it didnt spot me. I have to be still like a statue
                                   I thought it might have been interested in Jeffrey's little toy teddy!
                              The sparrows, are starting to become a problem.  Each year its the same thing. So it looks like i will have to board inbetween the beams.. they make such a mess on my nice summer patio.
                                      They are watching me here, waiting for me to leave the patio
                                         He looks a handsome fellow
                                      They love the electric wires to sit on
            As i was moving around with my camera to see if I could catch sight of more birds.. I looked and looked again.. and there hiding behind the pump house is Shilah and if you look closely.. Pascoa is lying down.  It took me a few min to realize the were there..  Its going to be 28deg today.  They have found  a shady spot to hide.
 Yes,  this looks like a mop that has been tossed into the bamboo ... All was quite, when i saw a movement.. You got it!  its Isaa.. now I know where she hides.

Its been so beautiful here these days.  I have been spending time in the garden and relaxing around.
Sorting all my summer clothes and putting heavy winter ones packed away.

Wishing you all a very happy weekend.   Hope that your days are full of sun ,love and laughter.

val

Sunday 5 May 2013

The hills beyond & home

The 1st sunday in May.  A magnificent spring day here today.  I took some photos of the hills beyond my 'quinta' . The birds are still twittering in the trees. There is a light breeze in the air.





All so green ..with purple flowers everywhere.



 I am surrounded mainly to the east side and in front of me by hills of Olive groves , cork, and sheep in the fields.

 Yesterday two of my grandaughters Maria on the left and Didi on the right spent the afternoon.  It was their first swim of the season.
Hardy finally shows his face.  "come on in grandma , come on".. Oh my gosh! I think I would have died of fright.. I usually take my first swim around the 11th or 12 th of May. So If this good weather keeps up.. next week .. I will take my first dip.


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Hardy and jeffrey wanted to get in on the scene.

My Geraniums are growing like never before.. I think I am getting the knack of this gardening with the smaller flowers.
I have had my little statue boy for over 20 years. My mother bought it for me one day. I like this side of the garden..its at the right of the pool.. its semi wild.. and i put all sorts in there. 

 I have had a very relaxing day today.   My grandson Thomas came to chat..that was such a treat .
I spoilt myself with a couple of scoops of chocolate ice cream and watched "Midsommer murders"..
The dogs stretched out in the sun lazy and happy . I had a light tuna salad for lunch.
And I sat and took in all the beauty of the hills around.

I hope that you all had a lovely Sunday with your family ..  I share these beautiful white roses with you . I think them simply perfect.
I am blowing their scent to you .. wish wishes of a beautiful May ahead.

val