Saturday 23-9-2006

Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday dear Layna.
Happy birthday to you.
We are going Chinese at Albox tonight to celebrate Elayne’s **** birthday and her first birthday in Spain.
Last night we had a storm with big lightning and thunder and rain going on all around whilst we tried to ignore it under our blankets, some chance. It first came around us at about two o’clock, we think, and then moved off and returned with a vengeance about five o’clock. The five o’clock session was flashing and banging nearly together. As the bedroom has windows on both sides we could watch it stereo. We knew that we were safe but it doesn’t stop one from thinking, in the early hours, that perhaps we could have a land slide, and ,with all the rain, we could end up down the bottom of the valley
A little group of three men arrived on site this afternoon and put a lid on our hebe. They then drove off again so we suppose that a different little team will come to finish the potto. Hey it’s progress so we are grateful.
Almond Pickers Arm Pits.
This is a strange affliction that has just started to make it’s presence felt.
It is brought on by greed and is aggravated whilst one is picking almonds and one must just get that very last almond that just happens to be three or four inches (100mm to our converted friends)above where one can normally reach. One has then to get very intimate and dirty with the said almond tree trunk and the maze of branches to be able get an extra couple of inches needed to get that last almond. It may take longer to get this last almond than to pick the rest of the tree. However, tight fistedness comes in and a dogged determination that you will get this damned almond. Now thing would be Ok if it was England with it’s temperate climate. But here in Spain picking the almonds can be a very hot occupation. As we have lots of acreage and that our nearest neighbours are some way off, I do sometimes divest myself of my upper garments and this is where the fixation with the very last almond takes it’s toll. The branches and budding tips on the almond trees are very brittle and rather sharp so that when you move in close you get your arm pits scratched to pieces. I suppose it doesn’t really help being a careful Yorkshire man.
From the Editor in Reserve…and I quote …“there’s nowt so queer as folk “J
Pictures are of the morning after the night before.