I headed back to the land for the first time in ages yesterday.
It had just been too hot over August to do anything, although in honesty that's probably more of an excuse to cover up the real reason that just living online has been far more interesting to me of late.
It was good to get back out there, looks very different in early Autumn, or rather late summer after two months of almost no rain:
Still, I didn't expect it to look fecund, and the fact that the grass hasn't grown means I don't have to think about strimming again for a while!
The well hadn't dried up entirely, but then again it hasn't been a particularly hot summer, and I haven't been using any water from not being there!
But still some water is better than no water!
The poor old house is looking a bit sorry for itself....
Not helped by the tatt I've left lying around, but a general tidy up is next on the to do list! And it will be good for some exercise as well - tidying up around here means LOTs of walking up and down hill!
This is the view from the house - everywhere is dry, although it did actually rain today, first real break of the summer I think!
Looking back through the woodlands, the area we spent a lot of time clearing in spring - actually looks SO MUCH BETTER now! (This is looking towards the house, which is center right, just a bit further on.
And my favourite vista, down the olive terraces, with some chappas to one side, part of a roof in waiting!
So basically, it seems that 'dry and barren' is the theme in rural Portugal in early September!
Getting back out to the land felt good, defo the right decision!
My life feels like it's just getting back into balance again!
I'll be heading back there later again today, and tomorrow probably, the one GOOD THING about DRY means that it's a good opportunity to get to work on some stuff, and now the temperatures are pretty perfect for working outdoors, as it only gets hot in the late afternoons, and then it's not too bad, less than 30 degrees anyway!
P.S. I'm also counting this an entry to the 'appreciating nature photography' initiative put out last week by 
