Throughout the summer we were tending to the vegetable terraces, mating sure our first crops were well looked after and planting new seedlings.

We have already had good harvests of courgettes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelons and strawberries. We are even trying to introduce some plants that are more suited to Northern European climates like rhubarb!

We are happy to see that the apple, pear and plumb trees we planted in February appear to have survived their first hot summer which is a good sign that these trees, which are not common in this part of Spain, will get another winter to establish themselves and so will hopefully go on for many years to come.

The Almond trees, which were originally on the land but were almost lifeless last year, are just beginning to provided new nuts. There are s few different varieties that will crop between August and October.

With all these crops to maintain, and having had a theft of building materials on the land in the Spring, it was becoming increasingly important to ensure that someone was at the Finca every day. And as the weather became hotter, it was better to work at dawn or dusk.

Eventually we decided that a better solution than driving to and from the land twice a day was to get a caravan!



The caravan is only a temporary arrangement - but it means that we can spend two or three nights a week staying over night so we can work during the cooler hours. It also provides a place for a siesta when we need to spend all day at the Finca.

The solar power that we installed earlier in the year powers the caravan and its fridge as well as the broadband connection so we are still able to check email and surf the internet. We've also got some small solar powered garden lamps which charge during the day and give a little outdoor light in the evening so that we don't walk off the edge of the terrace. There is also a temporary outdoor shower, fed by the irrigation system so the water temperature is a bit pot luck!

Progress on planning permission ground to a halt towards the end of the Spring when we finally decided we needed to change the people we were using. After checking a few recommendations from friends we finally found a new lawyer and two enthusiastic architects from Granada who are very keen to maximise the environmental aspects of the project. As a result of this switch we were disappointed to realise that our planning application would have to be reworked and would not be ready for submission until the September council meeting. However, we are extremely happy with the exciting ideas and proposals that new team have put together.



The final highlight of the Summer has to be our new chickens! At long last the Chicken run was finished, the threat from Bird Flu has reduced and a ban on transporting animals because of extremely hot weather was lifted. So, in August we took delivery of 20 Hens.

They were a little unsettled, maybe jet-lagged, for a few days but now they seem very happy and at home. We have taken advise on the best ways to train them to lay eggs in the hen house and to return to their compound at night, so that we will eventually be able to allow them free range.

Now that they are settled, we have ordered a cockerel to brighten up their lives and in the hope they will begin to give us some eggs. We've been told that once they get used to laying their eggs in the hen house we can begin to let them out of the compound about an house before dusk for a few weeks. In theory, as it gets dark they will return to the compound. As time progresses, we can let them out longer and longer each day until, eventually, they can roam free all day and still come home at night.

OK, that's the theory. Watch out for the photos of how it works in practice on a future instalment of this Land Log. We're sure there will be hours spent chicken herding late at night and we'll try and capture some of them on camera!



Looking forward to the Autumn, as well as maintaining the land, the main focus will be on getting planning permission!

We intent to submit our outline planning application for a Casa Rural in Mid-September and should know the outcome by the end of October, when we hope to be able to start work on the details plans.