April fools day

April fools day was meant to be the 1st of April but here on the 20th of April we had a second occasion.

As the cutting of the finca continued under the bright blue spring sky a solitary figure crossed our land heading towards us. It was Miguel father of one of our neighbours and he was concerned that my eight young olive trees had disapeared. Having introduced him to Carol, I explained to Miguel that I had had to move them as the year long drought followed by my winter visit to England meant that they had not established. Their position at the far boundry of the finca also meant a long walk each day with water. Now in pots and placed nearer to the house they would get more attention and should flourish. He approved.

Carol was taking no chances and returned to the grass cutter!

Miguel was bemoaning the fact that he had lost the garden he tendered at his son´s home. They had installed a swimming pool and his cultivated vegtable plot had gone. Now he could only walk around the village watching others working.

We discussed the lack of rain, Miguel said that until three years ago there was always enough rain but now it rarely if ever came. I pointed out to him that grey clounds were all around us and that maybe we would get rainfall soon. He dismissed this saying that the wind was in the north and therefore no rain would fall. Saying goodbye he continued on his daily walk.

Within a few minutes the wind changed round and as the grey cloud on the horizon turned black it began to drift towards us. The wind speed increased and now I could smell the distant rain.

Mrs. Gravy agreed to a short break from our endevours as the machine would need to cool before re-fueling. From the house we watched as the sky grew still darker surely now we will get rain. Yes, yes there it is the rain has started getting heavier by the second and now the thunder and lighting a real storm with lots of rain.............and now hailstones big hail-stones lots and lots of them.

Soon the newly planted beds were under water, the seed trays were covered in ice and the finca was enveloped in fog. The large but delicate jungle leaves of the Cannas were torn to shreds.

We felt like April fools!