On our arrival at Olbia airport we were welcomed by a warm (ish) sunny day. Since our arrival the weather has been very good and except for one hour of light rain the sun has shone every day. Beautiful blue skies are accompanying our stay so far. Chilly evenings remind us it is still only March, and we have to make a fire to keep cosy.
We have started planting potatoes, onions, tomatoes and lettuces, as well as seeds of zucchini, aubergine, peppers, chilli, basil and parsley. Other greens were already planted by my brother in two green houses prepared in February.
Other jobs consisted in fine pruning small branches of the olive trees which had already undergone their biennial heavy pruning in January and February. Last year the olive crop failed because of the continuous heavy rain. So far we are experiencing the opposite weather as it has not rained since January.
This means that water will be used with more care and a couple of days ago we added more water saving pipes to the cultivated area. Some of the broad beans and peas we planted in November were killed by the heavy frost in January and we had to replant them in an area left empty. More will be planted hopefully next week a long side of French beans and borlotti beans. We are waiting a few more days for these vegetables as during the night the temperature is still too low.
We have introduced 3 chickens to the land ( gifted by my brother) and although I had prepared a house for two, he turned up with 3 and so I have to build a bigger accommodation for them. The chickens settled OK but yesterday the dog ( Rex) managed to escape ( third time) and being a hunting dog went crazy and managed to tunnel under the fence, catch and bite a chicken, resulting in a mass of white feathers and a semi-bald hen before we caught the dog and restrained him on his usual running cable.
In the end we had to move the chicken compound away from his proximity to a site further upland and hopefully that will solve the problem. Some cats are around that area so we will have to keep and eye on them.
The first Sunday when all of us were here we did some grafting. Some almond trees were grafted into peaches and apricots .Here are some pictures of the job. If they take next year we will have some fruit. Almond trees are good recipients for grafting peaches, cherries, apricots, pears and apples.
The chicken house and its residents
First egg
