My Pal Ben the Boxer

Only a few weeks ago, I wrote of how I enjoyed taking my friend Bob’s dogs, Ben the boxer, and Mel, the all kinds of everything, for a walk along the cliff tops between Burgau & Luz on a beautiful sunny day in late October.

I had done this walk with the two dog many times previously, Mel forever the wild one, running off into the scrub searching through the undergrowth, barking and chasing anything in site and Ben wanting to do the same only now getting older. Ben with a mind set of a 12 month old puppy (seemingly like all boxer dogs), bringing up the rear as his poor little legs would no longer go at his favourite pace.

Little did I know then, that this would be my last walk with the two dogs, as Ben has had to give in to getting older and became quite ill over the last couple of weeks and sadley had to be put to sleep on Friday evening.

On Friday morning, knowing his fate later that day, I went to see him to say goodbye. I was greeted by a dog rapidly waving his backside from side-to-side in the absence of a tail still as he was desperately still trying to be that 12 month old puppy, which is how I will always remember him.

Ben, who was only ten years old, has been buried along with his favourite ball in Bob & Anne’s garden so we that we can still go and talk to him and remember together, those wonderful cliff top walks.

Thanks for the memories matey, God bless.

I told you it gets windy

Just been to the UK for a few days and the weather was terrific, I was originally a little worried as when we left Portugal the temperature was in the high 20's.
However, while the sun shone in the UK, it looks like the winds came in Portugal.
In fact Faro airport reported a tornado which uprooted trees and removed parts of the terminal roof and ceilings causing havoc and long delays at the airport.

One report in the local newspaper also said that a large number of greenhouse's were damaged in the area. This made me smile as the only greenhouse's that I have seen in Portugal are poly tunnels, which I would have thought in a tornado would now be half way to Spain, it obviously got lost in translation.

As we have a fair bit of land we have been paying a local guy, to plough the land to keep it tidy. It has not been farmed for over 50 years and the soil is very heavy and full of clay.

About once a year we have been paying a local guy to plough the land to keep it tidy and keep the weeds down which is not nearly enough, especially by August when the wild fennel plants are fully grown and covered with snails. This is ok if you are a snail lover and the Portuguese certainly are as the snails live on the wild tarragon and this then gives the snails a flavour of aniseed.
That has all been ok, but for the last 2 years the Gypsies have found our snails and then they come along with their brothers, their wives and Mum's brother's and their kids, some still in nappies and not forgetting their dogs.
It matters not that the land is walled or fenced as they do not give 2 hoots about boundaries. Last year when the gypo's arrived, we hadn't realised they were on the land so didn't know how long they had been there, probably from first light. By the time I shoo'd them off, they left behind empty water bottles, empty cigarette packets and cigarette ends that they had carelessly flicked away, which could so easily started a fire.

But the most disgusting item they left behind was junior gypo's dirty soiled nappy that had been removed from the babies bum complete with contents and just left it on the ground.

Right, that’s it I said. You won't find any snails next year, because I'll clear the land and remove all trace of wild tarragon plants.

So I bought a tractor, as I have a big birthday this month, it's a birthday present from my mother-in-law who sadly died earlier this year.

It's a boy's toy thing really and I am having loads of fun clearing up the weeds.