25.11.2012
The school kids all went home on Friday and the farm felt rather deserted. In the evenings when I shut up the chickens I passed everyone sat round a campfire in the ruins telling stories and roasting marsh mallows. It was just wonderful to have all that young life around. The kids also did a fantastic job cleaning up the old patio beside our new shelter shed. There was such a mass of weeds growing there that it was impossible to see the brick paths or even the ponds. Amazingly the two orange trees had survived and when they were rescued from the surrounding undergrowth they looked surprisingly healthy!
Now we are back again to doing all our own farm work. Edd really enjoyed the rest from taking the dogs for their walks and I appreciated the help with the milking. Today we worked back in the garden and set up the pumpkin bed. It is looking so good down there that we felt inspired to do more. The other two new beds are planted out with summer vegetables and the old raised bed is giving us a bumper crop of snow peas. Best of all the basil is growing well and I can look forward to pesto again.
The festive season has also started. Last night Erin and JB put on an enormous party for neighbours and friends as a thank you for help given when their house burnt down. They are now living in their new home and describe life as settling down to a new normal. They really put on a treat for everyone with lots of fantastic food and wine. It was great to catch up with everyone again. We have been so busy this last month that I don’t feel I have had time to talk to anyone.
On Friday evening we went to India’s school party at a winery in Seville. It all went off with out a hitch but the food supplied was pretty ordinary. I was so tired that I came home early to do all the animals and Bo gave Edd a lift home later on. This event rounded off India’s school days. She has done all the work and now she will get a job and wait until she gets her university applications results. She intends to work until she has independent status so that she can get a study allowance.
It cost a lot of money to get a university qualification now. The students can take out a loan to pay for the course expenses but they also have to fund living as well and it can be hard to get a job that gives enough income to do this and study at the same time. If India earns enough next year she will get a small study allowance that will make things easier.
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