Articles by Gina Leishman

May 1st

“Hooray hooray the First of May, outdoor swimming starts today” – except that it’s raining, and there are giant purple medusas with massively long tentacles in the sea at my favorite swimming hole (and elsewhere), so it ain’t happening…damn…

April was a busy month around here… Major obras: digging up the patio on the west side of the house (sis’s territory), which had been turned into the Himalayas by the roots of the 60 ft tall pine trees back there – really dangerous for her… so we took up all the old Monte Toro flagstones and Sebastian cut out masses of giant roots – literally masses, the size of trees, some of them –  I surely hope we haven’t killed the trees, they provide our only shade in the summer, which is why it is so necessary that the patio be functional… in the process of digging it all up, the main water pipe from the well to the cisterna (old metal pipe, a mere 45 years old) sprung a giant leak, so we had to run a new hose (rubber, really thick) mostly overground, except for the edge of the main patio which had to be dug up… etc etc…. concrete was poured a week or so ago, earth was brought in to level around it (the patio is a little higher than before). Tiles or mares was going to cost us another 1000 euros, so we’ve opted for colored cement – going to do some color experimentation tomorrow, depending on the weather – they are threatening rain but I don’t believe it, it never materializes, it is SO dry… poc a poc… just as long as it is done before we need it for sanctuary from the heat…

Meanwhile two days ago Sebastian, Mariona (his daughter) and I did the Big Burn (just before the cut-off – no burning from May 1 to Oct 1). We had the perfect day for it, absolutely no wind all morning (the first time in weeks), and we got all 3 bonfires done – the two normal ones, plus the massive pile in the “way back” where I have been tree sculpting. That one we had to do piece by piece, since there wasn’t that much space and it was a HUGE pile, but it’s all gone and the place looks great. The wind got up while we were doing the last bonfire, the main one, but it wasn’t drastically big this year and the wind was from the south so the pines were safe (poor neighbours tho!).

And then Rob came over and helped me plant the huerto – hero of the hour… We got most of it done in one evening, only the onions left for the 2nd evening (all 108 of them!). Don’t know what I would have done without him… I think this might be my last big huerto – next year a quarter of the size, and a raised bed??

Sis has had her first vaccination, I’m still waiting for mine… I just need to get it in time for being clear to travel July 1st… please….

The bad news is a dear friend here is being operated on next Tuesday in Palma –  having a lump removed from her neck where they found metastasized cancer cells. All fingers and toes crossed…

May 2nd Update –  vaccine #1 scheduled for May 8th – Moderna, not Pfizer, but hey, at least it’s not AZ… the 2nd one is scheduled for June 5th, so I should be good to go… more fingers and toes crossed….

May 3rd Update – Hooray hooray the 3rd of May, outdoor pleasuring starts today…  blue sky, hot sun, cold dip – yay!

Well,  I really shouldn’t eat or drink again for quite some time… Two birthday lunches,  one on Saturday here with J&R, one on Sunday with Chita and Len, and then a wonderful zoom session with my mostly NY homies (plus Joan in CA, Dino in Arizona?) – sooo much fun to see everyone – I feel very well celebrated!   Can’t wrap my mind around the actual milestone –  it truly doesn’t compute… But there it is… Starting another chapter…

Sis is trying very hard to help however she can, which is heartening – every little bit helps.  She is getting dressed every day now – not constantly seeing her in her nightie and dressing gown is a big improvement. And we actually had an early birthday meal at Txoko the week before – her first outing, other than hospital and/or physio, in over a year. And I got her down to the sea on her birthday – all good forward motion…

Speaking of weather, the island is bone dry, the earth cracked already – so little rain has fallen this winter, it’s really scary.  It looks like late May, not early April.  I fear that there will be a fair amount of attrition in the garden this year – time to let things go if they can’t survive on their own, or at least with only minimal help…