January 2014

New Year Resolutions

Mainly, to have a better year than last year, especially with the olive crop so we can earn some money. To get the garden worked over and planted up with veg and (maybe) get some chickens. To see more of our son Alex (once he finishes his University course). To get some of our friends to come out and visit us (Yes, you know who).

It Rains here too

We were given a rain gauge for the finca, which has let us keep daily rainfall records since the beginning of 2011. The monthly totals are interesting, but the devil is in the daily figures. The November 2011 weekend downpour (that word doesn't really describe it properly) with over 220mm on 1 day and over 78mm the next, rather skewed the figures for what was otherwise a very dry year.

All all in all, December looks like the month with the lowest rainfall while March-April and October-November seem to be the periods that generally get the most.

Month	2011	2012	2013
January	-	38mm	36mm
February	-	3mm	43mm
March	225mm	77mm	78mm
April	121mm	75mm	90mm
May	47mm	9mm	66mm
June	16mm	21mm	143mm
July	24mm	16mm	24mm
August	-	2mm	19mm
September	-	95mm	13mm
October	38mm	120mm	11mm
November	470mm	158mm	66mm
December	-	7mm	-
Yeraly Total	941mm	621mm	589mm

Diamond Day

Pam & John celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary this January. Family and friends all joined them for a wonderful celebration and a great speech from PG's brother Graham.

Flooding Hell

The floods in the Henley- Reading area were much worse than in previous years. These pictures were actually taken at a relatively low point in the floods, after which the river rose again making this lane inaccessible. The "water meadows" are well named and the Kennet was getting close to the riverside bars in the centre of Reading.

Sunrises still spectacular

Especially when there is some cloud out there. Makes it worth getting up each morning just to see what's happening.

Sheepish, Pookyish and Speechless

One of the village shepherds has been grazing his flock on the grassy terraces below our house all winter. Here he is on a grey day. "House" is doing his best to be endearing so he will get taken for a walk. And lastly, well I'm not quite sure, but there are definitely some weird people around.

Early Bathers

These guys staked their claim to the sunny side of the pool late in the month. I think they will be disappointed in the lack of in-pool restaurant facilities.