Around and about

As we all adapt to the new normal, we count ourselves as very fortunate to be able to self-isolate on the mountain block we call home. The block keeps us busy at the best to times, but is now also offering us healthy activity and things to do and focus on when our minds might otherwise wander.

A magnolia bud from down below.

We are gardening most days, hauling logs, building walls, growing seedlings and sprouting seeds, gathering flowers and just enjoying basking in the beauty that surrounds us.

It calms our souls.

Despite having removed our coffee plantation because of a nasty weevil infestation a few years ago; there are still coffee bushes growing around the edges of the block and they are bursting with coffee cherries (which have the beans inside them).  We figure if things get really bad, we can start to process beans again...

The camellias on the terraces below are coming into bloom and wandering amongst them is like walking amidst pink and white snow drifts.

A bunch we picked on Sunday

I popped them in these little wee floating boat 'vases'; and set them upon window sills in the kitchen.

And here are some camellia shadows on the water tank.

The veggie garden is beginning (we hadn't planted any as we were due in Scotland on 25 March...) and we are enjoying the daily collection and sharing.

A few weeks ago I did a bit of a panic buy of seeds (only one packet each of about 6 veggies but I did feel a bit panicked) and we set them to grow and already they are bursting out.  Barry prepared another veggie patch for them and that has been good to see.  

Our climate is a very kind one - we can grow so many things. Avocados are coming on and limes have almost reached nuisance levels; but our entire orange crop has virtually just dropped which was sad.

But we have a beautiful place to occupy us and nourish us.

Friday coffee day

Now this doesn't have a lot to do with art, in fact nothing really, but it does just show how some of my Friday got spent instead of making art.

A couple of weeks ago we picked our first coffee cherries and began the lengthy process towards a cup of our own home grown coffee.  Today we picked some more and here are some shots of the progress to date.

Today I 'pulped' the new cherries (my own term) which means popping the slimy beans out of the bright cherry skin - here is the pulp. Honestly they skitter and skate and slip and pop all over the place if you don't control them! This took an hour or two watching a dvd.

Then you soak them for a while so that the enzyme action can remove the slimy skin factor. They can do this by themselves.

Then you dry them for quite a while. These have been drying for about two weeks. Again, pretty much leave them alone and just check them occasionally.

Then you 'husk' them and you can see there is one more 'rub' of the skins to do yet. This took another couple of hours listening to the radio.

The roasting comes next, then the grinding. Stay tuned!