It's snowing (again)

Three weeks ago we had snow - see the blog entry for December 14th 2009. That snow lasted almost a week without snowing any more as it was so cold then. Since then it has been reasonably mild, we haven't had a frost, with only a couple of wet days. We have been very lucky as in some regions of Spain, mainly to the south of the country, it has been raining non-stop causing extensive flooding. However, the snow which has covered the U.K. in the last few days has worked it's way down through France and has reached us.


The small tree in the photo above is a nísperos. Click HERE to find out more about the fruit. It flowered in the late autumn, (and was very fragrant), and the fruit is developing over the winter in order to be eaten in the spring.


Also in the garden we have a couple of very large agave. Click HERE to learn more about them. These plants seem to endure the cold spells during winter and of course relish the heat of the summers.


As usual, the ermita looks magnificent as the backdrop in any circumstance...


...but the fountain looks a little dejected in the snow!

Currently it is just drizzling snow, (I'm sure the Inuit indians have a name for that). However, the forecast is for it to clear in the next few days. We certainly hope so. We've already had our snow for this season and people say it's only likely to snow in this area once every ten years! Make that every winter for the last 5 since we got here!

3 Kings or Los tres Reyes

The eve of the 5th January is the time all the children here have been waiting for as it is on this evening that the 3 kings bring the presents as they did with their gold, frankincense and myrrh over 2000 years ago. Rather than travel by camel, in Torre del Compte they arrive on a trailer pulled by a tractor.

Click left on any photo to see it full size. *

The trailer is followed by everyone carrying a lit torch from the church to the hall adjoining the bar/restaurant.

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Here, the torches are extinguished and everyone enters the hall...

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...where the kings and their pages hand out the presents to those people whose names are called out.

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Not only do the children get presents!

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After, a supper dish with friends is well received.

As we were looking in a shop window earlier in the day, we noticed the toy gun above. Hopefully the stimulation it provides is not caused by shooting people!

Photos marked * are by Floyd.

Winter wonderland!

The weather has been great up to now. We had our first frost on Saturday morning and apart from it feeling "fresh" we have been treated to blue skies with very little wind. Yesterday, it started snowing, very lightly at first and once again with little wind.

Click left on any picture in order to see the full size version.

This morning it is snowing again, very gently and still with no wind.


This means that the snow has landed on the trees, it has piled up on the branches and stayed there just occasionally falling off when there is too much.


All the trees, olives and almonds are covered but in different "styles" as the almonds are just branches whereas the olives retain their leaves.


La ermita de San Juan, which is across the road from us, looks magnificent in the snow.

We must have had at least 10 cms of snow but it is very sparse under the trees as most of it is still on them! Hona, our dog, seemed to enjoy the experience of running in the snow however!

Views to the west.

One of the reasons we live here in the village of Torre del Compte is for the fantastic views, we love them. Although we have views in all directions our favourite is to the west, across the valley of the Matarraña river, towards the village of La Fresneda.

Click on any photo to see it full size.

The view of La Fresneda which we usually see is the one above which I took this morning. On top of the hill in the left hand half of the picture is the village ermita. The highest point to the right is the old castle which has the church immediately in front of it. All three buildings are lit at night so we have the view around the clock.


However, the view constantly changes. A few mornings ago I took the photo above as the early morning mists slowly cleared from the valley.


Later, the same morning when the mists had cleared, we were presented with a different scene.

Yesterday evening, we had a terrific sunset. The sun now has moved from far to the right, where it sets in the summer, to the left of the ermita and it has another 5 weeks to make it's way slightly further to the left before it starts on it's way back.

Here's another sunset I photographed on the 4th November 2006.

And just in case you were wondering what Torre del Compte looks like from the direction of La Fresneda, here it is above.

The new road!

The "new road" from the bridge over the Matarraña at Torre del Compte to the main road, the A231, is nearing completion, having been only 6 months, (so far), in the making. It has been widened, had bends straightened and a major bypass to "dead man's curve".

See it by clicking on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvPUGZeBOSc

With all this straightening and bypassing the length will have to be changed from 3.5 kms to only 3!

It will be great when it is finished!

Hallowe'en!

"La noche de los muertos" or "The night of the dead", "víspera de Todos los Santos or "eve of All Saints". Whichever form you go for, it's Hallowe'en!

To see the photo full size, click left on it.

15 ghouls, zombies, witches and vampires gathered to celebrate this event in Torre del Compte last night.

I don't know what the neighbours thought if they had seen us gathering.

The grim reaper and Dracula himself turned out for the occasion.

The special ingredients no doubt went into the cauldron for the meal ahead...

...and what a feast it was! This was just during the first course and there was so much food there was hardly sufficient room to put it all on the table but it soon disappeared.

And then the vampires flew off at the end to further quench their thirsts elsewhere!

And because the 1st of November, (all Saints day), is a Sunday this year and is normally a holiday here, don't worry because tomorrow, Monday, is the holiday instead.

Thanks to Floyd for 2 of the photos.

How to Give a Cat A Pill

Since posting the piece about giving Maxxy his pills, a friend has sent us some advice. I thought I should pass this on so here it is...

How to Give a Cat A Pill

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth.

Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.

Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger.

Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.


7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit.

Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing.

Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot.

Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie the little *&#%^'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed.… Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

How To Give A Dog A Pill

1. Wrap it in bacon.

2. Toss it in the air.

Easy peasy!!!