New works from the fienile

Rachel has been busy working in her studio (ex hay barn) at the top of the hill. She has found a new way or working that is more spontaneous and is enjoying the process and the results.

Below is one of the new works called "Life" although others can be seen on her website at www.rkwilliams.com

Apropos nothing really

A night time shot of a prunus against the late evening sky. I think it looks a bit Japanese but I'm told by someone more arty than me I'm wrong. In fact she didn't say anything there was just silence which is even more indicative I'm wrong.

Anyway today we had to visit the accountant to further understand the Italian tax system. This is a journey of a lifetime so we go often.

Our accountant has a very happy persona, not put upon by the job she does. The exact opposite of most accountants. I speak here as an former accountant myself.

Grandine

On Saturday afternoon we had an intense hailstorm with hailstones about a 1cm across. It was part of a thunderstorm that lasted a couple of hours but very localised in terms of the hailstorm.

It was very destructive, particularly in the vegetable garden, with the tomatoes pretty
much totally destroyed and everything else with shredded leaves.

Fortunately the olives are very hardy and so don't appear to be affected.

Anniversario della Repubblica

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the creation of the Italian republic.

It's a public holiday and will be most welcomed by many as already this year two festa days have fallen on a weekend and so no day off was forthcoming.

Also many Italians will "fanno un ponte" with this holiday and take friday off to make a long weekend of it.

In transition

The olive trees here are full of flower bud which are now budding giving the trees a strange yellowy hew.

Hopefully with some benine weather these will convert into fruit.

Grass

As the grass at Wimbledon is prepared ahead of the tournament so too is the grass here at Casa Margherita getting it's annual trim.

The grove always looks well kept immediately after with the trees themselves freshly pruned and full flower bud and new growth.

28 June 2011

Bit overcast today so spent a couple of hours cutting the grass in the grove and as I write this we having a downpour which is welcome as the ground is quite dry as we have not had much rain this year.

Buona fortuna for Alonso tomorrow in Monte Carlo. Think he has a good chance.