At last the roof mounted solar panel has been earning it's keep, with a little more sunshine and of course the lengthening days of spring. We have been able to hand wash some clothing and dry it outdoors saving a significant amount of money on visits to the local launderette. The fishing has been sporadic and so have attempts with my leather work productivity. We have enjoyed many hours with friends, some old and some new, including one lady from the USA and another from Brisbane, Australia, with the later taking a bespoke leather cigarette box back to the land of "Skippy". Gus, a local terrier, is sporting a new collar bearing his name and my makers mark. We have been given rhubarb, fresh eggs and cake by the site owners, which of course have all been 
put to good use and the local crop of wild garlic is just about ready to start adding to our meals. If you haven't tried wild garlic, then you really should if you get the chance. When finely chopped, the leaves give a very pleasant but mild garlic flavour to any meal. All we need now are a few fresh fish, which I am of course working on. I have indeed caught many fish, far too many to keep a tally of, but as usual, they are quite small here so I have returned them all. Yesterday evening I went with my brother, Ian and Damon, a friend, to see if we could catch some mullet. After a couple of hours, our sum total was zero, but what a lovely evening, the sort you see in films about distant places. We saw some truly huge fish, cruising like silent submarines and creating huge bow waves that could be seen from 100 metres or more, in the shallow waters near the estuary. We saw trout, leaping into the air, two feet high or so and 
crashing back into the water shattering the silence of the warm, still surroundings. This place, this time, was paradise and I would defy anyone not to be taken by the tranquility and beauty. Even the gnats were friendly, as they nibbled quietly on my ear lobes and buzzed softly as they departed with full bellies. I wished I had brought my SLR camera, I could have taken countless photographs. All too quickly, we had to leave and begin the mile walk back to our base before it got too dark, where we were greeted by the ladies and the usual leg pulling of more empty fish bags. So, this is not a tale of "the one that got away" but a reminder
of why we chose this life style and the experiences that we would not otherwise have the delight to encounter.
put to good use and the local crop of wild garlic is just about ready to start adding to our meals. If you haven't tried wild garlic, then you really should if you get the chance. When finely chopped, the leaves give a very pleasant but mild garlic flavour to any meal. All we need now are a few fresh fish, which I am of course working on. I have indeed caught many fish, far too many to keep a tally of, but as usual, they are quite small here so I have returned them all. Yesterday evening I went with my brother, Ian and Damon, a friend, to see if we could catch some mullet. After a couple of hours, our sum total was zero, but what a lovely evening, the sort you see in films about distant places. We saw some truly huge fish, cruising like silent submarines and creating huge bow waves that could be seen from 100 metres or more, in the shallow waters near the estuary. We saw trout, leaping into the air, two feet high or so and 
crashing back into the water shattering the silence of the warm, still surroundings. This place, this time, was paradise and I would defy anyone not to be taken by the tranquility and beauty. Even the gnats were friendly, as they nibbled quietly on my ear lobes and buzzed softly as they departed with full bellies. I wished I had brought my SLR camera, I could have taken countless photographs. All too quickly, we had to leave and begin the mile walk back to our base before it got too dark, where we were greeted by the ladies and the usual leg pulling of more empty fish bags. So, this is not a tale of "the one that got away" but a reminder
of why we chose this life style and the experiences that we would not otherwise have the delight to encounter. 
beautiful pictures!
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