This is the end

After the rain there is sunshine :-)

We were blessed with lots of rain this month. The trees and plants are really benefiting from it. It has been raining about 2 weeks on end. For us, sun loving people, it is worse than a freezing cold winter because when it is freezing the sun is shining during the day.

And, when there is such a high level of humidity in the air without any sunshine to provide warmth and vitamins, one tends to get ill. We have been ill, Zakaria and me. The usual stuff. A very bad cold. Resting and staying behind the “sopa” (stove) has helped us through this gray and wet February…

Winter is definitely over. The tortoises have come out. Well… I saw one. I guess the others are hiding somewhere.

Mohamed has been working hard. He has gone through the administrative procedures to have all the paperwork ready for Zakaria to get a Belgian passport. We went to the Belgian Consulate to do the application. Have to wait a month to get the passport.

Zakaria needed to have his picture taken. We went to the photo shop and, as usual, when he is in a new environment with new faces around he turned silent and serious. It was a matter of a second to have his picture taken. He was put in a small chair, the photographer put his head into position and he didn’t move nor make a sound until Dad and the photographer went out of the room. Then he started looking around and pointing at all the things he wanted to touch.

Nature is wet and colourful. The wild flowers are growing and provide pretty pictures until somewhere in May when the sun heat will burn them away.

Winter is over.

Water supply

People from Europe report freezing cold over there, while here we are so lucky to enjoy spring time at the beginning of February.

Flowers and vegetables are growing well. We have to hurry to trim down the trees and vines in time. Birds started nesting. I guess the tortoises will surface soon.

They started digging the roads in the village to have water pipes laid. A real necessity because in winter the water is running only every other day and in summer the villagers have to wait 4 to 5 days before getting a new supply in their water tanks.

We do not have this problem as we are living on the outskirts of the village. That’s why they will not start digging the road in front of our house before next year.

We had quite some rain this year, although not (actually never) enough for the farmers. It brought along a few nasty infections (cold, ear infection, flew). We are recuperating from that and moving slowly out of the winter living room and winter cloths. The house is gradually warming up.

In 3 to 4 months it will be too and we will look up the coolness of the house, while now we want to get outside into the sun as much as possible. Winter is the only season during which we can sustain the sun heat the whole day.

It is so different from the Belgian climate.

Yesterday, Nadia, Mohamed’s daughter in law asked me how much it would cost for her to buy a plane ticket to Brussels. The price was not an issue. She would find the money. When I told her that even in summer the heating has to be put on in Belgium, she let lose the idea of satisfying her curiosity. A few pictures will do.