Weather Report

Somehow I've managed to do major gardening on Friday afternoon and again this afternoon. I've massacred most shrubs in the garden and even uprooted three and put on the throw-away pile to make room for new species.

In between these two gardening episodes we have had the most torrential rain, almost like hail, which also occurred after I finished today. Just as I was packing up, one of the neighbours (male) came around for a chat (he loves a chat more than most women do!) and said about all the floods up North where a train line had two metres of soil taken from under it. Also that in Sao Marcus da Serra (the most northerly Algarvian village) was awash ... about 20 minutes away from us !!!!

We put the news on as we ate dinner on our TV tables in the living room (nice log fire going) and the headlines were these two things Ze mentioned and the worst being the village near us where water was one metre tall in houses and people have lost everthing, including their animals! The pictures were horrendous. We are 20 minutes away and "only" had this heavy rain. I feel so sorry for these folk as they are poor anyway in that area.

All this unwanted stuff we have brought back from the UK, so far six black bags of clothes and several boxes of household items, are earmarked for charity and, although we support the animal charities, this is for one which tends to children in need, poor people in the "outback" and disaster cases. Now, with this disaster, they need even more assistance so I must look even harder to get rid of things I really don't need / use.

And it's not over ... there's more on it's way! Horrors!

Sorry, I'm prattling on here but I feel so helpless when so many are in need. :(

PS They also do shoe boxes at Christmas for children and OAPs.

PPS One hamlet we stopped in for petrol on the way down home called Entradas has been virtually demolished! And Castro Verde which we passed through is a disaster area!

 

How awful, LoL. And being so close to it really brings it home, doesn't it? Is your place safe? Is it higher up?

 

Well, we are on a slope, not our particular garden but the main (ha, ha) road goes "up" to the hamlet. In saying so, in front of our front door becomes a lake and the lane (you've seen from pictures) is a nightmare ... no washing cars here! :D I'll try to take a pic tomorrow.

 

I saw it on the News!! :eek: I wondered if it was near you LoL!! Thank God it's not your property It's great that you can do something to help those poor people - I can't imagine what it must be like to lose absolutely everything :(

 

Just got back from taking 2 feather single duvets, 3 thin quilted coverlets, a blanket, two sheets and black sacks of t'other half's clothing (jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts and tee shirts) that don't fit any more which we brought back from the UK (didn't have time to sort it there).

This charity, Castelo dos Sonhos (Castle of Dreams) is near where we shop on Thursday so we will have another load ready to take then.

 

Nice one LOL