Imbolc — the beginning of the end of winter at Finca Verde

I feel that living on the farm gives me a sense both of the passing of time and the circle of life from the first birdsong in the morning to the rushing of the clouds above.

The night sky is full of stars an ever changing rotation with the moon as a clear indicator that we are indeed moving.

The winter nights are cold but the days were relatively warm, some days had felt like spring and we’d been worried about the rising temperatures and it’s effects on the water.

Imbolc on the 1st of February inicates the start of spring and just as if on cue a couple of days before all the almond trees fill up with blooms all shades of pinks and with their thick heady smells. The trees are buzzing full of pollinators come for the feast.

The mountain’s snow cap is almost gone but that alas is not such a good sign. It has been warmer than it should be to keep the icecap on. The water stored as ie is important to feed into the springs that water the hills and valleys below.

The reservoir has only recovered a fraction of what was used last year.

The oranges have turned a deeper shade of orange as the sun matures the fruit into a sweet source of vitamins, biting into the first oranges is like an explosion of flavours in your mouth.

In-season freshly picked squeezed oranges is one of the perks of living here. I sometime add ginger and a drop of honey but often enough the juice is…