The back of the house at sunset in the primary grove at home, at the end of another stifling hot day. The grass is burnt brown in the heat and there’s very little we can do outside from late morning till early evening. The vegetable gardens need a few day’s attention after a short trip away, but that’s it.

There’s been no rain in more than two months except for two very brief showers, but the gardens are watered on a drip irrigation system from the fresh rainwater tanks for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. The thick layer of hay and compost does the rest. The olive trees, however, are quite happy!