My new veranda is on it's way

I could never have known when i built my veranda out of wood and the work in treating the timbers that cracks in the timber was like opening a door to Wood worm

A friend offered to help me build a veranda that would be Wood worm proof. It's now built out of concrete beams, blocks and everything wood worm can't do harm to
I didn't know my friend had been a brick layer in his distant past. He watch for a few minutes and could tell i wasn't familiar with bricks and offered to help. I must admit at this point i became the labourer fetching and carrying.

This is looking out from my workshop to the outside.













 
This is the side looking onto the ruin next door.

This is the side looking to the lane.

This is a side view and we now have one row of blocks in place

Here is the entrance to my workshop.

Well a little back to normal

I was told a few days ago that a market i normally go to was to start again. Sadly it was a a different location and in another town. Normally the market was in the grounds of a restaurant but it had been move. I don't know why it had been moved but the new location was outside of the local health centre  in the Centres grounds.

Everybody was told to keep a distance from other stall holders and i was lucky to have the Honey lady at my side. At the previous location she is normally by my side there somehow it just felt a little like it had before.

The reaction from so many of my regular customers was great everybody had a story of how there managed to get through the Lockdown. Across the road was a timber merchant that although closed you could see over the gate lots of what looked interesting wood. Somebody who during the fires of the year before last lost a lot of trees. I was told that the trees that where only burn on the outside would be cut down in about a months time. The main trees i was interested in was the Oak and Walnut i was told that there was plenty to choose from.

After such a busy market i have to order new stock before i have shortages. Hungary is world famous for there Paprika and the large variety from mild to very hot and also smoked from mild to hot. I will soon be advertising that all my Paprika is Exclusive to me and nobody else in Portugal will be selling this world famous Paprika.. Also i can confirm that there will be no increase in price from the prices i charge for Spanish Paprika.

Proud of Liverpool Coppers

I am from Liverpool and proud of it even though i now live in Portugal. After ready over a number of years how the Police in America only shoot to kill. A young woman was shot while asleep and other young man shot in the back both dead.

Yesterday a person who had been Tazered was then shot in the abdomen by a firearms Police officer.  The officer could have shot to kill but he did the right thing doesn't it show how good the training is that he didn't shot to kill.

So the borders are now open

So the borders are now open so what. After watching the scenes on many of the UK beaches you couldn't believe that there was a deadly virus.

During my limited travels to go for a part for my van and to go shopping i saw many foreign cars and motor homes. Where i live it seems to be a centre for motor homes and this week i have seen Italian, French, Dutch and one from Austria. Plus just as many cars for me i am staying inside until it is really safe to move around

So carry on staying safe.

R.I.P my veranda

I posted years ago about the veranda i had built all on my own. I built my veranda after treating all timbers in a timber treatment. Each piece was treated three times and all end pieces stood in the treatment for a couple of days. I felt safe that i had done all i could that made my veranda secure for the future.

A few weeks ago i found a timber that looked week after inspection i found three timbers that where rotten. I asked a local timber expert and although i had treated all my timbers the high sun and cold morning caused some of my timbers to split. This was it an open door to whatever creature wanted to get into my timbers and i didn't know anything about the invasion.

Here is my veranda now during strip down since this picture i have removed every trace of my beloved veranda and the site is clear.

In it's place will be a structure that is wood worm free it's going to be made of Concrete with a none slip floor surface.

If anybody gets upset reading this Tough.

Reading the constant news about the murders in the USA of people whose only crime is being Black.

Today I read of another murder of a guy trying to run away from the police, they shot him twice in the Back. In the UK it's a crime of murder in the US it's Murder, felony murder or aggravated assault. How can shooting someone in the back be anything less than Murder.

What is the saying I remember " land of the free home of the brave " unless you are black.

Readers from the USA remember Waco and  remember a place in Vietnam called My Lai an attitude of if it moved kill it old men and old women mums children babes in arms there crime being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My Lai Massacre - Definition, Facts & Causes - HISTORY

Apr 17, 2020 · The 1968 My Lai Massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence committed against unarmed civilians during the Vietnam War. A company of American soldiers brutally ...

I am sorry I am really angry, a young girls age 25 asleep in her bed was shot but police with a warrant that they can just enter a property and they did and the poor girl is dead. Shot in her sleep 8 times did it take 8 bullets to take down a Black girl who was sleeping. Murder. This girls name was Breonna Taylor another Black person murdered by white police.

But some good news

A friend who arranges the Boot sale at a restaurant asked me if i was still making cutting boards. I now make boards in the shape of countries, normal cutting boards and mirrors, The boot sale is only for artist and craft  type people and there product.

My friend is also having a website built by here son and during the making of the site there are a number of my boards for display.

I painted black round the edge of Africa because it made the board stand out

A heart mirror including a mirror cheese board.
This is my favourite one finished and one to be finished.

This is a board that has just had 8 coats of a food grade mineral oil applied.














This is a heart complete with 8 coats of mineral oil and one heart ready for finishing.

My poor veranda

A long time ago  i built my very own veranda outside of my kitchen door.. sadly due to extreme heat, rain in the winter, frost in the mornings some of the main timbers where past there best.

The only thing i can do is to build a new veranda so for the moment i am busy taking the old veranda apart before there is an accident.

I will have to take some pictures to show the demise of my veranda. 

Just a bit of whats been going on.

During the lock down it's been difficult for me as it has been for most people i have stayed in doing a few small projects.

Being an ex butcher i know at a glance what is a good buy.One day while out at a local supermarket i had a look at what was in the butchers counter. I found a piece of belly pork and a piece of shoulder port ideal for making sausages with. My only problem is i don't have a sausage machine but with my mincer i could make sausage meat. I had always liked Cumberland sausage so i started to ok n the internet.

Soon it was like a Thursday afternoon at G Norris & son in Liverpool. It wasn't long and i soon had a big bowl of Cumberland sausage meat in my bowl

One thing i did have was a burger press so i made my sausage that looked like burgers. I did find that the fat content was to low but for now was OK but next time i will get enough fat content to make them perfect.

For now i have about 24 sausages frozen ready for use in my freezer.

During this lockdown

I have tried to keep busy during this lock down but it is difficult but my problem is getting materials for things i want to do. I have ordered a new chuck for one of my lathes and i have lots i can do when that arrives.

I already had the wood for the floor in my fish room but working on the floor with knees that need some repair put me off.

I live in a little village

I live in a little village and normally anything bigger than a small van is a problem. Most drivers as they drive up the lane see it's narrow and they stop and get out to see the turn is OK.The lane stops just past my house so you can't drive through and you have to turn round to leave.

I wonder what the driver said to his boss when he returned to work Sorry!!!

Farmers told to cut Milk production

In Scotland the dairy Farmers have been told to cut Milk production. How do they do that go into the fields and ask the Cows to not produce as much. Read below from the BBC news website.

The dairy manufacturer Muller has ordered farmers across Scotland who supply them with milk to cut production because of an oversupply.

It has written to more than 250 dairy farmers asking them to reduce output because of changing consumer habits caused by the coronavirus crisis.
It has been estimated more than a million litres of unwanted milk is being produced across the UK each day.
This means some dairy product is having to be poured down the drain.
Even though demand from supermarkets has increased, that has not filled the gap left by the closure of cafes and restaurants.

What a nice surprise

Today i had a knock on my front door. There was a 4 X 4 parked outside and someone was standing in my gate asking questions i couldn't understand. I figured out he was asking how many people live in my house and when i told him only one. I was offered something i didn't understand what it was i was being given. As soon as i was back inside i looked and what i found was a face mask in a plastic bag. There was a leaflet and it seemed that the mask was given as a gift from the local Council/ Camara. What an amazing gift to receive something the councils in the UK wouldn't be giving away.

So Gois Council/ camara Thank you for helping me stay safe.

How to oder Spices

I believe that i have the best selection of Spices in Portugal and you can order my Spices online.

Use the email at the top of the page after first looking through the Spice list on the front page of the Iberianspices blog at       https://iberianspices.blogspot.com/
Up to 500gr cost 2€ delivery to mainland Portugal.
Up to 1kilo cost 4€ delivery to mainland Portugal.

Orders are normally shipped within 24 hours.

Out of stocks until further notice changes will be made to this page should any other item become out of stock.

Black peppercorns
Star anise whole
Tamarind
Vindaloo

Face masks what would you do

Well the title says it all. i imagine everybody who reads my Blog is in the same position that i am in. We don't want to die until our use by date is due but i want to go by natural causes after all we all have to die sometime. Everybody who can is wearing face masks and when i go shopping i carry two masks with me.

I Have 2 family members who works in a Care home in Liverpool. Last week on the BBC news website i read about two care homes in Liverpool. In one home it was reported that 15 people had died because of the virus. In another care home 8 people died and it's wrong.

These people who died had worked all there lives and they died because of a virus not natural causes.

I am today getting in touch with news organisations in Liverpool. How dare someone tell my family members not to wear face protection because it may upset the residents. The residents are mostly intelligent people and would understand the care givers need to stay safe.

I sell Spices

It's no secret but i sell Spices and i am known as Spicepete i only mention this because i have had a number of emails asking if i will do mail order. A short answer is yes.

On the front of this Blog is an email or on the front of Iberianspices Blog just type Iberianspices into Google and you will find at the top of the page the email to use.

As my email is at the top of the front page i am not going to repeat it in this post.

Should you want to buy Spices from me read below

Postage up to 500 gr will be 2.€
Over 500 gr and up to 1Kilo will be 4€

Go to Iberianspices and look at the product list on the front page. The only things out of stock is Tamarind, Vindaloo curry and Star Anise but i do have Star Anise powder.

So please feel free to make contact.

I went into three supermarkets today

Today i went shopping first to Lidl near to me in a place called Arganil as i drove into the care park i saw a queue of about 20 people. I am not the most patient of people so i drove straight out of the car park. On the way back home i decided to go over to a place called Lousa to the Lidl over there.

Great now queue i walked straight in no getting hand protection no trolly being cleaned. I found everything i wanted even some ice cream. I got in a queue and as i moved forward someone with a huge trolley moved over in front of me. i pointed to get behind me but i was pushed out of the way and she then called other people over to get in front of me in the queue. Oh how i wish i could speak Portuguese i would have stood my ground so i pushed paster her and left my trolley and walked out it was not the time for a row.

I then went on my way home to my favourite supermarket where if you have your own bags you are not allowed in time they are sprayed. next you have to put the hand cleaner and they make sure you rub it well into your hands. Now you can go in to do your shopping. How good is that. Also fresh Strawberries 1.99€ per kilo Mmmm

I forgot to get butter so near home i went into another supermarket near home. As you walk in there is a bottle of some kind of hand cleaner but only if you want to use it. Not one trolly was cleaned but i got my butter.

This deadly virus and two national chain supermarkets are not doing much to keep there customers safe.

Not as good as my Mums

My Mum had one thing she enjoyed was her garden in later years she was only able to sit and look at her much loved garden. She had a most amazing Acer tree and when i had the chance i got myself one. OK it may not be as good as the one my Mum had it's just as special to me as it was to MUM.

When i moved to Portugal i got myself an Orange, Lemon and a Lime tree. However i didn't put them in the best place and they have stayed alive but that's it until now. I had planted them in completely the wrong place on a hill and in direct sun so not enough water. Now they have been moved into big pots they are all doing well.Below if a couple of pictures outside of my front door where the orange tree is.

This orange is looking amazing now looking so healthy but also lots og Blossom that i hope to get turning into oranges for later in the year.

How cute

I read on the BBC news website about a little girl who was 9 years of age.  With the help of her father she made Pizzas for her neighbours in her Cul de sac. So as to keep away from people and being a fan of remote controlled cars she had an idea. What she wanted to do and with Dads help she used a remote controlled car to deliver Pizza.


Another feel good story was about a 99 year old war veteran who tried to raise £1,000 by walking with a walking aid round his garden. The last time i looked he had raised £17,000,000 and all funds are for the UK NHS.

These are just two of the stories i have read that as nice feeling at this the most difficult time that i have known in my lifetime.

I must also mentions all the people all over the world doing good deeds to help others.

A single act of kindness

I live in Portugal and Portugal is my home. But an act of kindness has just made me feel proud to  call myself an English man.

Please read the story below.

A "humbled and emotional" paramedic has thanked a stranger who paid for his shopping and customers who applauded him at a supermarket.

People queuing outside Lidl in Cromer, Norfolk, made way for David Tillyer - who had just finished a night shift - "with applause and thank-yous".
He said a woman who "ran up and swiped her card" as he went to pay told him: "Not much you can do to stop me".
His thank-you on Facebook has been shared 78,000 times.
"I am humbled and a bit emotional," wrote Mr Tillyer, who works for the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS)
"Thank you to the lady that did that and thank you to all the shoppers that made me feel special after a tough run of shifts #NHSandProud #stayhome #covidkindness."

• Coronavirus - Updates from the East of England

Speaking to the BBC, he said he had just finished a 12-hour shift and was about to join the end of the queue waiting for Lidl to open when the young couple in front of him let him go ahead.
"About two-thirds of the way through the queue someone said 'let's give him a round of applause', and people started clapping and saying thank you.
"It was really heart-warming to know that people out there really respect what we do and are grateful to everyone on the frontline of the NHS for what we're doing at the moment."
He praised the "amazing, kind gesture" from the woman who ran to the till to pay for his shopping.