Update

Where did we get to with the water leak situation, we had friends to stay for a week so we took some welcome time out but now it’s back to work.   Finding no 4 was impossible, MrFF cleared the pipe route of undergrowth twice and we searched for a damp area but found nothing.  So he bought another 250 euro worth of plastic pipe and with help from Giovanni has bypassed another section with pipe on the surface.  This isn’t ideal and certainly won’t be in winter but the alternative was costly water wastage.  Here is the car loaded ready for action.

Once the work was done MrFF checked the meter, we have leak no 5.  This one is in the gully where we already have a bypass section or possibly under the road, it needs more investigation.

We had the first major wildfire last week, 48 hours of helicopters and planes dropping water.  Fortunately for us it was on the opposite side and well out of the village, worrying nonetheless.  Our Comune had recently installed a large open  water tank in the valley to reduce the time it takes for the helicopters to collect water, within days it was put to use.

Photo from our Comune website

Because of the drought animals are desperate for water, I keep several outside water stations topped up for the cats.  However the wild animals don’t use them preferring to uproot garden and pot plants in search of moisture and roots.  Our neighbours had told us wild boar were digging under fences to get to water pipes.  Yesterday my newly planted kiwi was out of the ground, today tomato plant roots are exposed in the orchard, even outside Enrico’s beloved hotel Splendido where he likes a summer display soil and plants have been turned out, Enrico probably slept through.

Some days if feels like we live in the Wild West, we are pioneers trying to scratch a living while being constantly beaten back by nature and man made problems, sadly my spirit of adventure is just about worn out.