We had amazing sunsets this week between the rainy days. This picture was taken by one of our neighbours, Dan Shriver. I never make New Year's resolutions, mainly because I very rarely, if ever, keep them. Perhaps because they were about changes to my lifestyle, like eating less, losing weight, drinking less, never anything that would have changed the world. But this coming year I am going to. 2026, a year I did not expect to see. Here I am now, looking forward to the 2027 Ru

The Hanang Mountain from the Canadian wheat project in Tanzania, some 3,400metres of it I broke my own rules over the weekend. I was not feeling that well, and despite the presence of our son Selby  and his wife Maggie , including their cat Zeus , in name only,  I allowed myself to feel a bit down, lapsing into one of the deadly sins when combating illness. I think it was partly brought about by the reminder of the pain I suffered on my last consultation with the surgeon when

On average, near 10mm of rain every day this week, with glimpses of the sun The day before I posted last week's blog. I had a painful hospital visit. I went to see my surgeon to review the success or lack of success of my Adjustable Transobturator Male System  (ATOMS) and the necessary adjustments as required to increase efficiency. Simple, yes, but no! Regarding its results so far, I can now sleep through most of the night with a single pad change, not out of necessity but a

Clear skies tonight, Friday, but rain is expected to return tomorrow. My age is showing in my writings; some corrections are required for last week's blog. I have already adjusted and reposted. Please accept my apologies. The first heads-up was from my wife, Rozanne , who told me in the very first line of the blog that I had put Zambia instead of Rhodesia. Funny, nobody else contacted me, perhaps they just accepted I had it wrong and let it be. I am sure many noticed this, bu

I meant to put this up last week, with our farmhouse we lost in Zimbabwe. This was the house I was brought up on Killiechronan, Mull. When my dad remarried, I visited only during school holidays, so, in a way, I lost it as my everyday home. I mentioned in my earlier blogs, from 1972, when I arrived in Rhodesia while working for Hamish Smith , located on Umzururu in Nyabira, that I became friendly with the students at Gwebi Agricultural College. In fact, much of my social life

A break in the rain early this week, but it is back with 50mm a days now a daily event By the time I post this, it will be two weeks since my surgery, and I am still feeling uncomfortable due to the pain caused when I sit down. Now and again, I think, let me stop the paracetamol, and within twenty-four hours, I am reaching for it again. The discomfort arises when I try to sit; lying down immediately relieves me of all pain, and it is significantly reduced by standing up. Howe

The house Diane and I built on the farm way back in 1980 was taken over in 2002 by Mugabe's nephew Well, by the time I post this, I will have been home a week and will have had my catheter removed, an event scheduled on Thursday when my surgeon will also try to ascertain how successful the operation was. I cannot expect a hundred per cent success, but even a fifty per cent improvement, I will deem a massive success. The device put in place is called an Adjustable TransObturat

Clear blue skies following 90mm of rain this week. Much more forecast to come this week but no clue of it in the sky. I did not mention it, but last week I got lost in the hospital for a while. The procedure to reset my heart does not take place at the Central University Hospital of Coimbra (CHUC) , but at Covões hospital, housed in an old building dating back to 1935 with a modern interior, which makes it look more like a maze than a modern medical centre. It had been a sana

The rain has come and has it come. Rain every day for a week and forecast for another two. As an ex-farmer, nearly time to say when will this bloody rain stop despite a preceding dry four months. An active week. A visit to see good friends in the Algarve and a heart-stopping experience, which reset my heart to a regular rhythm for now. I will write about the Algarve trip this weekend in a short blog as on Tuesday next week I go in for surgery to try and alleviate my incontine

Rain promised next week meanwhile burning sunsets persit A quick medical update as I have been silent on this for a few months now, so lucky. Next week I go and get my heart stopped to try and correct the arrhythmia, although the specialist thinks it may not last. I had this done before, but it returned; they are happy to give it another go. You are in and out of the hospital in about six hours. The following week I am also heading to the hospital, this time for surgery to t

Looks like a bank of cloud bringing rain, but no, it is a heavy sea fog that has come every evening over the past week returning to hot...

Rozanne wistfully looking into the evening sky for the rain that's gone! It is Monday morning, a day later than when I usually commence...

Beautiful sunsets at home, but no rain. In saying that, we believe there may have been as much as half an inch the day after we left for...

The Wedding Party Venue This week's blog is not about my past; it is wholly about my present, so those only interested in reminiscences...

Trani Southern Italy I will keep this week’s blog a little lighter and shorter than the last few weeks, and discuss my current situation....