Down on the Farm

Around about this time last year my wife and i were getting ready to return from the Philippines. We had spent 3 weeks with her family and had a great time. The kids beat us up daily, so happy to see us after such a long time and it was sad to leave. While over in the Philippines we had a thought on buying a small plot of land with a view to building a wee house to maybe use as a holiday home and in time even consider building something a little more substantial for when we are old and grey.

  

Anyway it didn't really turn out exactly how I had planned! Alvin, the brother of my wife cares for plots of land for a good few people and we tasked him with keeping an eye out for a bargain over the next year or 2!! Anyway Alvin mentioned this cracking place going for a song and we ended up buying the land within a couple of weeks of returning home!!!

  

Only it turns out we bought a fecking farm not a small plot of land. Alvin really done us proud and we have let him make a living from the place while keeping it in good shape for us in the future. The place was a complete jungle and after all the guys hard work it is really beginning to show fruit.

  

It turned out there was already hardcore and founds set for a large rice mill so these were utilised to make the big structure you see in the pics.

  

We had walked the land before we went for it but afterwards it turned the boundaries were way beyond what we had estimated.

  

So the guys have been planting corn, water melon and we have planted hundreds of different smaller fruit trees as well as a banana grove (and of course coconut trees).

   

A mini melon.

  

A single banana tree left over from the clearing.

  

The kids getting ready for a little harvest celebration.
  

I don't think it was the kids drinking the red horses? No.1 strong beer of the Philippines.
  

Sorting out the corn.
  

This was Alvin's 1st harvest so it was a test to see what crops would grow best on the land. By the time of the corn harvest the melons had been picked and sold.
   

Nikki Noo helping out.
     

The glamorous Maritese, 1 of my sister in laws.
  

There have been some great things to come out of our little project. 1st Alvin is loving it and 2nd the kids are having a brilliant time.
  

And 3rd we discovered that on the land there were a few families living and when we put a well on the land they were able to get a constant source of water.
  

On the farm we also have some livestock, pigs, goats, chickens, a caribou.
  

And ducks! It is great to think we are leaving such happy memories in the minds of our nieces and nephews!!!

Nothing to do with wargaming or figure painting but I just wanted to share with you some of our adventures. There is another big area still to be cultivated in time.