An Italian saying describes February as a month that is nasty weather-wise but which is also thankfully short. True, much of February has been filled with some very trying times here in the Val di Lima. The month has either given us days of continuous deluging rain or inflicted temperatures descending to minus seven. For Saint Valentine’s day, we woke up to fresh snowfalls and to be outside for just a few minutes without gloves meant frozen fingers and red cheeks.

Within the past few days, the climate has completely changed. True, the nights remain still comparatively cold although now above freezing. During the day, however, the temperature has soared above twenty degrees centigrade; not only can coats come off but sweaters too and yesterday I opened a sunshade on my terrace since the midday sun had become a little too hot.

Talk of global warming! I don’t remember a heat haze quite like this in February…and it`s scheduled to continue for at least another week.

Time to look at doing some serious gardening. I walked to my little olive grove the other day and was shocked to find that two trees had almost been uprooted as a result of completely sodden ground and some strong winds.

With the help of neighbours, the trees were uprighted and I`m sure they will be saved.

Meanwhile, all the signs of spring are here including some delightful clumps of daffodils which my wife had planted with English bulbs.

Let’s hope we won’t go to the other extreme and find a water shortage as has sometimes happened at this time of year…