85 ~ Storms Over Canarias

We were warned by the weather office that thunderstorms would be coming over the Canary Islands these past days and they were right.

Most islands have had torrential rain and in some parts, intense flooding, as was the case in Santa Cruz, the capital city on the east coast of Tenerife.

Here is a news item with photos from a British newspaper which show the water streaming through the streets of Tenerife. Some areas received as much as 200 liters per square meter. Luckily there were no fatalities. We're lucky to be living in a part that didn't receive the brunt of the storm, so our garden is still intact and thankful for the fresh rainwater.

Here's a video of the streets of Tenerife:



A more cheerful sight a few days ago was a bouquet of our own roses lying on the patio table. Our garden helper Antonio finished the rose pruning in record time and there were still so many in bloom that he lay them where I would find them. The many reds were La Sevillana and Heinzelmännchen, the multi-coloured was Granada, the white was Iceberg and the pink Sonia. I love them all.

We don't prune low to the ground as there is no frost here and I've found over the years that the rose bushes produce a much better display if they are cut to about one third of their normal height.

This is Queen Elizabeth, a Grandiflora which doesn't like to be pruned low.

And new shoots are appearing almost instantly on other bushes pruned a week earlier.

The grapefruit tree is coming back beautifully although the new leaves are still affected by the blight that has affected all the citrus trees in Canary Islands.
The leaves curl and bubble due to an insect that breeds on the underside of the leaves.

One of my window doves looks for food on the sill. I dare not put it in the bird feeder in the tree or it would be soaked. The birds don't like wet food!
The sun will probably shine again tomorrow. At the moment the temperatures are mild...21C (69.8F) and it's starting to rain again.

Here's hoping you are having a mild winter. Thanks for stopping by.

¡Hasta la vista!