
Another month bites the dust.
As the summer months draw to a close, so too I hope will my inability to get a blog post out on a regular basis. I keep starting and then something comes along that completely hijacks my time. We have been feeling a little challenged by circumstances, which can make it hard to write about all the things that have happened in ‘notre vie en France’. Don’t get me wrong, we love being in France – definitely not changing that, just daily life sometimes gets in the way, including a calf breaking into the garden last Tuesday to eat the Bay tree. However, this may be a moment when my blog posts become a little like buses. You wait for ages for one to appear and then 3 come along almost simultaneously! Watch this space…

With each cloudy sky we wonder whether the promised rain will materialise this time. A couple of nights ago it finally did, along with thunder and lightning. More storms are promised for the coming days. On Tuesday evening the wind whipped up suddenly, out of nowhere, sending the piles of leaves fallen from parched and desperate trees into a whirlwind across the garden. It was quite something to watch, less fun to be in as trees swayed scarily and I briefly wondered if more would fall! We had to hurriedly retrieve chairs from up by the pool to ensure we didn’t find any in the pool in the morning. Anya, our grey cat, went shooting by, dashing for the safety of the house as thunder cracked overhead and a streak of lightning split the darkening sky. The pool the following morning was a joy to behold – another long job to be done before the ‘to do’ list gets a look in.




I have so much to write about but am seriously behind schedule. We have finally renovated a few pieces of furniture that we have acquired at brocantes or that we found abandoned here, thick with dust in the attic. It would appear that the previous owner only got so far in emptying the attics as we found quite a few bits and bobs to clear out, tidy up – chairs, old bed frames, papers, bedside tables, pictures and some zinc basins. Some of these things I shared with you back in the post Projects Galore. Well we still have projects galore – even more now but are beginning to make some progress!


August was quite a busy month and included some wonderful wine tasting moments – more on that later. My mother came to stay for a few weeks, enjoying a rest and sunshine. We have had friends to visit which has been lovely, enjoyed the pool as the weather has been so hot – some of the time too hot to go out until late afternoon, but a dip in the pool always welcome and much anticipated. Long leisurely evening meals on the terrace or drinks by the pool are a luxury we know we are lucky to have.

As I mentioned water in the form of rain has been scarce, so we are learning what survives in such situations. We have lost a lot of plants and the potager has not fared well at all – a few courgettes and baby tomatoes. It has been an education in what can cope when rainfall is non-existent and watering is limited. One of my sunflowers however did very well.

We have another bedroom organised, finally bringing to an end its use as a painting room. Our bedroom now needs our focus as it has turned into a bit of a junk room, things being put there temporarily while another space is tackled, only to find we have nowhere to put said things! First world problems – but I could do with a sewing room. I have currently taken over one of the bedrooms, but that can’t last.
A very recent source of entertainment was Max’s visit to get his Covid booster. We picked a nurses surgery which had lots of appointments, admittedly a little way from us but decided to stop for a coffee at a favourite café on the way back as a treat. The ‘cabinet infirmier’ was in the middle of nowhere, with each kilometre we wondered where we were heading. When we arrived we couldn’t get in. A phone call solved the problem – the intercom wasn’t working. Good start. On the way up the long drive to the office, we passed what looked like a small zoo and parked amongst life-sized models of a cow, a crocodile and a giraffe. Imagine what was going through Max’s mind at this point! In a lovely treatment room we were greeted by a delightful nurse, and soothed by very relaxing music. It almost felt like a spa treatment room! Injection done, we wandered around the small holding and admired an ostrich, some wallabies and 2 alpacas. Why not? Then we saw a very stationary miniature pony who was so still for so long that we decided it must be stuffed. Suddenly another miniature pony appeared in the main enclosure along with a tiny foal. The ‘stuffed’ pony then moved – a relief. He was evidently the Papa of said tiny foal and the family had a chat across the path, and all in rural France. What an experience!

We stopped to marvel over the vaccination adventure at a café in St Antonin Noble Val and enjoyed a café gourmand for the first time in ages. This is not something to have too regularly but just the best on a Monday afternoon! This was one of the largest we have had – a café gourmand plus as Max put it.

So mes amis a short update, but as I intimated at the beginning, there is more to come very shortly. I am turning over a new blog leaf this September. News of wine tastings, including a vineyard called The 3 stubborn ones (yes really), some renovation projects as well as a few places to visit, plus of course another seasonal recipe. I hope I can encourage you all to continue to follow our journey here, ups and downs and all! The rescue cats turn 2 next week and as you can see are extremely well settled in!



Enjoy the weekend
A bientôt
Ali xx


4 Comments
enid billington
a delightful account of life in France I feel I am there enjoying the area with you. Good to enjoy your company with mum last month, the evening was perfect enhanced with delightful wine and canapes
Keep on enjoying France. Best wishes Enid
Ali
Thank you Enid – that is so kind and it was lovely to see you too.
Maureen Rigby
What interesting blogs. I love the new sit-on lawn mower; I imagine the lawns will be very frequently mowed from now on!!!
Ali
Thank you Mo. No lawn mowing at the moment as it is months since we had rain and the ‘lawn’ is a dustbowl of burnt grass! The poor lawn mower has had a very quiet summer, but am sure will be busy in the Autumn.