The English Paysanne

It's nearly the end of May. It rained today, a lot, its rained a lot for what seems a long time. (apart from Sunday and Monday) It's wet and damp and cold and Farmer J lite a fire!  was cold as he sat by the PC working or maybe he lit it for Franklin. His unwell and depressed and out of salts (off to V    E    T   tomorrow i think).   It was a Stay indoors morning so while ironing I  blocked my 80 squares by pinning them to the board and hovering a steam iron over them. This is to make the squares flat and ready to crochet together Supposedly (will soon find out if it works or not as I hope to of finished it by the weekend) I should of been in the veggie patch, it's not looking good. The tomatoes are not a normal tomato plant colour. The strawberry plants are just starting to get fruit, imagine the slugs will have their eyes on them if it stays so wet, that's if they ever ripen.. The rain run...

SUNDAY 26 MAY MOTHERS DAY Here in France yesterday was Mothers day. The petit enfants arrived Saturday night, Miss F for 2 nights and Master C for the summer, he will be working soon as the camp site restaurant, in the mean time there maybe a few jobs around here for him.... The morning started like this, we are lucky we live at the top of the valley and have an amazing view of the mist below. I got a day off from the feeding routine.Yippee ! Presents were recieved, lovely oils and vinegars from Oliver & Co, organic hand balm and a note book for the garden. The day turned sunny and warm,  a walk with the dogs down to the Aveyron river made a change. We started here at the bottom of our hill where the camping car pitches, tennis court and swimming pool are. Over the bridge is Najac's camp site. Along the road, looking up to the left you can see the castle perched up on the hill. To the right this is is the view. The river was fa...

25 May Receiving English essentials from friends who visited the UK.

Biocybele 21 May Each year we've been here we have visited Biocybele, an organic fair held in Gaillac park on the Pentecost weekend, Monday being a holiday. This year it had a new venue a rustic park in between Gaillac and Albi. This would of been a really nice venue had it not rained here so much beforehand.  In the grounds was this derelict house with its shutters hanging on. It was a overcast day with threatening showers. so just when we arrived  a light shower fell. A few people had wellies on -they obviously new the surroundings.  Previous fairs at Gaillac have been wet but the park is very french with manicured lawns and lots of wide gravel paths with stalls either side. This year no gravel and not so manicured grass plus rain equalled very muddy paths.  Old bales of straw  were being laid down to cover the mud, of course after many feet had walked by the mud rose to the top. Farmer J commented on memories of ...

Waiting to leave the nest. There's five tiny little red starts, mum and dad built their nest in a hole in a breeze block where the sheep hang out. Amongst the fluff there are two yellow beaks.

It's been so wet Containers are filling up And the veggie patch is wet - again I have my plan sorted At least  no fighting with hose pipes today Best make cake instead of gardening.

I took a few photo's of flowers with the cannon camera. That bit was easy what wasn't was how to get the photos here. Just as well master C  was around to help.  Being a young techno minded person I could feel the frustration of teaching his untechno mum who needs to be shown three times before being able to cut, copy paste, download, move files, open them and make photos smaller. And then it came to me I after tweaking photos I was able to do this: Oh I'm so pleased with myself, ok so the lines may not be the same distance apart I only hope I can remember my new techno knowledge for next time. Thank you Connor for your time and patience 

Sunday's we usually try to make a day off, apart from the animal routine of feeding and checking their all in one piece it's a time for relaxing or getting off the farm. Sunday the sun shone and after Farmer J had milled cereal for the pigs to last them the week and I had cut enough grass for their tea we packed an impromptu picnic and headed off to Bruniquel, a small village in the Tarn et Garronne department around an 50 minutes drive which had another plant fair. Stopping on the way along the Aveyron river for our picnic it was lovely to feel the heat of the sun. Today was hot, I had my legs out for the first time this year.  Bruniquel is perched up the top of a hillside, parking at the bottom we walked up the hill, it's not as steep as some  villages around but villagers must of been pretty fit in the days before cars.  The plant fair was held up the top amongst the two chateaus, yes Bruniquel has two chateaus built next to each other. This is due to...