Just outside my door this morning as the sun is rising!

Just a hint of the sun as it rises behind the trees - looks like it's going to be another lovely day!

You can just make out the calves here - these two are just a little bit hyperactive. They don't seem to realise that cows are supposed to be calm and peaceful, and we often see them galloping around the field chasing and headbutting each other, and ignoring their mums!

After a few weeks of hot sunny weather, and a little rain, one of the orange trees we bought a couple of months ago seems to have sprung into life - don't think we'll be picking oranges for a while, though!

A fiery hot chilli plant - a gift from a friend about eight weeks ago. All the chillies were purple when we first had the plant.  I've been warned that this is one of the hottest chillies around so, while I love chilli, I only love the mild stuff. I might try it on The Husband first!

A busy bee indeed - this one was already at work at 7am this morning!







Looking out of my window right now, the sun has just surfaced above the trees and it looks like we are in for a beautiful day, so I shall try and take some time out (it's NOT bank holiday here!) and take some more photos.

As it's bank holiday in the UK, I hope everyone there has a wonderful day.  I shall be there myself soon - just for a break to catch up with family and friends. Just a few more sleeps to go!

Thanks for reading!

'It's Been So Long' as George McCrae would say!

Well, the time sure does fly, not so much when you're simply enjoying yourself, but when there is too much to do and not enough time to stand and stare!

One of these days, the house will be finished and a few more loose ends will be tied, and I will be able to blog to my heart's content but, as it is, time here  is at a premium and I simply run out of it.

I have, however, got round to replacing the CDs in my car - much as I love the ones that have been replaced, they must have been in there for about six months and have become ever-so-slightly irritating! Here is what I'm currently listening to as I wend my way along the little country roads in this corner of France - I had forgotten just how great is the voice of Al Green. It's a bit of an eclectic collection but I just picked them out at random; I will enjoy them for a while and try not to leave it so long until I change them again.  We have a fantastic - if mixed - collection of music which really deserves to be listened to!

We have finally had the outside light connected - it's great for those after-dinner cuppas (or glasses of Vino Collapsio!) and at least we can see each other now!

We had to visit a nearby town the other day to collect a bit we needed for my car (the bit, part of the air intake, apparently, is called a 'souffle' here in France!). Anyway, we found a lovely second-hand shop nearby - it's huge and stuffed with all manner of exciting and interesting things, and would take a couple of day to explore fully.  We found these lovely little tables that we couldn't resist - they wanted €30 for the three but the Husband boldly offered €20 and they agreed!  We'll probably  take them indoors  for the winter, but I think they look lovely with some little lavender plants on them. I need to find some better-looking pots, though! I'm also very tempted to crochet things to hang on them but I'm not sure the Husband would share my enthusiasm!

Well, that's it for today, I think.  I have more photos to post (of the renovations) but need to sort through them first!

Thanks for reading - have a great day, wherever in the world you are!

Long time no see - again!

Well, I had no intention of leaving it so long since my last post on here but, oh, doesn't the time just fly by - especially when you are enjoying yourself?!  We had a thoroughly magical time when Son Number One visited last week with his lovely wife and two gorgeous children - they filled the house completely the way only children can.  We spent most days visiting parks and our lovely local lake resort; the weather was perfect and they were able to spend hours swimming, too. We are lucky enough to have several fantastic parks here with loads to do for children almost without spending a penny, apart from buying the odd icecream.  The children bought a volley-ball set with them so that was set up in the garden, along with the basketball net that we bought ages and ages ago and have just got round to fixing to the wall. The Husband and I did a lot of running around last week - it made us feel like children, too!

It's quite a climb to reach this viewpoint but well worth it - one of our favourite views of Parthenay

Another lovely view.

 Some of the great play equipment at one of our local parks. The children spent hours here - they are a very active pair and really wore themselves out!  It made us exhausted just watching them!

Yet more activity - yet again, we just watched...

...and they loved this! It went round really fast, too. It looks as if they spent most of their time with us with their feet off the ground!

A surprise visitor to the garden. We've been told that hedgehogs are protected here in France. Although it's unsual to see one during the daytime, this one looked to be the picture of health. He sat there for ages while the grandchildren took photos - the perfect subject!

No, this wasn't in the garden!  We have a local park with a real menagerie of animals in it - this peacock posed perfectly for the photo that my grandson took.






Well, that was the latest family visit - I miss them all now that they have gone but we will be visiting them soon, so I have lots to look forward to!

I shall try and blog tomorrow with updates on the renovations to the house - there is still a lot to do but progress is being made, slowly but surely!

Thanks for reading!