Grapes, rabbits and an embarrassing fall

 

The forecast for the next week is optimistic and apart from a short, sharp shower yesterday morning these two days have been fine and sunny.  Yesterday my worker took advantage of the dry weather to sand down and paint preservative on all the windows and doors of Rainbow Cottages in France.  They’re looking good and I’m really pleased - the photos below are before the renovation.  I was stunned at seeing bare wood on some windowsills.  Next week hopefully, he’ll do the outside of my house and the garden gates and doors.  

 

The grapes are really coming on and hopefully the sunshine we're expecting will ripen them up completely.

Heavens knows what I shall do with them all, the photo below shows less than half the crop.

We had a great evening at The Quiz at Café du Centre, St Mayeux on Wednesday and returned again last night for the Fish and Chip evening.  It was a good meal with excellent cod in batter.  There weren’t many people there and most of the others were French.  Apparently, it’s because so many places are doing Fish and Chips nowadays.  There were books for sale at five for €5 and I succumbed to the offer, so more to add to the list that we did last week.

I went to a car book at Bulat Pestivien last Sunday.  Loads of sellers and it took quite a while to walk round, on the way back I called in to see friends for a coffee and catch up.  They kindly gave me a cubic metre bag full of hay for bedding for the hens and rabbits.  The rabbits are still doing well and here are Bella and Ruby eating their dandelions this morning.  Bella obviously thinks that Ruby has a leaf which should be shared ...

 

My visit to the rheumatologist this week was reassuring.  He didn't seem to think there was anything to worry about for the time being on my bone density loss.  After viewing xrays, he's also recommending that I see an osteopath for treatment of my upper left back pain.  Currently, my usual physio has been treating it, but the relief doesn't last for long so hopefully that will change with the osteopath.

 

The workaway who was helping me here left to go home to Wales earlier this week.  It's always strange being alone again after having company for a couple of weeks.  We got on well and I hope she may return next year.  

 

The swallows are still here and congregate on the wires running across my garden so the outside tables have to be carefully sited for obvious reasons!

 

 

Here are Purrdy, Claude and Gracie, leading me up the lane to collect eggs.  They are funny they way they come with me up to the field.  As soon as they see me go through the driveway door and across to the shortcut they appear from nowhere.  As I leave the field I call them all and whistle and within moments they  materialise and come back to the house with me, racing with and jumping on each other and then hesitating at every strange sound - they're very entertaining.

 

 

My neighbour has a field full of cattle at the moment and another neighbour is grazing one of his goats in the lane, so apart from the usual thirty plus horses in the village it's quite interesting out there.

 

 

We had a Bowls Competition this week, an annual one where we have a lunch and drinks.  I, somewhat the worse for wear, managed to fall and ended up with a large egg on my forehead, now all colours, and a crack across the bridge of my nose.   I have had to order new glasses too.  I was mortified and had to send an email of apology to members who, generously let me off with lots of ribbing which I guess will continue for more than a few weeks.  I won't post a photo of my forehead - I'm just glad I have a full fringe to hide it!

 

The garden is absolutely packed with plants and flowers.  Here you can just see Small Cottage from the vantage point of the pergola.  The acer to the left of the photo started life in Cornwall in a north-facing courtyard.  It didn't do well.  I moved it to the south-facing terrace but it still didn't perform.  I brought it with me to Brittany and it hasn't looked back.  I have to really cut back the branches every year now, after the leaves have put on their glorious display and finally fallen.

 

 

The village population has swelled by two extra people this week.  My opposite neighbours, split up just over two years ago and they and their children left their house here.  This week Sylvie came back to live with her youngest daughter, now elevent, and it's good to see someone occupying the property again and Katy cycling on the lane.

 

These neighbours came up to see me on the field while I was putting the animals away last night and shutting up the polytunnel, and made me jump as I didn't hear them approaching over the grass.  This afternoon I sowed some more seeds in the polytunnel - beetroot and Little Gem lettuce.  Outside, in one of the recently cleared raised beds, I put Evergreen Bunching onions, so I have my fingers crossed for good germination.

 

Three things I like:

 

1.   Collecting all the produce from the polytunnel and raised beds, such a variety of things every day.

2.   A friend giving me a kilo of runner beans, as my crop, for the first time, is not good this year.

3.   Hearing good news from the rheumatologist.