Friday, 7 September 2012

Day Four - Settling back in and things to celebrate


Day three by the way we didn’t lose through a wine binge or memory fade but was infact an opportunity to share the pandemonium that is “Le Tardis” after a three month break with our nearest and dearest..or as I know them Mother in Law and partner. They were staying with my sister in law 6 kms down the road….”Give us a chance to settle in for a few days” quoth I………24 hrs after reaching French soil is apparently, in some people’s opinion PLENTY of time to leap tall buildings in a single bound !!! Thankfully my mother in law is THE coolest mother in law anyone could have…I mean ME as a daughter in law for 30 yrs……it speaks for itself !!!! Anyway we had a lovely day nothing too strenuous or demanding….basically chatting, pottering and a “spot on” BBQ, Trout, roasted peppers ,salad, potatoes and accompanying red wine(for those of us NOT driving M in law back to Jeans later) plus fresh peaches in honey with cream for pud …beats a sausage,burger and a shop bought Viennetta for sure. It was nearly TOO hot to have it outside dammit…. But we survived.


Anyhow back to Day Four:
Day four dawned with me taking the dogs out earlier than yesterday for their walk…..We had a bit of a “scare” Phee wee wise….I guess 35 degs with a dodgy heart at 9.00am in the morning not really wise…..so decided to venture forth before 8. Saw a green woodpecker today, usually they are the Red spotted variety, also a Black red squirrel….yes you heard me right the cutest thing you ever did see. Arrival back at HQ was greeted with a much needed cup of strong black coffee and the formulating of a game plan to “assault” the lower terrace of the garden (our Shrub zone) particularly aimed at the fauna of the region and my pride and joy. 3hrs later nettle and deadly nightshade free I had at least some semblance to what we left 3 mths ago…some of the “they have two chances” flora bought the farm…some went MENTAL…does a 6 foot tall Buddleia really appear from a tiny sprig in May ??, apparently so. Blimey…it even killed all the weeds underneath it ! mind you it’s yellow counterpart regularly trimmed to within an inch of its life with little or no regard to the approved pruning programme had taken OVER the entire patio. Can’t lop them back yet though…they aren’t called butterfly bushes for nothing.

Celebrations were in order as, after checking our nesting boxes I found two of the three (the tit boxes) had been used. Before we return in October I will be giving them a spring clean and I am hopeful they will be used again next year….by which they likelihood is that I will try a web-cam in at least one of them. “Springwatch” on my own doorstep…unreal.

Patrice, one of our neighbours, caught us in the garden and we were astonished to be given a Charentaise Jaune (Gala style) melon, cucumber, Crinkly lettuce and 2 marrows, all cut for us from his veg patch right then and there. Good job we don’t have to barter, I don’t think 8 barrowloads of dead weeds would have stood us in much stead.

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