Miscelleous photos

A selection of photos from the summer, not in any particular order, they've been a right pain in the butt to upload, which is why I had to upload them in two separate posts:

The lake at Pouance

Not the best hiding place perhaps...

A walk around the lake at Pouance

Just call me 'Kate'

Miscellaneous photos

At the lake at Pouance












Flags at Pornic












No, not giant labels, jam in miniature.







A selection from the store cupboard:
Top row L to R - Blackcurrant jelly, orange and cointreau marmalade, red fruits jelly,
Bottom row L to R - Bramble jelly, greengage jam, plum and cinnamon jam, apple and cinnamon jelly.





The greengages looked so pretty in the pan that I had to take a piccy.










At the lake at Treffieu












Lake at Treffieu









'Picture of Lily'  (Which leads me to 'Quiz of the week number 3' - What is the song and the group I'm referring to?  Usual competition rules apply (see 'Quiz of the week1')












Lilies at Treffieu











Treffieu










Treffieu













On the train at Treffieu












Our only sunflower - after four years of trying to grow them without success, this year we had four seeds left, they were all planted out and this is the only one that grew.











Yes, I do all my own make-up.

Fab day

Had a day out with hubby and the girls yesterday, a sort of 'birthday day-out' on account of not having done anything else to 'celebrate'. Anyway, we went to Pornic and it was lovely. Wandered around the shops wishing we were wealthy and I was slim (oh, the lovely 'things' and the lovely clothes...). Stopped for a drink outside a tabac/bar (ie not a glamorous cafe) - one large coffee, one glass of milk and one lemonade - 7,80€! Then had lunch on the harbour, which was actually very reasonably priced and then bought ice-creams for desert from an ice-cream place (one of those places with so much choice, you can't choose). Had a walk along the harbour and then got back in the car to find a beach. Which we did indeed find, and a very nice one too. The water was a bit rough and the girls got a few dunkings but they loved it! Came home and sold 60,00€ of stuff from the small ads (although they paid by cheques, so fingers crossed they don't bounce, but they tend not to over here. Anyway, I've got their addresses, so I can always send the kids round to sort them out).

The only slight downer was the late evening discovery that I had not quite shut the freezer door in the morning, so we lost a bit of food (mostly ice-cream, most of which had been left by guests, so not paid for by us). It's my own fault (and not just because I was the one who left the door open) because I had been complaining about a lack of space in my freezers - be careful what you wish for and all that.

Hopefully here are some photos, but goodness knows what order they will be in:

Isabella building a sandcastle on top of her towel.

Georgie.  The people in the background are the ones she chucked sand all over when she shook out her towel.

Foraging

Went for a walk with the girls this afternoon to a nearby lake, it's only about 2.5kms around, but today we were gone nearly two and a half hours!  The girls each took a little book of 'things to spot in the countryside' type of thing and so I think we examined every plant and bug that we came across.  Anyway, seems we went at a very good time as we discovered all sorts of lovely edible things beginning to ripen up (or even already ready) - Bay, Brambles, Hazelnuts, Sloes, Rosehips, Elderberries, Hawthorns and possibly some horseradish, although it might have been dock leaves, I'm not too sure but I took some photos and I'll try to identify it.

Anyway, I have informed my dear hubby that once the girls are back at school, we'll be back down there gathering the elderberries, I think they'll be ripe first.  Then it'll be back again for the rosehips, the hawthorns and then the sloes.  Most of what we gather will go to making jellies, which hopefully I will sell a bit more of next year (to the guests) and of course are also good for pressies.  (And yes, we eat them too, incase you're wondering).  I would take the girls with me, but after a short while of gathering the wild harvest they get bored and start complaining about spiky things and stingy things and what have you, so it's not worth it - best to stick to the walks discovering it all and then moving swiftly on to keep their interest.

There are a couple of play areas around the lake so we stopped each time we got to them so that the girls could have a play and at the end, we reached the little man-made beach where you can swim in the summer, but the weather wasn't great, so I let them roll up their trousers and have a paddle.  Although they might as well have had a swim considering how wet they were when they came out. Had to get them to strip off before they got into the car.  When we got home, Georgie said to me, quite spontaneously 'we had a great time, Mummy' which was so lovely, because we really did have a great time.

fish

Do you like my fish?  They're at the bottom of the page.  You can move your mouse over them and they follow it - they're looking for food and if you click your mouse, you can feed them!

Horror!

Saturday morning.  Woke up early after a restless sleep.  Something was not right.  Laid in bed and assessed the damage.  Stomach not right, hollow-feeling, yet also nauseous.  Head throbbing.  Strong desire to remain horizontal, hide under the covers and never get out again.  What on earth did I do last night.  I'm trying to remember and then I realise I did nothing.  It's not the alcohol, it's not a hangover.  It's worse.  It's the day I never thought I'd get to, it was always so far away, a yet now, here I am.  40.

And how will I be spending this day I hear you ask?  Cleaning, washing, making beds.  Get drunk tonight I hear you shout.  Alas no, tomorrow I have to get up and do more cleaning, washing, making beds.  Maybe Monday.

Made it to the edge of the village today (on the bike), went the long way round to avoid the main road and the proper hill.  Googled the trip when I got back - 7kms!  I'm well chuffed, not much for some, but a fair old trip for me not having ridden a bike for 22 years and being seriously out of shape.  Why do people say that?  I have actually got plenty of shape, that's my problem.  Anyway, the going was good, which is why I carried on further than I was planning.  It was only when I turned around to come back that I realised that I had had the wind behind me on the outward trip and was therefore riding into the wind on the way back, already half knackered.  I tried to be positive and think 'nice cooling breeze' but it's been a hot afternoon and the breeze was warm.  Anyway, I made it back and jumped in the pool to cool off.  Glass of wine in hand now, but that's mostly to ease my way into tomorrow, only 3 hours and seven minutes to go.

When is a flat road not a flat road?  When you're on a bike.  Bloody hell, my legs hurt, my bum hurts, my arms hurt.  (Why do my arms hurt?  They're not doing anything when you ride except holding on.  Well, your hands are holding on, but you know what I mean).  Went out again tonight; actually I could have carried on, I was getting a good buzz from it, and I went further than I had planned, but even so, was pretty knackered when I got back.  I have to keep standing up when I'm free-wheeling down the slopes though, to give my backside a rest and deal with the wedgie (sorry, I bet you didn't really need to know that did you?).  Adrian got me a stand today and a pump, both very handy items that it was lacking.

Bike!

My new bike arrived today!  Am sooo excited!  It's my birthday present, but I've just been out on it, had to check it was ok and anyway, I'll be working all day on my birthday, and the day after, so won't have time then.  Went up the road to the bins and back, about 100m and could feel the burn.  Adrian adjusted seat and handlebar height, put new padded seat on (you'd think I'd have enough padding of my own) and went back off up the road.  Went further this time, all the way up to the crossroads, passed by a fire engine on the way up, blimey they're enormous close up, and just about made it to the junction.  The road is decptively flat when you walk it.  My legs were killing me.  Free-wheeled it back down - now that's my kind of cycling, I got a serious buzz out of that, so I decided to have another go, but just half-way this time, thought I'd turn around just before the hill starts.  Unfortunately, one of our neighbours passed me along the road so I had to keep going until she was out of sight, by which time the road had started it's ascent.  Then I realised that the bike has gears.  So I put it into a low gear.  Not so bad after all...  (although a bit complicated for me - my last one had five as I recall.  Which reminds me - I think the last time I went on a bike was about 22 years ago.

Harvest

Been busy in the kitchen lately, cooking up all the fruit and veg that's ready.  So far:

One batch of plum and cinnamon jam (tastes nice, but didn't set properly, even though I tested it.  I call it 'soft set, also ideal for using as a sauce on ice-cream').
One batch of greengage jam (going to make batch two today).
One batch of blackcurrant jelly (a new recipe which I will be doing again, much better than the blackcurrant jam).
One batch of blackberry jelly (from our local hedgerows, although Adrian fell in the ditch when we were collecting them and I had to pull him out.  Was going to make jelly, crumble and alcohol from our hoard but managed to collect exactly 1kg so only made jelly).
Two batches of blackcurrant vodka (well a fair bit seems to have disappeared of late....).
One batch of blackberry vodka (an excuse to go out collecting again).
Several portions of stewed apples (in freezer).
Several batches of tomato sauce/tomato and veg sauce/other variants (in portions in freezer).
Two courgette cakes (first one the expensive version with home-made lime curd filling and cream cheese topping; second one cheap version in loaf tin, no icings/fillings).
Lots of veggie dishes.

Can't think of anything else at the mo, but things are still maturing, so I'll be back.

Three days to go.  Stress!

Trauma

Had a terrible moment yesterday when I realised I only had one week left of being in my thirties and now it's less than that.  I am not a happy bunny.

And isn't it just a little disconcerting when you wake up in the morning only to find a dead spider floating in the glass of water on the beside table, especially when you've had a drink out of the glass during the night?

The weather here is appalling at the moment.  More like autumn than summer.  Cold and wet.  I'm just waiting for the first of the guests to ask for the heating on.  I do feel bad for them when it's like this though, not much fun when you're on your hols.

Currently on the playlist here at L4R - 'Seven Drunken Nights' by The Dubliners. 

Yup.  Did it again the other night.  Not a good idea.  Must be this whole '40 is fast approaching' thing and therefore a subconcious attempt to feel younger (see previous post).  Tried another chuppa chups, but only had cherry flavour left this time and it didn't work.

How to feel 20 years younger in one easy step:

Step one: Get completely bladdered on home-made alcoholic beverages.


Result: Wake up following morning with raging hangover and still have to get up and carry on with work and what-have-you anyway. Just like when I was twenty years younger. Hey presto!

Not entirely my fault I must explain. Have some guests staying who came last year and during their stay they picked some elderberries and when they got back they made it into elderberry wine. They then brought some of this wine back with them this time, so being polite, we had to try it. And then we kept on trying it until there was no more to try. And in return I had to share my blackcurrant liqueur, which also warranted much trying (and yes, you grecian folk out there, there's still some left for me to bring when we visit you).


I was supposed to be taking my father to the airport the following day. In the end I suggested we took my mother's car (which we can both drive, instead of ours which only I can drive (insurance)) and that he drive it there in the hope that I would be ok to drive it back (I was, although as I couldn't eat breakfast, I had nicked one of the girls 'chuppa chups' lollies and sat in the back sucking on it in order to get some sugar into me. Wouldn't normally touch them, but I can recommend as an aid to hangover curing. Cola flavoured.)

Anyway, went to a fab play park place today with the girls. Managed to get Georgia in free, evne though she was a bit over the height limit, so that was a bonus. Basically, it's a big play area - ball pools, bouncy castles, teampolines, slides, luges, pedalos, bikes, etc, etc. Not just for little kids - all ages, even me! Here are a few piccies (I think if you click on them they get bigger, except for the one of me.  No need to enlarge that one, large enough already):