Pampered Pooch

I get really stressed when my mum grooms me

I'll just have a little snooze

I'm going to pack my bags and leave, it's not even a blue ribbon

Autumnal Garden

pink geranium

Another misty and drizzly morning but the skies cleared after lunch so we took Rick for a long walk in the countryside. It was a bit muddy underfoot but very warm with the bonus of no flies or wasps.  When we got home I took a few photos of the garden, it is all looking very autumnal.

ornamental vine leaves turning red

still a few tomatoes ripening

shabby roses

shabby dog

Feeling Flat

Rick waiting for the girls to come home

It’s a grey and damp day. After weeks of excitement and preparation the house feels empty, too tidy, too quiet.  Even Rick looks miserable and is mooching around looking for the girls.  There is a chance that Sarah might get back to England for the Christmas holidays and Kat will have some leave so that is something to look forward to even if I have to cook a nut roast alongside the turkey.

In the meantime I am looking forward to October in France and hopefully we will get some more sunny days.  The potager is looking a bit sad at the moment but there are still a few tomatoes left on the vine, a handful of raspberries, and a few peppers, aubergines and courgettes.  Tonight Paul is cooking duck and I’m going to make a raspberry and apple crumble.  Comfort food. Autumn is here.

Soggy Vendange

one of Philippe's brothers driving the tractor

Yesterday was a beautiful warm and sunny day.  We lunched outside on the terrace with our friends and spent the afternoon lounging in the sun and chatting.  This morning we awoke to torrential rain (Paul and Rick got very wet on their early walk).

Philippe’s vendange went ahead regardless of the weather.  We wonder why he didn’t choose to pick the grapes yesterday when the sun was shining.  We can only speculate that the date for the vendange is set in stone and Madame Mas’, the matriarch of the family, would have prepared a special harvest meal for the occasion.  They didn’t pick a huge crop, thanks to the late frost, but there were quite a few healthy looking bunches that went into the cart.

(Apologies for the quality of the photos but it was raining!)

 

Girl Gone

Rick saying goodbye to Sarah

We set off for Toulouse airport at 3.00  a.m.; Sarah is currently just taking off from Abu Dhabi for the final leg to Sydney.  I have been very composed, the tears will probably come when I find the packet of tofu at the back of the fridge next week.


 

Parasol Mushrooms - safe or not?

Paul and Rick came home from their early morning walk triumphantly carrying two giant mushrooms.  They look like parasol mushrooms.  But are they safe to eat?  I consulted my Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe book; they appear to have all the characateristics of the edible Macrolepiota procera.

Then I turned the page and see they also look a bit like the poisonous Lepiota cristata, or Stinking Parasol!

No, not going to risk it.

Sisters

Kat flies back to the UK this afternoon, Sarah sets off on her long journey home to Australia on Thursday.  The time together has passed all too quickly.  The goodbyes are always so painful, we are going to miss them.  Rick will miss them too, he instantly accepted them into the pack and absolutely adores them.

It has been wonderful watching the two sisters together, a magical and precious time for us.