July the sunflower month

Its been a fabulous month with great weather, the pool has been used most days by the kids.  I venture in once they go to bed and I can have a quiet half hour, swimming lengths.

Bright yellow fields of sunflowers

The sunflowers seem to be everywhere this year with the first flowering at the end of June.  It's fantastic to walk, ride or drive as the fields are turning bright yellow.  I have noticed over the years several varieties, small 60cm high to tall nearly two metres. With single flowers as large as dinner plates or small and multiple on the stem.

Niki, Janine's sister is visiting for a few months, she normally lives in California, however due to the pandemic went to the UK for three months with her mum, then came to France to see the kids once the borders opened.  The kids were thrilled, as they had not seen Niki for a few years. Grandad and Sandra will come over for a few weeks in September Covid permitting!

Friends are here for the next two weeks, this is their fifth year, so we are planning lots of fun activities.  Bike rides and walks are early morning affairs due the heat, which has hit 39 degrees. Apéro's and BBQs  al fresco. 

Deck being constructed

Dead Virginia creeper

The apartment (Under-barn) has a new deck, eight tons of granite boulders and granite chips from a company called Granival who quarry in Saint-Salvy-De-La-Balme.   The Virginia creeper which grows on the side of the barn just died.  I would guess it is over twelve years old.

We used the same granite to link our house, road to the barn and front of the Farmhouse and Grange,  I must say it does look good.  I will plant some plants that like dry conditions...cactus spring to mind, but I will use plants found locally that flower and are easy to maintain, such as lavender. 

Deck finished

Under-barn entrance

I have finished grouting, so can turn my attention to the interior. The rooms are finished and most of the furniture installed, just some snagging left to do.

The orchard has lots of apples, plums and a few nectarines. It is hard to persuade the kids to wait a month when the apples are already red.

Evie has her ninth birthday and even though she had a Fire 8 tablet, prefers the Indian Running duck ducklings.  Good girl!  I have to say they are very cute a bit shy, but generally friendly.  We have four, but no idea of sex yet, as they are six weeks old.  However, I have been told that you can tell the sex by feathers and quacks.  Ideally a male and three females.  Our friend Olivier has three so we may be swapping in the future.

Jean-Philippe made a great duck house and painted it blue like the chicken coop.  We have a large low cement tray for them to drink and swim in, this will be replaced with a pool or pond as they grow up. The one thing I was not prepared for was how messy they are, chicken are clean by comparison.  Let's hope we get plenty of duck eggs.  Indian Runners are great in the garden as they eat slugs and snails.  In South Africa they are used in vineyards as they are environmentally friendly and very efficient  Click here for Video

Tom is now thirteen and for his birthday wanted a computer.  He researched the specification, we bought the parts and we built the computer together.  As luck would have it, the assembled PC worked first time....helped by a lifetime working in IT.  All the kids' parties have been postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic,  once places open and friends are back from holidays we will arrange paint-balling for Tom, a pool party for Evie (her best friend is staying with her grand parents in Brittany) and a play centre for Charlie.

We have guests from Spain, the Netherlands and the UK.  August is almost fully booked (a few odd days remain) and we are getting bookings for September.  We have made some changes with cleaning using an anti-bacterial cleaner, for deep cleaning the gite's and washing bedding at 60 degrees.  Masks are worn when greeting guests and we are socially distancing.  We also provide masks if people forget for shopping or any enclosed space. 

Les Chevaliers

Bar and restaurant

The sad news is that Le Clos d'Adele restaurant in Lautec is closed and for sale.  We have had some brilliant evenings, eating great food and drinking fine wine with the excellent owners.  The good news is that we have a new bar and restaurant Les Chevaliers.  It has been open a week.  The bar looks good and has a great choice of wine and beer on tap.  I will have to sample soon.







Let us hope that people can travel and take a holiday, as with the loosening of restrictions there are more Coronavirus cases.

Back to my coffee and breakfast before walking the dog, feeding the ducks, checking the pool and getting the bread and croissant....all before eight am, due to the heat.

Well that's about it for July, I hope you enjoy reading what we have been up to and the duckling photographs!  Keep safe.