30 March 2014

Scavenger hunt

My  photos for March.
I've had to do a lot of digging in my photo files to submit this time,
as I'm still not  well  and I'm now waiting to go into hospital for some treatment.
So please excuse my effort.



M. for mushroom.
This is a field mushroom which we often collect during Sept and Oct,
 it's the first time I've seen one as big as this.
I made cream of mushroom soup with it.

Mr France found this in September in the farmers field which is next to our boundary.

 
 
 
Our guests table set  for breakfast  in La Petite Maison.
 
 


Some Holly berries on the trees near our house.




This was taken in the late evening last summer
 of the Monastery in Rocamadour lit up.

 


This grate is our French 'Godin' wood-burner. with the door open.


 
Mr France working on the deck he built this time last year.



The chimney breast, which we built in our guest house .
 The bricks where from inside the old bread oven which unfortunately
 we were unable to save, it was too badly damaged.


 
 
Some antique cutlery I found at a Brocante
 when we first arrived in France 24yrs ago.
 




Some troughs and a hanging basket
 with Surfinas and trailing Geraniums
 on our summer balcony.



A cold  crisp morning ,
showing the frost on the ground and white on the tiles of our well.



A souvenir from our visit to the Basque  region in France, which borders Spain.
This was my ticket from our ride on Le Petite Train up the mountain.
The views were fantastic.






It's difficult to find a coloured door in my region of France.
Most of the properties are old stone cottages and have heavy oak doors ,
which are usually protected with a stain and not paint.

So this is my painted door.



I hope you liked seeing my contribution.



à bientôt
Barbara Lilian












          












           

05 March 2014

I suddenly realised it's March which means it's nearly Spring.

 
 
 
Usually I've been out in my garden 
 peeping in all the areas I know something should be showing signs of Spring.
But not feeling like or being able to do any work in the garden as
we had some nice sunshine today I took a stroll around and I wasn't disappointed.
 I found quite a few flowers.
These Pansies have been in flower all winter,
not as healthy looking as they should be.
also it looks like my Lavender cuttings are looking OK
strange as they don't like to be wet.
 
 
 
These Primula are always the first to flower.
just a few popping up here & there in the grass.
 

I didn't see any Crocus that were in the same area last year,
maybe they've rotted with all the rain we've had this winter.
  I know we have Voles that burrow under the surface of the ground
So I'd prefer it if they'd been eaten by them, it must be hard finding food.

This is another pot that I'd forgotten about, with more Pansies.
This will get moved around to brighten up an area that needs a bit of colour.
 

 
 
A large shrub of  Japonica.
Which flowers before the leaves appear.
It really should have had a good pruning.
 
 
 
 
I always bring a piece into the house to open up before they do on the shrub.
 
 
 

 
I hope these few flowers I found in my garden
brought Spring a little nearer to all my friends who are still getting snow. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
à bientôt
Barbara Lilian