A mixed bag

This time of the year is always busy for us.

 Garden to keep tidy for our guests 

Especially this adorable 'Labradoodle'  from Holland.

 He was the star  staying in La Petite Maison

I found out he even takes his own selfies.

 Summer time is a must for market shopping.

always get there early, before the crowds appear.

I start off with the fruit stalls.

Then the Charentais melons, to take home and have for lunch

served with some jambon cru, and a crusty baguette.

There was even a stall selling Jambon from the Auvergne.

Local honey on a croissant for breakfast.

 A medley of tasty vegetables for lunch.

Traditional goodies to savour.

A lovely selection of rose shrubs.

Then I found a lovely stall with an English lady selling beautiful original things.

I loved these old cases & boxes she covers in decoupage.

 In the summer there's always an organ grinder playing music .

Time for a spot of people watching and a cup of coffee before leaving.

Easy all in one meals.

Then the joy of eating outside.

Followed by Strawberries from the Dordogne.( The best in France )

Family and friends popping in for aperitifs. 

All the things I love about summer.

How about you, what do you enjoy the most about summer ?

I'm looking forward to some long sunny summer days and evenings.

Spent outdoors.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

The Circus has come to our town.

Knowing I live in rural France and seeing the title of this post

 I expect you were wondering what this post was going to be about ?

I'd just popped into the nearby village to post a letter

and where I usually park the car there was a Camel grazing on the grass.

Not an everyday scene. I wondered what was going on.

But then I remembered I'd seen some posters 

advertising the Circus, but as my grandsons are now young men

I hadn't really taken much notice of when or where it would be.

Usually it's during the summer months that 

'The Circus Comes to Town ' but as it's a festive time

the circus must have been touring the smaller towns .

I'm so glad  I had my camera in the car.

I was able to wander about and take photos. 

I'm sorry there aren't any clowns or acrobats practicing

their acts, for you to see. This circus is more like a zoo. 

But it's not everyday you get to see Camels in the car park. Is It ?

I'll be back in my garden again soon.

 I need to get the climbing roses planted.

 à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

My summer in La Dordogne

During the summer months Mr France & I leave our home, as we let our house and a small cottage 

called La Petite Maison  for holidays.

and 

we spend time at our daughters while she and her family go away on holiday and we look after her home along with all their animals.

This year we were greeted by seven  new baby chicks who kept us entertained and we watched them grow from cream coloured  fluffy balls into young hens / cockerels.

A few weeks later when we left this is how much they'd grown.

 Hats were definitely a must.

and there was one to suite everyone.

After our long wet spring

It's been a very HOT summer this year, most of us sat in the shade,

but others flayed out in the hot sun.!

Oh... it's too hot !

One, would love to cool off !

but doesn't like getting wet.

Family bikes prepared, ready to go in the van for a few days away.

I'll stay here in the shade and look after the animals.

The fruits are not quite ripe, so I can't pick them yet.

Thankfully the deer have not eaten the figs this year.

The blackberries are nearly ripe.

Not very many peaches.

So far we haven't needed to light the fire. 

The evenings have been warm.

Let's hope it continues for a bit longer.

 I'll leave my hat hanging on the door until the next time I need it.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian