October

 I've been missing for awhile and already it's October.

Autumn can't quite make up it's mind whether to arrive or not.

It really doesn't feel like Autumn yet here in my part of France. 

As always the Virginia Creeper is the first to put on her red robe.

While the summer flowers hanging in their baskets
 are still showing off their brilliant blooms.
Thanks to Mr France and his continual
watering and feeding.

The Dahlias were a little disappointing.
maybe I'll give those a miss next year.

The late summer berries are still on the bushes,
I'm not a jam maker, so these will be left as food for the birds.

I have seen some signs of Autumn on my walks,
but these were too prickly to put in my pocket.

I took just a short walk this morning in between the showers.

Leaves & acorns are falling, 

But the glow of orange and red on the trees is not here yet.

Here we are on the lane back home and to

La Petite Maison  our guest house

Waiting for our visitors to spend a long weekend in la campagne / country.

Thank you to everyone who have sent me messages
wondering if all was well, as they had missed seeing my posts.
I never expected to be missed in the world of blogging.
Thank you so much,
it's your kind thoughts that make it all worth while.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

My 100th Post

I can't believe I've just written that.

If Blogger didn't count them and inform me 

 I would have let this special day pass me by without knowing.

If you don't mind I need to write it again only in bigger numbers

100 th. post.

I promise I won't mention it again.

 I created my blog in 2012. If you weren't reading me then take a look at my first post.

Except for my family, I really didn't know who would want to read about my daily life, 

but 99 posts later and just past the 40,000 number of views.

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself.

 I'm still here and when I don't enjoy writing and sharing I'll stop.

I thank every one of you who take the time to read about me, 

If you don't write a comment  I don't know you are reading it, but thank you anyway.

Finally a special thank you to all my blogging friends

who leave such lovely encouraging comments.

 A sketch from my journal of the back view of our house from the grazing field.

What better subject to share with you than the beautiful countryside I enjoy where I live, 

and what a stunning time of the year when the trees are exploding with such beautiful colours.

If you would like to join me on my walk, we will start from 

La Petite Maison 

Our summer visitors have gone. the vine has been trimmed

                         but it still looks inviting with the lovely red leaves on the Virginia Creeper.

During my recuperation time I sat most days on our terrace 

and sketched this view of the ruined barn 

Now the Berberis is looking at its best, so many shades of red.

  

We could take this lane.

But I think we'll go  this way.

 We will walk the  'Le Route Forrestier' 

 I haven't taken this pathway for quite some time as it was too hilly for me, but now I'm able to walk much further again, it's the best route for views.  We will be able to see the many species of trees which grow in our region  some of them are already bare and others are still showing off  their colourful robes. This particular day started with heavy showers then the sun came out which lit up the trees making their colours even more beautiful, 

I climbed the first hill to see the lovely big Oak tree

 which stands alone in the field where the Limousin cows feed,

 This oak always look splendid whatever the season, it hangs onto

it's leaves almost until the new Spring leaves begin to appear.

 I stopped and turned around so that you could have a glimpse of my home through the bare trees.

I can see lots of  dark clouds beginning to gather so before it starts to rain again.

I think we'll take a little detour,  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

it's this winding path which has lots of ferns along the edge of the path

Look at the lovely shades of rust of these ferns, 

I'll be cutting them soon and taking them to use as a winter coat for my fragile Fuchsias.

I learnt that tip from an old man in the village where we lived when we first arrived in France.

If you'd like to read some of my happenings in that village take a peep    here

I'm so glad I took the detour even though it didn't rain

We would have missed seeing these trees.

Aren't they beautiful ?

When it snows and I write about the snow plough never passing our house, you can see why. 

         I'll be able to show you the ruined house near to where I live.which is so over grown now

We are now back, to where we started our walk.

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful colours I'm seeing at the moment.

This year we still haven't had any frost, so we're still enjoying our Autumn.

 Now for a little insight of my preparation before I actually make a post. 

I say it so many times I am not technically minded.

I forget how to do things, so have to write it down, especially doing a link.

That's why I don't join in with Link posts but I do read the blogs you all link to.

I'd never get anything done I'd still be sitting at my laptop struggling.

Oh believe me sometimes it takes me ages.

However I have managed to put two links in this post.

When I first started writing on my blog I used to get Mr France to take the photos.

But since then  I've learnt such a lot about taking photos and I'm still learning, 

Here I'm preparing for a photo shoot I wanted to show you 

the last three stems of Lavender I found this morning.

Most of the photos I take are with my aim & shoot camera,  I can master that.

It's still not right. but was the best of all that I took.

This stone jar I found buried in the barn under all the hay at our first house.

I fiddled about adding a few more bits and pieces.

I've just made some Lavender sachets as extra little gifts for Christmas

and I thought it would fit in with the theme.

But too many shadows. 

I hope you enjoyed my special post.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Good Bye to our Summer visitors.

Now I have to say goodbye to Summer as our last guests  have just left.

Officially Autumn started on 21st September,

 but while we still had visitors staying in La Petite Maison

and we're still enjoying lovely warm sunny days, I cling on to Summer as long as I can.

 

 





Mr France and I are off to the coast

 to spend a few days enjoying the sound of the waves.

I do love where we live, but I miss the sea.

 

 

 

 

I've thrown a few mix & match outfits in a small case, nothing fancy

as we're hoping to do some walking, nothing energetic.



So hopefully if Mr France wants to take a snooze after lunch

I'll get the chance to try out the new Inktense pencils with the waterbrushes.

and have some sketches to show  you

 

 

I've recently treated myself to a box of 24 Derwent Inktense pencils.

.

 



and a pack of 3 waterbrushes. Which I haven't yet tried, so that could be interesting

 I hope I'll like using them on this trip.

 

 

 

I'm also taking my Moleskin landscape sketch journal

which I bought months ago

and it's still waiting for my 1st sketch.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know why I'm hesitating to sketch in it.

I feel like I'm back at school starting a new term

and not wanting to make a mess on the first page.

 

 

 

I'll be taking loads of photos

so I'll show you where I've been when I get back.

 

 

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Pink.

 

 

My garden is full of pink this summer

and

I'm also feeling in the pink.

 

 

 

Almost recovered from my surgery.

 I'm  now able to do lots of things which have been on hold

 

 

Come with me and enjoy some of my PINK.

 

Not the usual sort of thing I put in my garden.

 

 

 

This was given to me last year by the Floral committee

 along with my diploma as part of my prize .

 

Not sure how long this will have a place in my garden !

It's now tucked in a corner till I get used to seeing it.

 

 

 

The only Lily I managed to see.

The Lily bug ate the rest before they were able to bloom.

 



Welcome to La Petite Maison our holiday rental house.

 

 

 



 



 

 

View from the sun deck. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Echinacea  (Poupres)



 

 

 

Phlox ( panicilarta )

A present given to me for my new flower bed.

to be created in Autumn.

 

 

 

Wild Foxglove

  Which pop up somewhere different each year.

I hope you enjoyed my Pink mood


I'll leave with a pretty posy
 to enjoy what ever mood you are in.

 

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

 

 

 



Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunt

organised by

green thumb Made with love

 

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