Month: August 2022

Tuesday 30 th August 2022

From August 9th to August 25th we played host to family members, firstly our youngest daughter Steph and her husband Will joined us, after a few days they travelled to Paris for two nights to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

When they returned from Paris our eldest daughter Emma, her husband Andy and our twin grandsons Ben and James joined us. This signalled it was time for us to have a holiday and do touristy things.

A visit to the local swimming lake, Lac de Gurcon was enjoyed by most of the family, Layla wasn’t allowed on the beach so I returned home and enjoyed a quiet break.

Of course if you’re a tourist you have to visit St Emelion.We go most years and never tire of it.

Of course we did eat at home most evenings.

We visited a different style car boot, more aimed at car fanatics with spares for sale as well as a range of old and modern cars.There were some normal stalls and we bought a wooden train set and track for the boys.

It’s always helpful when family members muck in with the chores.

Our friends Peter and Alison arrived at their bungalow on August 20 th and they kindly invited our family to enjoy their swimming pool.

Sadly our swimming pool isn’t quite up to the same standard.

Before the family members departed we managed a visit to Aubeterre and Ste Foy La Grande, a few days later we returned there with Alison and Peter for a good vide grenier.

A quiet house means back to chores and tasks.☹️

Wed 24 th August 2022

Just after lunch today a fire engine went roaring down our lane with sirens screaming out. A short while afterwards Michelle went outside and there across the fields from us was a huge plume of smoke.

Searching on the news it turned out the fire was less than a kilometre from us in a straight line and 40 hectares of forest was blazing, it was a suspect arson as the fire broke out in four places at once. Local residents were evacuated from their homes.

We discussed evacuation plans if it got closer to us but thankfully what wind there was was blowing towards the fire and away from us.

Scores of firemen were drafted in from around the region and for at least four hours 4 planes loaded with water returned again and again assisted by a helicopter which dropped water on the fire.

Obviously the roads all around the area are blocked off but as it is on our main route to our shopping area, petrol station etc I’m sure tomorrow we will see the devastation. Thankfully there are no reports of any casualties but I hate to think what devastation was caused to the wildlife.

This morning we drove to town and this stretch of burnt forest was the only one we could get close to, there were still 6 fire vehicles in attendance. I took this photo from in front of our neighbours son’s house, it was only 15m across the road from them. Thankfully overnight we had a storm and for a few hours heavy rain, which hopefully helped damp down the area.

Sunday 14th August 2022

The heat has been punishing for days, hitting 39 degrees most days and yesterday 40 degrees, hiding from the sun during the day was bad enough but the house acts like a giant storage heater and the temperature inside wasn’t dropping below 30 degrees overnight.

Thankfully last night at 11 pm it began to rain gently,then at 3.30 am it began to hammer down accompanied by thunder and lightning which rumbled on until noon. Thankfully it has reduced the temperature to a bearable 21 degrees.

One side effect of the heat seems to be an increase in insects biting, you could play dot to dot with the spots on my legs and I don’t normally suffer a great deal. Michelle came up with her own solution for when she is gardening.

We managed two short trips out once a very short walk from the car to our local river L’Isle, where Layla enjoyed a swim.

On another occasion Michelle and I visited our local swimming lake, Lac de Gurcon, to check its suitability to take our grandsons when they visit us next week. Dogs not allowed on the beach so we took Layla for a swim a little further away .

Friday night we managed a visit to the marche nocturne at Villefranche de Lonchat, always good fun and buzzing with activity.There are food stalls to buy your evening meal and wine and beer for sale, most French families take their table cloth, own cutlery and plates and make an evening of it. The local commune provide the seating and tables and the evening entertainment.

Tomorrow our eldest daughter Emma, her husband Andy and our twin grandsons arrive, life will never be the same again, so tonight we are enjoying the peace😂

Sunday August 7 th 2022.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and a very important wedding we haven’t visited our house here for the last three Augusts , I think we had slightly forgotten the effect the weather can have.

According to our neighbour there hasn’t been any rain for weeks, everything is bone dry and leaves are beginning to drop from the trees already.

We have quickly dropped into the French routine of getting up early, 7 am’ ish whilst still cool ( 20 degrees at 8.30am) and arriving at supermarket/ vide greniers as soon as they open. It’s possible to be outside until approx noon by which time the temperature has risen to 35 degrees, we shut all the shutters and leave the windows open but it still reaches 28 degrees in the house. We are pottering at getting the house and garden ready for visitors using the cooler morning and evening times.

The weather this year has had a disastrous effect on our fruit trees, when they were in blossom there was a heavy frost, a month later gale force winds, then a hail storm with huge hailstones and now a drought, needless to say there isn’t one piece of fruit on our apple trees, plum trees or peach trees. However the vine which can push roots down to a great depth is doing well and we have plenty of grapes.

This morning we managed to visit two vide greniers, one in La Fleix and one in Montpon, both were about half the size of the same ones we visited four years ago, not sure why. We did however manage to spend some money on a variety of items.

We bought two carpets for our small lounge for 12 euros, a collection of toys for our grandsons impending visit for 5 euros, a chair that apparently you use to sit babies in whilst bathing them or giving them a shower for 4 euros, a small vase for a euro, a picture for 2 euros, a kilo of courgettes to feed our daughter and son in law who arrive on Tuesday, and last but not least I splashed out 20 euros treating Michelle to her own electric strimmer ( I know I’m too kind) it’s made by Wolf so a good make.

It’s now 8 pm still 32 degrees so I think it’s time to water a few plants with a cold beer in my hand.