August in the Sun

We are just back from a blissfully sunny holiday, Normandy at its charming and peaceful best.

Martin has been busy chopping wood for the store, mowing the grass and fixing the WiFi so that it works more effectively (but not to say reliably).

I have begun to tackle painting the interior of the windows, most of which still sport their heavy brown stain. It made a huge difference to the Blue Room just to have more light in the window alcove, and I was inspired to work on other rooms too. One day we will get around to the kitchen!

We do however have a new worktop round the cooker in the kitchen, which Martin has made out of wood we found in one of the barns when we first arrived (and which has also supplied a garden table for us at home). This picture was supposed to show it but you have to look closely!

Meanwhile the leaking kitchen chimney was supposed to be fixed: smoke had been tracking into the upstairs rooms so we have had builders in to strip and fill. Sadly this just led to the smoke finding other crevices along which to travel, and short of pulling apart the entire internal wall we have no hope of stopping it. So for now, everything has been put back and made good, pending the insertion of a liner which would allow us to run a wood-burning stove.

We enjoyed candle-lit supper in the BBQ shack on Martin's 50th birthday, breakfasts on the front terrace every morning and plenty of time in the hammock out back.

 View from BBQ shack

Freshly-mown grass (BBQ shack at end)

The River Douve remains a beautiful picnic or canoe spot, and we saw loads of ducks fly off the lake when we wandered around (though the water level is low so it is rather brown). In fact the house was buzzing with life: bees having a ball on the fuchsias which were in full bloom at the front, and butterflies, bees and moths swarming around the buddleia, which has grown to tree size, in the back garden.

We love the different views around the house as the sun rises and sets: I find this particularly enticing (but maybe that's just me!)

 

Wandering around the fields before we left we noticed that the spring has collapsed, or at least sheep appear to have pushed down the pile of wood and rocks that was blocking it off. Note to anyone visiting: keep an eye on your children in the top field!

He doesn't look very happy about that!

 We were sad to leave, but friends are due there soon to share the pleasure of a relaxing rural holiday, and we shall of course be back very soon!