France and how it started for us.

Shhhh, don't tell anyone ... I know exactly what's happening, sure I do. LOL
 

Good morning folks,
It's just gone 6am here and the moons finished the night shift and the sun's just getting ready to show, the dawn chorus is in full swing (those birds sing like no record could and as usual the dogs are all ready for walkies,
Now ref my neighbor needing "medical help"?

No she's just like the rest of us with a full life times experience behind her and a good safe country place to live "but she got caught talking to herself,
(We all do it one way or another )

Ive stood infront of "Lotties grave" and said a few things "but ive not been caught "YET"

This old girl opposit us is a full shilling and as they say "no flies on her"
we do tend to look after each other here,
i look across the garden to see if she's got her fire going in the winter months and little tell tale signs like that,

One very good invention the french did and use is the old outside window shutters, great for keeping the sun off the furniture in the hot sunny days "but also great as a form of security all through the year as once closed of an evening the place is secured, And around 9-30pm she closes her shutters ready for bed later on,
But again it's a tell tale sign if everything is normal and when i see her shutters open as i walk past most mornings around 6am ish i know she's up and about.

She's not long had her mobile and to her its just a phone, she'd never take a snap shot with it,
It's what we call an age thing, she's not got a www PC. And wouldnt know how to use one,

But when they made people like her they chucked the mold away, (she's a one off and a real nice person to know and makes great french cake):p

Well im ready the dogs are ready so im off to see what natures been doing while i slept safe and sound in my bed,
Have a nice one folks talk to you later.
 
Well here in france we have had the warning but what a question

Evening all,
I hope your all well and enjoying being alive,
Ive spent the day around at our gite cutting the hedges and strimming the grass, Im waiting for the new gates to arrive so ive been doing the prep work for these and what ever else needs doing each day,

Now i dont do a lot of milage these days and so when i do get my car out i enjoy going the longer route to the gite "about 5miles if i go this longer way"

Now the french police have given out warnings that they are going to get hard on drivers due to more and more people not having insurance or ever passed a driving test and ofcause the drink limits are being abused badly,

Here you must carry insurance/drivers permit etc and in the windscreen you have to show when the car was last tested and that its up to date to be on the road
And if all this wasn't enough you need a green sticker in the windscreen to show you have insurance,

So i have a "MANS" (notice ive said mans) little bag i have all my details inside this bag, (the french dont have any problems with men carrying little bags)

So as im driving along and as "always" enjoying one of the best cars ever made, When suddenly this police man appears waving a stick with blue flashing light's
"like something out of star wars,

He's pointing for me to pull over and stop, If i had pulled any further over i'd have been in a ditch, (these country back roads we're made for horse and cart)

He and this police lady asked me to turn off the engine and get out,
While the policeman is looking inside my car the police lady asked (all in one breath for ) Insurance policy, drivers permit with photo on it, proof of the vehicles owner, an visible vest (new law came in last year & my supply of drink test kit (another law that nobodies sure if its in or not in ref being law) but i have these self test kit to see if im fit to drive.
I asked if i could get back in the car as all she'd ask for was in the glove box.,?

While im waiting for a reply i notice the policeman is playing football with my tyre's "kicking them as he checks the info in the windscreen,

After all this checking is completed the policeman ask "what make of car is this??? American maybe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I replied No It's english,
What type of english car is it??

I took a deep breath and replied it's a BENTLEY.

Bentley he' replied,

Why do you ave your letter of your name here, (he pointed to the top of the radiator and the "B" enclosed in the Bentley wings).

Maybe you forget who you are;;;;;;;;;; with that they both grinned at each other (as this must be the french good joke of the year)

It's not my letter of my name, it's the Bentley logo,
Do you think this car will one day be popular?

After nearly 20 mins of this questioning i asked if i was in any trouble?

No no why do you say this?

Because i was hoping to do some work in my garden today and im expecting a delivery and i'd like to be at the address so i can sign for it I didn't ecpect to be seeing you.


What are you aving delivered,?

Gates. I REPLIED,

Will they be french made gates?
Yes they are coming from just outside of paris "so yes they're french gates"

Good he replied you must go now "but do not speed" as we are testing for speedy drivers.

Thank you i'll remember your advice,
As i drove off i thought to myself (never heard of "BENTLEY) but come to think of it ive never seen another one here since we've lived here but ive seen an american "HUMMER":cool::cool:
 
Acccch the Spanish Gaurdia are just as annoying with drivers, and it's usually followed by a fine in cash on the spot for some invented misdemeanour's. :mad:Never heard of a Bentley???..no class French gendarmes..but we knew that anyway..LOL>...btw Hummers are very common in Southern Spain.. almost always in bright yellow..

Daughter knows the rules of the road in Spain having lived there for years and running a business, but the other day she had to go and collect her o/h from the airport. She was wearing flip flops ( a no no in Spain to drive in)...and on the way she had to collect some fence panelling, so she attached the trailer to her 4x4 picked up the panelling, then made her way to the airport with the panelling all tied on the trailer. She couldn't go into the multi storey car park because of the attached trailer so she text son-in-law and told him to be quick she would park in the drop down area instead. She pulled in to a space behind an old battered car with 2 young men sitting in it playing on their phones, and noticed the trailer was overhanging a walkway, so she pulled forward alongside the 2 youngsters and asked them to pull forward so she had enough room to fit in the space behind them. They gave her an odd look but moved forward and she manoeuvred the 4x4 and the trailer in to the spot behind them. Just as she applied the handbrake one of the scruffy young men got out of the car came to her window and pulled out his ID...yup, both of the ''youths' were undercover cops..and she had to think fast as to the reason she was parked there and not get a fine or have the flip flops spotted. Fortunately they were clearly on another job and told her just not to do it again..*phew* lucky escape...:D
 
Hi Hollydolly,
yes your right ref keeping your eyes open,
Me and the wife went to a classic tractor show here a few weeks back (i love classic cars /bikes and the rusty counters on the brocante's) As we walked around i found the citroen and it was in lovely condition, a real credit to who ever owned it

"but" as i went to the otherside of the car you could see a fresh key scratch all along the drivers door, it was fresh you could see the white under the main paint,
I looked around to see if the owner was about and i felt guilty incase anyone thought it was anything to do with us,
It spoilt the experience of just looking at these cars,

Ref my car ive had it years now and the locals now it and its never caused any problems "in fact ive got a citroen 2cv i did up five years ago and if i have that on the road the local farmer says "now that is a car tobe proud of "french" and well made But he likes the Bentley also,
The only thing ive found is that when i take the car to the supermarket i stay inside and read (can't stand inside these supermarkets) i do get ex-pats coming over and thinking im french due to the number plates start to try and tell me it's a british car "but i enjoy the car "i really do" and the comfort in driving it is second to non,

Now the hummer ive seen here a few times is also yellow "i wonder why?
The Bentleys silver grey,
I did see a yellow real classic RollsRoyce in the uk a few years ago "it had the fold down hood and i fell in love with it "but just like a naughty boy my other half looked at me and said
Before you ask the Answers "NO".:sorrow::sorrow::sorrow:
 
OMG re the scratch on the vintage car...isn't jealousy a horrible horrible thing? I too love vintage cars, and I would be very upset if I saw that one had been keyed!!

LOL your wife sounds like me . The other day in Marbella we saw a limited edition Ferrari, a jet black Maserati and a Glossy black lotus Elite all driving behind each other...hubs was drooling.....lol...''Firgit it'' I said..we need the new drive done .. :D
 
Don't they do the equivalent of MOTs in France?

I remember our trip to the Rhones Alpes region a couple of years ago and the roads were soooooo narrow! And there was a deep ditch on each side so it was nerve wracking.
 
Speaking of "keyed" scratches. One of our campers has had a few problems with an ex girlfriend and woke up to find his fairly new Dodge pickup keyed. Not sure if it was her but BITCH was engraved very deeply into drivers door.
I don't know the circumstances, but it's a lousy thing to do.
 
Hi Ameriscot,
Yes they have a very stiff control technique (MOT in the uk) but its every two years instead of every one like you have in the uk,
But tobe honest some of the stuff i see driving around i do wonder how the hell they ever get through any test "but they have the sticker in the windscreen giving the dates of pass and date when next due"
We do have lots of deer in these parts and early morning and early evening just as its going dark you really do have to be aware as these deer run across from field to field,
We've had many serious accidents because of the deer (not myself) but its in the local papers offten.
 
Big day tomorrow,

Hi folks,
Its been a scorcher weather wise here today the only thing i dont like in the hot weather is the fly problem,
OOH i really do hate the blighters,
We've tried all kinds of ideas old and new to get rid of them ie 'vineagar in a saucer, Lavender on the kitchen window, sprays (wife wont have a spray in the house since some friend of her's nearly died due to a chimney sweep spraying lavender spray in a room after the chimney had been swept, her friend came into the room to pay him and had a fit "she was allergic to sprays, her daughter walked into the room to find her mother on the floor and the sweep trying to get her to wake-up,

The french still use those hanging paper strips "that sticky stuff" but if you use one of these you then have to look at dead flies hanging about the room for days, yuk

But tomorrow if all go's to plan the gates will be delivered and i hope to fit them on the old post with ease "thats like saying we've been married for fourty years and never had a cross word "impossible" is my reply to that statement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Now i dont know how many of you have put up double gates????
Well ive done a few in my time and i feel you do need two people to do this job, and ive a feeling that when it comes to four hands making light work of this task !!!!!!!!!!
Well maybe with two gags will help, but we"ll see.
But im really looking forward to seeing them up and then they'll be painted. ohhhhhhhhhhh Isn't life exciting:D

It's a pity i cant let you hear what im hearing as im about to say goodnight, It's a barn owl just outside of this window "giving it hell" as the norm you dont hear anything.

Well good night to one and all.
 
They've arrived And so has "Ruby"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning all,
It's going to be a nice hot day here today and im looking forward to visiting the local farmers store (it's called rual france) and its one of those held back in time places,
all the local farming folk go there to buy tractor parts, chicked feeds nuts and bolts "even clothing" Honey/home made local wine, etc etc

It's a place i like to go and just see the folk who use these places,
you really do see some fashions you never thought we're still around
And the faces say it all 'that outside working and living off the Land are on the faces of these people,
a life time of experience just walking around that store infront of you at any one time.

The gates arrived yesterday and they are a fine pair, well made and should last a life time,
Now getting them up is another matter, the fixing wont do on the old very solid steel post ive got,
So ive to work out another way to hang these gates and im thinking of the old hook and eye idea "but i want to go to this old farm store to see wants on offer in the store".
It's going to take time and a lot of hoofing and blowing to get these gates up but they'll out see our days once they are up (and keep the bull from resting his huge head inbetween the frame work of the gates we have now)

I must admit you do get stiff in the old joints as the years kick in, I'd really had enough by 7pm last night and after a shower and dinner i was falling asleep,
But thats life.

Apart from the local farmers driving past onthe tractors I did have one other visitor yesterday "RUBY"
Now "Ruby is a black mixed breed dog that belongs to one of the farms but nobody has a hold on "Ruby" she takes her self off from farm to farm and say's hello to everyone and anyone who has food to offer, she comes up to you and lays on her back, once you've said hi and give her a little tickle "well," your her friend for life.

When she was a younger dog she'd jump through the very same "V" shape in the gates and land on the otherside of our fence,
Ive never known a dog so friendly even the local cats dont mind "Ruby"

Well her good life style and food for free every place she visits have had their toll on Ruby,
her jumping over anything bigger than a "match stick" days are well over,

I'd say Ruby's shape is more barrel shape than that of an athlete and you dont see many barrels jumping over gates.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But after sharing a few chicken sandwiches "Ruby" moved on to the next food supply outlet further along the track,
But it was nice to see her again.

Well im about to have breakfast and then go and see life as it was 50 years ago in the old farmers store.
Be good and we'll share another's days happenings soon.
 
What a day,

Evening all,
Well weatherwise its been a beauti, hot sunny and a real smasher, "infact i had the first of my cucumber's today "fresh from the greenhouse" And the toms are starting to swell, not long now and we'll be able to have toms with taste, (the shop one's seem watery "no real taste in them".

We've been to the local farmers store as i said i was going there to get the bits and pieces to fix the gates up and so tomorrow i hope to have them up and opening.

As we made our way back home we drive down a very nice country lane, trees either side forming a tunnel effect with wild flowers growing on both sides of the track,
we saw a really nice sight, it was a hen with her chicks all running along this track towards a farmhouse,
It's a sight thats really nice to see,
The speed those little legs go to keep up with mother is amazing.

You can tell its summer time as the ladders are out all over the place leaning against cherry trees and the basketts are filling up fast.
The birds are in full voice from early Morn 5-30am until 9-30pm all singing away,

During the later part of the summer we offten see and hear the rooks etc sitting in the tall trees chirping away as drunk as the lords due to eating grapes all day,
It's natures own Larder door left open for the animals "food for free" you might say "but winters not far away from October" so the wild life makes the most of the free for all
while it last.
As ive said before mid to late june is the one time in the summer that a lot of color is missing in the garden,
As the early june flowers start to fade away and the july ones have not yet flowered june is a bit lacking in the garden,

Ive Lillies in full bud and tagets just starting to flower any day now and the sweet pea's are climbing like hell, the honeysuckle's the one plant that never lets the june garden down, it flowers throughout the month and the smell is just lovely of an evening that and Lavender and both attract the bee's,

Yes if your in to country early evening walks im sure you've walked past a hedge and suddenly the smell of honeysuckle hits you "but you can't always see the bush as it hides in the hedge.
Nature's a wonderful wonder of the world and one i enjoy very much.

Anyone else enjoy the summer in the countryside?
 
I love the smell of honeysuckle. We love all the different landscapes in Scotland - coastal, mountains, forests, countryside. We've been riding our bikes a lot recently and it's mainly on quiet country roads, many of them coastal. We've been cloudy and drizzly recently which means midgies will be out and biting unless there is a good breeze. I've been wanting to take some photos of many of the flowers that are blooming in our garden now but am avoiding the midgies and waiting for sunshine again. I especially love the irises and the aquilegia.
 
Often I'll read your page Whisteria and it reminds me very much of Spain. Honeysuckle smells lovely but my favourite is Lady of the Night otherwise known as Night Blooming Jasmine, and that's exactly what it does, it blooms at night and the scent is overwhelmingly gorgeous. I have a large shrub of LOTN outside my front door at my house in Spain. However the one major drawback with it is that is at night it attracts Mozzies like iron to a magnet :eek:...so it's probably not the best idea to have it close to the front door, but the aroma is divine!!:cool:
 
Hello you two lovely ladies,
Isn't great to share thoughts on daft things really like smells from nature etc,
A lot of people would never say i Like such and such a flower or scent they give off 'it reminds me of ' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (men particuarly)

Yet we men splash all kinds of aftershave all over thinking it attracts the opposit sex, (more like flies i find).

We've white "ice berg" roses over the wooden arch that leads to a bendy path that ends up at our pool and the smell off these white roses is just something to remember.
Roses that have a smell ""scent" call it what you will do cost more but they're worth the extra cost.

We visit one garden centre here and as you enter the inddors you have to walk through the indoor plant area, "well" the smells and the freshness of all these verious plants is really up lifting, ive said to my wife it's worth coming just for the entrance walk throught,
Arhhhhhhhh Life's simple things cost little but mean so much:)
 
On our bike rides in rural areas we often smell wild garlic.

Since I've become allergic to most artificial scents I appreciate the smell of flowers even more. I noticed when I first moved to the UK that men were allowed to call things lovely or delightful and I just love that! My husband is a serious nature lover which is why our garden is so beautiful.
 
They're up.

Evening all,
Well again a nice day weatherwise and im pleased to report the new gates are up and swinging "open and closed".

Her indoors is pleased with the results and has just said when ive painted the arrows on the top of the gates they'll look nice,

Why is it that a job you'd think would take a few hours ends up taking all day ?
Simple things like drills snapping, and the lining up of two gates could be so time consuming,

But apart from a bit of painting and putting in a new stop / & bolt holding hole plate tobe concreted in place (mondays job as the builders are closed until monday)

One more to tick off the list of jobs to do.

Ive no doubt i really do feel the aches and pains after a day's work, "I never use to feel so knackard by 7pm as i do these days"

But ive really enjoyed this nice weather and its good tobe alive.

Hows your day been?
 
I was feeling pretty lazy today. The 41 mile bike ride yesterday made me more tired than any of the rides last week. So other than grocery shopping and tidying the house, I sat and read my murder mystery.

The weather has been dreich and we got rained on during our bike ride yesterday. But the sun came out for a while today and is still peeking out now.
 
Your post about Ruby reminds me of our neighborhood cat. There is an animal rights group in town that traps and neuters stray cats, then releases them where they were found. They also drop off food for them if they can't talk someone into feeding them. This one doesn't have a home. He prefers to wander from door to door and beg. He is usually fat. He always leaves just a little food, like he's saving it for a drought. I give him dry catfood. He prefers scraps. But I'm the go-to house when everyone else is out of town. I considered adopting him, but I don't want an outdoor cat, he doesn't like it indoors, doesn't like to be handled, and worst of all, he sprays. I draw the line at that.:p
 
whisteria said:
Good morning all,
It's going to be a nice hot day here today and im looking forward to visiting the local farmers store (it's called rual france) and its one of those held back in time places,
all the local farming folk go there to buy tractor parts, chicked feeds nuts and bolts "even clothing" Honey/home made local wine, etc etc

It's a place i like to go and just see the folk who use these places,
you really do see some fashions you never thought we're still around
And the faces say it all 'that outside working and living off the Land are on the faces of these people,
a life time of experience just walking around that store infront of you at any one time.

The gates arrived yesterday and they are a fine pair, well made and should last a life time,
Now getting them up is another matter, the fixing wont do on the old very solid steel post ive got,
So ive to work out another way to hang these gates and im thinking of the old hook and eye idea "but i want to go to this old farm store to see wants on offer in the store".
It's going to take time and a lot of hoofing and blowing to get these gates up but they'll out see our days once they are up (and keep the bull from resting his huge head inbetween the frame work of the gates we have now)

I must admit you do get stiff in the old joints as the years kick in, I'd really had enough by 7pm last night and after a shower and dinner i was falling asleep,
But thats life.

Apart from the local farmers driving past onthe tractors I did have one other visitor yesterday "RUBY"
Now "Ruby is a black mixed breed dog that belongs to one of the farms but nobody has a hold on "Ruby" she takes her self off from farm to farm and say's hello to everyone and anyone who has food to offer, she comes up to you and lays on her back, once you've said hi and give her a little tickle "well," your her friend for life.

When she was a younger dog she'd jump through the very same "V" shape in the gates and land on the otherside of our fence,
Ive never known a dog so friendly even the local cats dont mind "Ruby"

Well her good life style and food for free every place she visits have had their toll on Ruby,
her jumping over anything bigger than a "match stick" days are well over,

I'd say Ruby's shape is more barrel shape than that of an athlete and you dont see many barrels jumping over gates.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But after sharing a few chicken sandwiches "Ruby" moved on to the next food supply outlet further along the track,
But it was nice to see her again.

Well im about to have breakfast and then go and see life as it was 50 years ago in the old farmers store.
Be good and we'll share another's days happenings soon.
Click to expand...

Hi, whisteria......don't you just love the old country stores, they are becoming a thing of the past around here...If you can make it until 7 pm, you're doing good, my limit is 1/2 a day, especially in this Texas heat......good luck with the gates.
 
Hi Folks,
I enjoyed both replies,
the one from Nancy reminded me that we have an old box thats just inside two buildings here in the main village this box is turned upside down "like a little house idea
and this old lady feeds the local strays, we offten see kittens etc playing inbetween these two buildings but because this area is so out of the way nobody would ever harm the cats and lifes just so laidback "why run when you can walk type of place",I feel they chucked the mold that made such carring old ladies away after she was born.

And as Jackie said, those old country stores are not getting re-opened if the do shut up shop,
I sometimes wonder if they make any money when you see the family all working there and the sort of things they have on the shelves "some items have been on the shelves for years"
But it makes you want to buy there and keep them going as long as you can,

Jackie!
I dont think it'll be many more years until im doing half days work,
I remember the day i retired and decided to cut the small fron lawn we had in that house,
I got the walk behind mower out and as i started it up i looked up the street only to see this guy walking down the hill towards our house,
He had a shoulder bag (proberly with his lunch in it) but because he looked like he was going to do a days work and i'd now retired!!!! I felt a bit embarrassed and went inside until he'd passed,
I didnt want him to think i was some kind of unemployed bum.
:eek:
 

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