St Honoré Les Bains

The entrance to the baths at St Honoré les Bains. Although I believe the baths are still  open there  is little activity today. The trend for the 'curative' effects of bathing in the natural waters has faded.

Beyond the baths is 'Le Bristol' a hotel with very few bookings.

An empty restaurant no longer open, rather belle with this Russian Vine  having free  rein to wander at will.

Grand houses with views of the park they sell for  relatively small sums, this one sold for  around 130,000 Euros. It has a separate building beside  for horses.

Citroen H Y van

Here is the van I intend to move to my place. I took this photo a couple of years ago.  I  found  the man who owns it and I asked if it was for sale. Unbelievably he generously gave it me. He used it to move his cows around. You can't really tell but it's a gold colour, a bit shiny. The back door is one big one that once had wooden planks across. I'm hoping the chassis isn't completely rusted through.  I have always wanted one and now I have somewhere to put one too. I shall probably just use it as an extra place maybe a gardening cabin. Although my plans at the moment are for quite a grand one with a little stove. They are quite versatile and have been re-purposed for all manner of things I'm sure you have spotted a few. The panels can be unbolted on the sides to make little takeaway cafés. Very popular for street food sellers in London right now. There is one used here for Brocanting. I met Emily Chalmers in hers on the way back from a holiday in France do look her up her shop is called Caravan style in London. Her van is incredibly cute, a little camper with yellow interior. Mine needs a little more imagination.

Citroen H van, a photo by pink.rust8 on Flickr.

Decize

Un Vrai Morvandieu, en route pour Paris.

Wee Wee in her bin lid pond.

Luzy street art

HY Citroen

My HY Van or Tube as they call them around here, I've also heard them being called a French Toaster. I have  met up with the farmer who has said I could have her. Unfortunately since I last looked there is a thing missing, quite important I imagine for steering along the road.The 'Volant'. I need to tow her, not far but even so. Someone has been helping themselves to some of the bits. Good job I didn't put the wheels on already. Anyway despite this minor inconvenience we are going to try to move her here on the 10th October. I'm very excited about this. I was in a bit of a spin when I went to visit her and the steering wheel was missing.

I am making the most of the sunshine. Lots of gardening and things to bring a smile. Like my old secateurs on this lovely chair. 

I bought no linens this year. I found a few night dresses. Very few sheets around and they were  quite expensive when I did see some for me anyway. 

Intriguing spirals on the sunflower, going in both directions.

Sketching patterns of Sunflower seeds, I will probably try a mono print inspired by these  circles

Pumpkin Spider, not sure what it is seems to have some sort of respiratory holes.

It looks like it could be a Marbled Orbweaver.

My little cat with 3 legs has cat aids. It means he is not going to be able to fight off infections easily. I need to keep an eye on him if he seems ill as he could rapidly deteriorate.  Last weekend when he refused to eat or drink I had a syringe to force fluids down.  He slowly starting perking up again. He probably won't have a very long life but if their diet is protein rich with Omega 3s you may help boost their health a bit. I am informed by the vets that they are open full time throughout Autumn being busy with Cattle. He may need antibiotics jabs. Otherwise he is his  normal chirpy self. A lot of cats around here have this problem, many have it from birth, possibly how my one has it.  Meanwhile he has discovered the joys of the sun lounger I found one by the bins.

Thistle Patch

I have been gradually clearing away the thistles from George's vegetable garden. He normally likes to plough this area but the tractor needs to be warm before he can start it up. It's also quite an effort to work on especially if you are feeling a bit ill as George was. I looked at the plot for a while, 2 years actually, and then I realised I could indeed tackle it in my own way. I have an old mower I use without a box and I lift the front up if the mowing gets tough, ant hills are tough. So I have been mowing around the edges slowly and now I have an ever receding island of thistles that the sheep love. I am saving some for winter. The valley view along the garden is quite good. There are cows in the adjacent fields at the moment. The plan then is to plant beds of vegetables. I find the quickest way to kill what's underneath and clear the ground is lay a piece of plastic or glass down and this seems to kill the grass when the sun is bright as it is here within a few days. I can then easily dig and plant. I sometimes use black plastic but it's hard to find around here.

My little cat seemed quite ill this morning after

eating nothing all day yesterday and then vomiting. I thought I'd visit the vet. So off we went but there was an exceptional day at the vets as in no vets. There is no open vets now until Monday afternoon. Here everything shuts at 12 and then reopens at 2.30pm. I managed to get another appointment at another vet at 2.30, very confusing by this stage, but it's a bit of a drive there and back. I popped in to the secondhand shop and found a wonderful, I think skirt a piece of material and some wool for 2.50 Very pleased with this especially as I own very few skirts.

 I am busy stacking wood, the pile is beginning to go down a bit. Then I am working on the entrance of the farm, below. The neighbours cut down the Sloes leaving the whole place looking a bit sad. They wanted to keep the bushes away from the wires above, fair enough. Now I have a new project to do something rather more aesthetic.Any ideas? Birds seem to like to roost around here so maybe a bit of hedging, beech or something. I like the stone wall too so maybe I could build around this.

Stacked for drying and in case we need it this year.
I'm about to embark on a big new project soon, I am off to look at something big tomorrow.

I keep adding to my little garden beside my seed room/ studio/vinery.

This small area was quite sad last year but then I realised there is always something that could be done to improve life. Probably not everyone's cup of tea but it is a tea pot! Yes on an old bicycle  that is gradually sinking into a damp space.I am encouraging moss and I have put some old stumps for things to hide in. I am also potting up Lobelia that I grew from seed in old enamelware. The pot here with a handle was found at my last Brocante. I bring the Lobelia in in winter and it grows inside the house then I can put it out again in spring and it is a reasonable size then. Otherwise I am seed gathering and weeding after rain around the vegetables. I have left the Fennel go to seed and I am chopping back the leaves on my Strawberries. I have a handful of Raspberries each day for my Raspberry Muffins and the hungry freezer. Yesterday I dug up my Shallots and shall make some pickles. We have a load of wood to stack and there is a constant flow here in the village of tractors and chain saws going on. My little studio is undergoing a few minor changes and I am trying to sort some of my old photographs out so that I can pinterest some. I am also trying to sort some of my 'Found' shopping lists I pick up at the French supermarkets each week. I thought I'd post some of these

High summer. The gardens have changed again since I took this photo. I was away while it was very dry here. Since I have  been back the hose has been out trying to revive a few very dry articles. I am lucky to have a spring here so we pump our water up from the old wash trough. Many things were a struggle this year. My cabbages and broccoli are a bit sad looking.The strawberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants started beautifully but no strawberries much since June. The onions are a bit small. I did have lots of peas and broad beans early on and the lettuce all came slowly and then quickly bolted. There were no cherries, apples or Mirabels. The walnuts didn't happen either. I did however manage to shift my thinking a bit about the farm being too much to convert to gardens. I have managed to create a few little areas now and I am gradually learning where I can put things. 

The bit to the right above the dead tree is our garden. The trees hide us.

This was George's veg patch. It's surrounded by trees including 2 huge Christmas trees diagonally opposite. George likes these trees because they are a link to the past occupants and owls like them too. The dropping of pine needles probably changes the soils pH, I need to check that. This year the tractor failed to put in an appearance so a change of use happened. I am mowing around the thistles but I shall cut these down a bit later. Then next year I am going to make little beds probably squash beds and more flowers.