I took this picture on Christmas Eve. There is a little snow in the foreground and the smouldering fire is what remains of a lot of tree cutting that happens every few years. I think the man who works the land around here does it to allow the grass plenty of light.  Better grazing for his cows.

It's normally so bright here that we don't get so much cloud. This year the rain has replaced snow.

My vegetable garden.

I am painting in this general direction at the moment. My view takes in a bit more of the pond. Those  moles have been busy this year. We call them Taupes here.

This is my HY Citroen. I asked about it in August. I need to tow it to my garden but as yet I have only found 1 wheel. I check each day in the equivalent of Ebay here. I want to use it as a sort of spare room. I have wanted one since a friend of mine lived in one while he was at Dartington College of Arts.  

My birthday is just after Christmas so I was out on my birthday looking at my van and generally observing the changes taking place in the landscape. I didn't do Christmas shopping this year. I made some cards and while George went shopping for food I went to a charity shop I have just found full of second hand things. 

After a long springlike Autumn and often times springlike winter we have had a few sprinklings of snow. We have had storms and high winds. For 5 days we had AJP days. Here our cheap electric for most of the year depends on us having expensive days of national high usage. So when it's freezing we rely on stoves and wood for fuel and our trusty gas bottles for our cooking. We like it like this a bit of a challenge.
Otherwise I reupholstered my sofa by hand to be finished this weekend on my sewing machine, another story. I made, I think a rather impressive covering for my bolster. A few good veggie soups and I have made lots of Christmas cards. Not only but also I have found a charity shop which is so brimming with secondhand clothes at oldschool charity prices I am dancing on tap shoes. Not only but this I have found an lovely blog www.mechantstudio.com do have a look

This time last year

Normally by now we have had very low temperatures, plenty of snow and ice. This year abnormally

we have very mild days and very few freezes It has been a bit dull this week, not much sunshine and a lot of rain. I love the snow but struggle with the cold. It will be odd to get to

 next year without any snow.

A few more images to go with my last post. This image was shot at Montbrun near the River Tarn after coming over the Cevennes National park. We drove up the mountain over the plateau of the park . The road takes a steep route with hairpins one after another.

Florac has a beautiful pool with a restaurant beside with mesmerising trout. 

Stone tiles like scaly skins.

I love dappled strong light and shade. The green streaked pot too  on the far right of the shelf.

I have worked in 2 organic wholefood shops now, I also tend to gravitate towards the kind of towns that have these shops. I get these places with all the personal ads often offering a caravan in a field to rent.

Florac

I visited Florac last year. It was our first outing in our van after I picked her up last year.  We arrived by the memorial and as it's Remembrance Sunday I thought I would begin here. I was reminded of Florac by Owen and his Magic lantern show blogspot. 

We approached Florac via some mountain roads through limestone  mountains. 

It was half past when we arrived.

I have been looking at these old presses on the french equivalent of ebay here, they can be uses to press apples for cider or juice  or grapes for wine. This one is a good one not too huge.

Along the middle of the village we sat outside Le  21  for coffee.  The barman said it gets very cold in winter with a lot of snow. I liked Florac, it seems like there is an interesting sub culture. We spotted lots of crafts, wholefood and small galleries here. 

I don't see many Renault 12s around. I once had one that could be seen travelling west or east from Bromyard, HRFDs to Aberystwyth, Wales or vice versa . I did a Fine Arts degree at Aber. 

I included this because one day I would like some of those dungarees worn by Guy Barbier I took this image in Florac as I often to to research later names, crafts etc. Back to the dungarees, these are  a lovely blue and I remember arty friends, particularly potters,  wearing them in the 80s.  The dungarees here in France, are referred to as 'Bleus', like many other 'laboureurs' clothes. I often see men wearing the blue jackets, Blue Serge working their gardens, it is prooving harder though to spot these men. Agricultural cooperative shops sell the closest thing but the quqlity isn't quite what I'm after. Anyway this man on the poster has the ones I want on.

There is something about places that are still undergoing some sort of change but very slowly and comfortably.

Hopeful

I have more images to follow but do take a walk along this interesting little road.