The first images are from today, it was very warm a bit more normal. I have taken pictures of my sort of front door, it's a side door. The buckets collect water and I have a little seed room beside the front door that is where various animals congregate for food. The duck maize is in here and the cats arrive to squawk at us when they need to touch down for their food and sleep. I found my little cat along the road with a leg that had to be amputated. He must have been from a family of alley cats as he is reluctant to be in even when it's raining. He is happiest in the barn on his own rather pungent cushion.
  My geraniums are from cuttings, the pots I bring home from the tip. Here in France the tip provides somewhere to drop off rubbish and collect  compost for free. Where the compost pile is there is also a place you can collect old terracotta pots or dump old toilets,basins or tiles.  I have been adding paint to my pots. I bought some clay based taster pots from Period House in Ludlow. I was told it was made  in small batches by a man in a garden shed. The make is Colourman.Here I only use the paint sparingly, it's really special paint.
My garden has been supplying me with extraordinary bounties of strawberries and flowers.

Fragny

Painting in progress it portrays a small hamlet here in Nievres, Sud Morvan.
It's been a beautiful day today, I am hoping to go to the local town on the longest day for their festival of Rent. They celebrate by looking to the past and have huntsman blowing horns, maids demonstrating the washing of linen, there are tractors and my favourite is a mock old bar. There is a meal in the evening and clog dancing!

I scan the internet here regularly for my Citroen HY Tube van. I need a few bits but most importantly I am trying to find a set of wheels so I can pull her with a tractor out of the field just along from here. When I spotted 'Donne' and 'Jantes', I was more then a little excited. I rang up Johnnie who kindly said he would save the wheels for me, 2 with tyres. I already have 1 wheel and the rim is on one of the wheels so I just need a tyre now. I had been scouring the internet for ages and even stopping by farms if I spot one to ask people if they would be willing to sell me wheels. I found one nearby that is being used as an animal feed place for cows and their hay but the farmer just kept repeating that the van was 'futre'.
Anyway I hadn't been far lately, the animals need looking after, we have a little lamb I am having to feed, he is growing at a rate of knots. After giving him a large bottle he would be alright for a few hours and he nibbles on grass now too.We set off with a picnic north towards Orleans.
The wheels were collected and have rather poor tyres, that's OK though. We drove through Burgundy and it was a beautiful day, very warm. It was good not to have to be working on the garden.

I love the work of this lady patriciavieljeux.com

A glimpse into the restaurant garden.

Maison et atelier de Jacques-Jeanneney

Ceramic street signs and house numbers.

 This is a wonderful workshop area with tables and chairs under this impressive roof.

 A little restaurant with garden seating area called La Magie des Sens.

One of many shops and galleries. I think this one is La Boutique du Potier . It's very near the Chateau.

L'Attrape-Chien Atelier d'art et de création.

We stopped at a lovely village for our picnic at St Amand-En-Puisaye. Coincidently they were having a festival Feu(x)à volonté. There are loads of potters in this area and village.  While I was there it was all deadly quiet, lunchtime, and I think it was beginning later in the evening with a band. I did take some sneaky photographs though to give you some idea. I was rather taken by the place. It has a lovely relaxed, eccentric feel. Very arty a little rambling and splendidly untidy in places. There was a lady on her balcony talking to herself and then she started singing. It also has a stonking château built in 1530, a significnant Renaissance Chateau in the Nievre, right in the middle of the village with huge trees in the garden and a gallery. More info at www.ceramique-st-Amand.org Otherwise do visit www.latelierdesgarcons.com or poterie.guimards.free.fr
I arrived home and had a little look for tyres and uncannily there are some for sale in St Amand en Puisaye.