Texel

I've been really worried about this female sheep for a couple of weeks now. She was attacked by hunting dogs. 2 small Teckel or wire haired Dachunds. They are used around here to hunt Wild Boar. Despite their diminutive size they rounded on this sheep and gave her some serious bites to the leg. I have been since bathing her wounds and applying with Betadine. It's a solution containing Iodine. After 2 weeks I have had to learn to gain her trust, by apples or lettuce. I am now able to walk right up to her bath her leg and sprinkle over the Betadine and unbelievably roll her over to do the other side of her leg. I can't really do it any other way. She can stand up alone now and walk away on 3 legs. She was staying in the shed alone all day and I was having to check her a lot to see if she hadn't fallen and check she had water or sheep food. We only have 5 sheep and only 3 females. I hope she will be okay. They are allowed to live and chomp their way through the grass in the fields. The white one is quite old.

 This is our eldest female. She's very sweet and is quick to be an auntie to lambs. She is a bit concerned about the attacked female and stays close to her almost as if she is there to protect or keep her company. She is concerned when I arrive to look at the wounds or give away a wind fall apple.

Garden is having a second wind after unseasonably good mild weather. It's been  high 20°C. There has been a flurry of flowering Marigolds and the Cosmos are doing well. Wind is strong.

This is a little Atelier in town, don't know who lives here. It would be nice to know.
We didn't go away this year because our V.W. van has been at the Garage. David is struggling to cope with his workload . The  parts are difficult to find here, not a French car. Hopefully we shall go away next year somewhere exciting. I have actually enjoyed being here, pottering and doing the Brocantes. George wasn't too well so it probably allowed him more time to recover too.

lush.

This is a handsome building in the middle of Moulin Engilbert. It was talked about to become an Arts Centre.Behind this facade there is a lot going on.
We went to take the van to the big VW dealers in Nevers and David said she's going on the truck. We thought we were going to have to coax her along. Being all psyched up for busy day this was a huge relief we went and sat and had a coffee and a cake in the square for a little treat.

This is our second visit to the woods. Last week there was nothing. Today we found 2  kilos of Ceps in a few minutes.

Flyagaric non edible kind

This is a huge barn and cottage near where we mushroom. It is in the sun  this  afternoon.  Mornings it's pretty dark and it's in a cold spot. I'm sure it was bought very cheap.

Salamander baby. I have never seen one like this here before.

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.