SEPTEMBER

September is my favourite month of the year.

I spent a week of it in the UK where the weather was unusually kind.

Much as I enjoyed my week I was looking forward to getting to get back to France.  The Ryanair flight back was completely stress free.

I grumble about Ryanair but really shouldn't, without them we couldn't do what we do - live in two countries.

Yvonne was pleased to see me back home.

The double cushion trick is the way to a cat's heart.

Hugo has matured into a truly wonderful dog.

The September weather has been fabulous.

Warm days, cool nights and mornings, and plenty of sitting out.

The sunrises have been gorgeous.

The sunsets beautiful.

There has been plenty of deer activity - the brame is in full swing. 

We went to our favourite town, Chinon, for the afternoon.

Chinon never fails to enchant us.

We have passed an early evening or two enjoying life in the village square.

With the village pizzeria not yet re-opened after a change of ownership we went to Descartes to try the newish pizza restaurant there.

The pizzas were not great and we have read that the restaurant is about to close.

Making good pizzas is clearly harder than you might think.

Two gorgeous old cars were parked outside the salle des fêtes in our own village.

It was "Paella night", rescheduled from earlier in the summer.

It's usually an outdoor event with fireworks at the end of the evening but due to the successive heatwaves it was postponed to September.

Paella was served to a huge number of people.

It was an excellent evening, great food, lots of fun and fabulous fireworks.

With the cooler weather we fished the old Harleys out of the barn and went for a few rides.

I never thought I would still be riding my Harley at the age of 74.

Mine is 19 years old, his 22 years.  Almost vintage.

The band "Celtiqua" played their farewell concert at the Lavoir in Preuilly.

It was a bitter sweet event, great music from old friends but a sad goodbye.

The weather is looking good for the coming week and into October.

Long may it continue (although we really do need some rain).

When comfort food is more tempting I have earmarked this recipe for our courgettes:

https://www.ocado.com/recipes/one-pan-courgette-lasagne/3PNvJ4T7DIynBjWpm04ISQ

AUGUST - A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOCKDOWN

It has been incredibly hot here in the middle of France for most of July and August.

We have just had our fifth heatwave of the summer.

When the forecast says it's going to be 37°C it often turns out to be 39° or 40°.

That's very hard to live with.

We have learned to adjust.

Up early to get dog walking and other jobs done then stay indoors in the afternoon.

A friend described it as a different kind of lockdown.

Unlike 2020 we have been able to get out and about with a bit of careful planning.

The Paulmy brocante was early in the month.  It was buzzing.

I did buy a few things........more about them another time.

August is a time when a lot goes on and we have to find crafty ways of enjoying it in spite of the  baking hot weather.

At the beginning of the month we lashed out on a couple of extra outdoor tables so we could entertain a good number of our friends all at once, especially as we had been out of action for so long and me literally out of the country for over a month.  A lot of our friends are part timers - people who have second homes here and are only around for a few months of the year.  We didn't want to miss them.

It all began when a friend gave me a stack of matching plates that she no longer wanted.  There were twelve each of dinner plates, salad/dessert dishes and side plates.  I also spotted outdoor table cloths at less than half price (5€ each) in Centrakor.  Perfect for a large group.

We invited the crowd over one not so roastingly hot day.  Apéros were possible under the shade of our lime tree before moving over to the table for lunch.  The French for lime tree  or linden tree is tilleul.

Later that evening we went over to the next village, Barrou, for a very special concert.

Local singer/songwriter and musician Polo with his children and friends performed French and English songs under the shade of the linden trees at the restaurant called "Les Tilleuls".

It was a truly magical evening, rounding off a wonderful day.

Nick has managed to play golf a few times by going early in the morning.

That means I'm on dog walking that day, a joy in the cool of the morning at the lake at La Çelle-Guenand.

12th August was a very special day.

Never mind it being the "glorious twelfth", the start of the grouse shooting season, it was Eclipse Day.

We had invited a few friends round for dinner and a bit of an eclipse party.

It was so hot that we decided to eat indoors.

It was a cold menu, gazpacho soup, quiche, salads and raspberry trifle.

Armed with a few pairs of special eclipse glasses and a couple of colanders we braved the tremendous heat and stepped outside to enjoy the view.

We had set up an "observatory" for six people in the garden in the ideal spot to view the spectacle at the right moment.

To our complete amazement the colander trick worked.

To our disappointment at the critical moment the sun went behind not just the moon but a very inconvenient tree.

So we retired indoors to the cool of the house to continue with our dinner.

Two days later we were out again for a "moules et frites" evening.

We have been to a few of these over the years.

Trestle tables are set up outdoors to serves moules and chips to a large number of people.

On this occasion the music was provided by the rock band "Hot Doctors".

A very apt name considering the weather!

The moules were great, the music brilliant.

The dessert was delicious.  Apple tart.

And so the fun continues.

At the weekend we went to Montrésor for an art festival.

In theory the weather was cooling down a bit.

In reality, down by the river in all those little tents it was baking hot yet again.

Our pets are coping with the heat in their own way.

Yvonne has barely been into the house for weeks, preferring to find her own cool spots around the garden.

I gave Hugo a shower to fluff up his fur a bit and make him feel better.

He wasn't especially dirty but very gritty and full of seeds.

He's getting a haircut later today.

With Nick off to the golf course early yesterday morning I took Hugo to La Çelle-Guenand for his walk.

We were disappointed.  The gypsies had arrived en masse and taken up residence around the lake.

So we went a little further to the plan d'eau at Le Petit-Pressigny.

The hazy sunshine was much cooler and more comfortable, if a little weird.

It has been a difficult summer but, as my mum used to say,

"where there's a will, there's a way".

We have not missed out on much, in spite of the ridiculous heat.