endless weather

 One of the many things about living here that pleases, nay, delights, is that the weather is pretty good. We talk of it a lot because any variation is just that - a variation, a deviation one might say, from the norm.
Suddenly its the end of October and its cold and its wet. Which is better than its nearly the end of October and its freezing and blowing a storm. Here is one of those dear banana trees by the little fountain, cruelly killed in its splendor.
Or perhaps they recover if the sun shines? I'II be watching....


and then there's the strange things that aberrant weather does, though this one is still baffling me. Closed the shutters against the storm. Opened them when it was over. In the corner of one window, previously sealed as a window and shutter sandwich, was this little egg. Still can't work out how it could have got there or who laid it. Since it has clearly *materialized* out of nowhere, it is  er something to do with the philosophers stone. Or a snakes egg perhaps, since a dead snake set in resin is hanging the other side of the window. Ah yes, that'll be it then Apported from the spirit world.

Sunday at La Maison de la Riviere

Sinister sunset, after an amazingly stormy weekend -this morning its clear and the sun arrives, but la!
its cold!
                              Weather horrors were ameliorated by a marvelously jolly evening with Roy and Jo and their friends... so warm I had to take off my thermals:)                                                         

Here's a selection of pix, strangely missing some of the obvious suspects - the one above of Roy and Claudine is begging for a caption -

Claudine leaves this morning for Toulouse. Andrea and Chris leave on Weds for Winnipeg. Geneve leaves tomorrow for Mexico.

Bah. Why don't people stay still anymore, is it the weather?

Big kisses to Roy and Jo, the dinner was in delicious and will be imitated - that lamb dish with apricots was sooo good and the puddings will take a little time to work off the old girlish figure - xxxxxxxxx

small market giant mushrooms

If this blog is getting obsessed with mushrooms, it aint surprising: they are everywhere and remarkable -  here is Claudine with a table of cepes as big as my head. We didn't hang about in the market, it was too cold (though a sturdy handful of stallholders and punters were out and about.)

une soirée franglais

Two Americans, two Canadians, three French and me from the planet Tharg, all with various degrees of competency in each other languages - as Chris said, after the third bottle we were all fluent ...

Ryan and Alicia have been mushrooming -:) - so we had wild mushroom risotto flanked by a vegetable soup, butternut something fabulous and bean thingie, totally delicious and devoured by all. Cheese chosen by Alicia - shes good at that - and pudding made of home-made ricotta with honey and apples.
So Clement and Christelle, Andrea and Chris, Claudine and me feasted fabulously and had a noisy and highly entertaining evening for which I thank all present xxx

Claudine is staying for the weekend and is stoically not complaining about the weather. Temps have plummeted and the wind is pretending to be a host of souls in torment. The clock has changed; we have an extra hour so perhaps there's time for the wind to drop before we go to see if there is a market today. Doubts have been raised.

weather

yesterday it rained, on and off - photographed the above in the river - today after the mist cleared it is lovely here, clear and bright and hot(ish) Songbirds are still singing. My neighbours have brought round orange mushrooms, the ones that grow in pine woods and have to be blanched before frying. Off to do just that now...

Extreme pudding

Andreas sister Chris is here for her birthday and yet again the old butchers rang with laughter late into the night - Roy and Jo bought her the little eclairs above though I fear I ate most of them. Wonderful evening, thanks girls:)

between showers\24

Lunch at the Auberge de Faby with Ryan and Alecia yesterday. It gets better and better there - and of course the paintings are superbe:)

Between showers

 Between showers yesterday the Captain and I went to the gypsum mill and mine above Rouvenac - lovely there- even in the mist and damp, its beautiful.
Today the market isn't actually drowned but ain't too frisky. River is up, at last. Lourdes, miracle city, has been  evacuated; TV full of pilgrims saying that they weren't afraid because the virgin was looking after them. Must have been another god that caused the rain then - how confusing:)

Back again...

 Been in Ales near Nimes, visiting old friend Robin and Brenda -  wonderful time, luxurious living:)
Back in Esperaza it has started to rain. Good for the land, no doubt.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to Rushton! Here he is in the market yesterday doing his famous imitation of Flora and her cornucopia.
Weird, yesterday; started freezing cold, then brightened and got sunny and by the evening was raining in bucketfuls.  Still grey today, hope it clears up for the birthday boy who is in his chateau for one week only before returning to the mothership.

winner...

Saw this beautiful beast at my lunch-time wander and was inspired to buy a lottery card. All five numbers are winners:) Special prize?

Low River

Worrying, really - its rained and the River Aude is as low as I cant remember. Here's the river on he way to the Rec., its possible to walk to the island that wasn't there a couple of years ago. Perhaps the upriver flood defenses are a smidgen too effective?

Singing in the rain

 Terrific downpour last night - though Uncl' Stf played on at that little cafe by the footbridge under the church tower. The small audience huddled under sunshades and enjoyed themselves hugely:)
The small cafe, K Fee Tartine,  turns out to do very decent veggie food. We ate borch (cant spell it, Russian soup) and goulash made with tofu, the set meal at 9 euros. No booze license but a night off doesn't hurt, probably. 

plenty going on...

.....  mother nature is having a ball anyway, lots of wildlife about inc this dead snake found in Rue des Jardins. So sign of why it died though I didn't investigate too far. Apart from that all quiet - enjoying walking about except when the hunt is out. (Do take care, Weds and weekends are the official hunt days. If you must go to the hills wear bright colours and sing loudly)

Shepherds beware

those things I have forgotten

So; no photos of Max, nor of Adrian and Maggie nor of the various recent evenings; last night at the Normandy Frites was particularly visually appealing on account of the pictures on their walls (ahem, yes, mine -) though we were on the terrace so didn't see that much of them. Adrian and Maggies place up in the hills deserved a realm of snaps but I  forgot. Now Max has left for pastures new so despite a couple of soirees we just have to remember what he looks like...
The picture instead is of the mist lifting above a shed. These autumn mornings are beautiful, clouds slowly lifting to sunshine -

back in harness...

Yesterday was mixed. Ryan and Alecia had a blue tit fledgling fall out of a tree on them and since it seemed shocked they brought it round to the courtyard, in a cage they'd found at the tip with 'Mr. Gus' written on it. We gave it food and water and left it to rest while we had lunch.
Then it was there, in the garden, watching us at lunch - and the cage doors were firmly shut and there was no way out. Transmaterialisation, evidently. We named her Mr. Gus and left her to her own devices. The photo shows Oswald stalking her.

Mr Gus died later that day...  alas. Nice burial, pretty grave.

It didn't stop the tribe having a riotous evening though. Max survived rather well; here he is today in his ex-butchers shop with Captain H.

From there to Victorias vernissage at Carmens. I have another picture of her in focus but shes pretending to be Kali and this is better, honest.

 Here is a rare sight, Sue and Jon together :) (they take it in turns to go to work and generally only meet at the airport)

 Here are Didier and Sabine and a bit of Alecia and below, Mick - here with Biz for a few weeks from New Zealand.

Lovely evening, Victoria and Carmen, milles merci's

Back home with news from exiles

 Ran around London and the countryside like a mad thing visiting old chums - here are a selection of known Esperazanais, those whose photos weren't too bad anyway. Editing has lost Fiona, Hilary, Barbara and others who would kill me for putting up unflattering pix.

 Jezza and Bilo - top pic - are still totally fab and generally photogenic and send love to all. I'm hoping to lure them here for christmas, by promising not to cook. And here's Peter, out of French intensive care (pancreatic horrors) and waiting to have the gall bladder removed. The day we met up, his op had been cancelled... he and Clare were on form despite this.

And look! Marcus and Corella, caught in the rain in Devon. They are blossoming and we are all still missing them ><

Esotericists may remember one of my MA collegues, Derek - seen here in odd circumstances -

 and here's Sam, who was here about 10 years ago and should think about visiting again . With or without friend who was some sort of robot.

 Lizzie Elmhirst below; she was here about 2 years ago, maybe longer, we are too old to know stuff like that and also too old to mind much if we get the dates wrong. Shes an artist and should also be here. Also Daniel, who hasn't visited for 6 or 7 years at a guess.

  Continuing the bridesmaid tradition, here is Captain Harris hoping to be hired.

 -and my lovely sister:)