The garden says a hundred words without speaking.

Reminds me of my cats uncles pet pony that used to roam the fields singing Elton John songs until one day it swallowed a large pomegranate stone and ever since it has been a Jehovah's witness.
We miss the melodic tones of yellow brick road and Daniel, but at least when he deilvers the Watchtower we have a good read.

A pet pony that roamed the fields singing elton john songs? really?Cats uncles? LOL scrumpygrat have you been at the cider?
DUNGY........ I loved the evocative writing about the old lady and her dog, isn't it sad? You should send that piece off to a magazine [having elaborated a bit of course, to pad it out a bit.]

I do enjoy your blogs Dungy and your style of writing. So sad about the old lady and the dog, I'll probably be like that in another 30 years or so.....

Hope somebody takes over that garden soon and puts it back to rights.

Isn't it sad to see cottages left to go to ruin. There are so many in rural France.

Well, Dingy, when you've finished at the Gite, u could go and sort the overgrown garden for the old lady's family.You seem to like to keep busy..ha ha...it'll keep u out of mischief! Perhaps you could take Scrumpy with you...he'll keep you entertained telling u about his cat's uncle..ha ha!!!!!

Morning folks,
And i hope its going to be a good friday for you (As robinson crueso would say)

Paul, ref cutting the old ladies grass for her family!

Thats the point, I doubt if there is any family!
Throughout france you'll see so many properties that your never sure who lives in them or if they've long gone and the property is just left to rot "like at least 6 i know about and one is the top of the range house!
its a shame but as we dont have any real crime in these parts or people just taking over such properties "then they rot" and everyone seems happy to let them rot, "shame" but its a way of life here.

Louise,
If you have'nt been snapped up by the time your old im going to get you to come and live in our gite and we'll adopt you, So there "no lonley life on your own for you".

Thanks Dungy, that's ever such a kind thing to say, you've made me smile this morning!:) There are such lovely people on this site!

Hi sun seekers,
Well im home for a few hours anyway and then its back to the gite for a few hours work,
It's been that hot today i thought i'd better leave the box clipping until it cools down next week "or after that".

Louisa, Ive got to ask,

if the ice cream farm is the one off the A41 or is it at Broxton ?
You've brought back a load of memouries of when i use to go "on a sunday" on one of my classic bikes (1956 A.J.S) to the ice cream farms,
it was a nice run on a sunday or i'd go along to the cannal tow-path towards Nantwich and park the bike and sit and look at the cannal boats going to the locks,

"They say cannal people are friendly and very gentle folk?
Well ive seen some devorces in the making as the man shouts at his wife to get a move on and open the lock gates,
Ive seen one man cause his dog to fall off his boat because he did'nt know how to stop it and he hit the closed lock gates causing the dog to fall in the water,

Yes Louisa you really got me thinking of some of the crazy times i enjoyed eating ice cream and letting the world go by,
Have you been to Beeston castle?
Thats a good day out "they make candles" and you can see a demo of how its done,

REF pics of the gite I'll take a few in a few weeks when its ready for march in time,

(Thats what i call the hand over to the customers)

They're not marched in as such but they are shown every thing and how they work and little things like the fuse box, how the BBQ works, & all the fire/smoke alarms and the telephone numbers for english speaking sos services "doctors, fire service etc, And our home telephone number incase they need us,
I feel its nice to welcome them and mean it.

And the bit they all seem to like!!!
The welcome pack,

Thats a plate of goodies, ice cream in the fridge and two bottles of wine, if we know children are coming we give a little special welcome gift all wrapped up,
Milk tea/bags and coffee (plus loo rolls "very important bit of a welcome kit) are all ready for when we've gone and they can enjoy a nice sit down and a cup of tea or coffee.

Now as long as the admin feel its ok ? I'll sort some pics out as ive said next week.

So its been a hot one today and i can hardly wait to hear from Louise ref the ice cream farm she visited!
So until later on to night, be good and enjoy the end of another working week.

Dungy, it's a fairly new one on the Holmes Chapel road, called the Seven Sisters Ice Cream Farm. It's only about 3 miles from where I work at Knutsford so it's quick to get to and very convenient. They make loads of flavours from milk from their own herd, and you can get tea/coffee/cakes/scones as well, so even if the weather is bad you can sit inside and enjoy some goodies.

I haven't been to the ones you mention, it's because this is so convenient to go to at lunchtime with colleagues that I'm so fond of it.

I have been to Beeston Castle, but not too recently, Mum and Dad are far too old now to climb up that steep slope!

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the gite, sounds a wonderful place to spend a holiday and the welcome pack sounds very welcoming indeed!

I am old enough [sadly] to remember ice cream farms too! I grew up in Yorkshire and we used to walk down over the fields to Clayton [then a village and rural with farms all around] every Sunday afternoon in Summer. The only ice cream they made from milk from the herd was vanilla , but it was yellow and creamy tasting, wonderful stuff.That was circa 1956 or so.After we had eaten it, we walked home again , about 2 miles, uphill too most of the way. We children would love this day out [or afternoon] and especially liked poking sticks into cowpats as we walked through the fields [ when parents weren't looking] and picking wildflowers, that wilted and were put in a jam jar to die when we got home.