Tuesday - Hot, hot, hot ....

Sitting outside under the pergola by the pond was just beautiful yesterday afternoon.   There are still pink roses and a few honeysuckle blossoms climbing up the wooden posts, and the vine and wisteria are romping across the wires on the "ceiling" of the pergola. The sky was so blue and without a single cloud.  The light was filtering through the vine leaves making them look like lime green hanging lights.  Every now and then there was a sound like a gun shot.  It was acorns falling off the oak tree in the corner of the garden which were landing on the slate roof of the wood shelter – hard to believe how loud they were.  There seem to be far more acorns this year than ever before – it’s a shame I don’t still keep pigs.

The log shed has a very shallow slated roof and the slates were ones we reused from the tiny house which became the garage.

I read loads of my current book, which is The Olive Farm by the actress Carol Drinkwater, (she was Christopher Timothy's wife in "All Creatures Great and Small") who moved to a ruined farm with olive trees in Provence years and years ago.

 

There are other books which follow this one and I think I’ve finally accumulated them from ebay and charity shops. I’m really enjoying it, she has a lovely style of writing.

A very good friend is coming by train from Paris to St Brieuc on Thursday.  She’s been staying with friends there and is now coming to me for a week’s holiday.  The weather is so amazing – 25 degrees at lunchtime today – and apparently getting hotter as the week progresses.  She was my first ever tenant in my London house in 1969 and we’ve remained friends ever since.

It's now Wednesday, and I've been sitting outside again all morning and have finished my book and started the next in the series "The Olive Season".  I've come in for more ice for my drink and because I need a break from the sun for a few minutes while I check my emails.

There are wasps trying to nest in one of the bird boxes on the house wall.  Yesterday my worker, Andy, sprayed fly spray into the box to deter them, but they are back in full force today. 

I think we'll have to take them down - there are four - none of which have ever been used by birds.  Perhaps we can relocate them before Spring next year and be luckier with breeding birds.

The acorns continue to fall today.  There is slightly more breeze, but not a cool breeze, which is ruffling the leaves of the oak tree and encouraging the acorns to plunge down onto the woodshed roof.  The cats have stopped looking up now when they fall; they have become accustomed to the sound.

Just putting this photo in of the Japanese anemones which I love.

The only other sound is the pond water which is pumped round and then trickles down a monstrous rock which forms part of the wall of the pond.  From the rock it runs along a slate and falls into the pond, oxygenating the water for the fish.  I love summers here, although I suppose today, 28 September, can hardly still be called summer.  This weather is truly incredible - at 6.15pm I have had to come in for a few minutes respite from the heat.

Three things I like:

1.   The hot sun at this time of year.

2.   Friends coming to stay.

3.   Eating my own grapes straight from the vine.