Muscovy Duck

Muscovy Duck
Roosting on the gate

2011 - My second year of blogging in Brittany

I felt I would like to share some of the photographs I have taken so far this year and some from other years. I live in a beautiful part of Brittany and just love being here. It's a lovely place to photograph and enjoy being in through all the seasons and hopefully this blog will show you where I live my life.



Sunday, September 16, 2012

Scones, books and garden stuff

I'm writing this on Sunday afternoon and I've just made scones for the first time.  I looked at two recipes and in spite of the fact that I did bits from each one, they seem to have come out of the oven looking good enough to eat.







 
With the addition of butter, last week's homemade blackberry jam and Cornish clotted cream, courtesy of Andy and Flick who had just been to Cornwall, they were more than good enough to eat.  In fact they were scrumptious and I have just finished demolishing my second one.
 
 
Yesterday I went to Pommerit le Viscomte to collect some free books.  I arrived early and while I waited for the books to arrive at the parking by the church I took two photographs.  The first is of the church and grounds and the second of a sign which I thought was funny.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I was astonished when the people getting rid of their books brought out five large boxes of them.  I have now to buy some more materials for shelves.
 
 
I've been pruning in the garden.  Once I get a pair of secateurs in my hand I seem to have moments of something near obsession with cutting anything that's not moving.  It's the same every year though and nothing ever seems to suffer permanent damage so I continue with what I enjoy.   The buddleia bushes - almost trees beforehand - were the first victims, closely followed by the wisteria, campsis and grape vine.  The leaves on the vine needed removing to allow the last of the Autumn sunshine to reach the almost ripened grapes.
 

Here are some photos of bits of the garden and me ready to sunbathe.
 

 

 

 
Some of the tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers that I harvested this week. 
 
Yesterday we cleared the polytunnel of tomatoes as blight finally arrived here.  I've never had blight before and I am lucky to get it so late as some people over here have had no tomatoes to speak of.  Anyway, we pulled out all the plants and I now have loads of the healthy green tomatoes to ripen.  I shall probably use the space for salad leaves.   I also started plaiting up the dried onions and brought some of them down to the garage for storage and so they're nearer to the kitchen.
 
 
Three things I like:
 
1.   Trying a new recipe and finding that it works.
2.   Meeting my neighbour's new grandson for the first time.
3.   Clearing out all my outsize trousers and making space in my bedroom.

 
 

2 comments:

  1. It must be the week to make scones, I posted a blog about making scones too although sadly my jam was not home made. Yours look lovely :-) I have to say I do envy you living in France. I love living in Cornwall but the weather this year has been truly awful where I live. Will you be making chutney with your green tomatoes? I have been trying to find a recipe for ages but haven't found one I like yet. Kind Regards Kay :-)

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  2. Hello Kay My green tomatoes are all turning red quite quickly. They just seem to ripen in the punnets I bring into the kitchen where it's pretty warm from the woodburner - some people think too warm, but I hate to be cold! I don't think I like chutney. I just remember when I was small, the smell of the Branston pickle jar when my father opened it to put pickle on his cheese, and it has sort of put me off the idea. Having said that, there was a wonderful sweet tomato pickle that a friend in the early 70s used to make. I'll see if I can find the recipe in my multitude of recipe books.

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