The weather here continues to be sublime. Although, I have to admit that Saturday was even too hot for me and it is the first time my dog has turned his nose up at going outside. It has dropped back to the high 20's this week. Summer is on full steam ahead. The sunflowers all nod their heads as you pass and the grapes display an abundance of fruit now. The sweet corn seem to whisper as you walk past when there is a gentle breeze. It was exactly the time when I was expecting to spend my days lazing by the pool and dawdling along the beaches; but no, I am still painting. It must be 3 months solid now!!! La Petite Grange has had a good scrub and a lick of paint so it is lovely and fresh for our next visitors to arrive, or at least it will be by Saturday.
We are starting to meet some French families now. A great advantage in having children. We had our first invite to a French family for dinner and we ate with three generations. Of course, the conversation was difficult but we all tried out best. The atmosphere was relaxed and we felt that we ate like kings. We were served steak and seasoned pork, turkey and red fish, prawns and squid......I could go on and on. It was great fun - we cooked it ourselves on little stoves placed on the table. It was such an enjoyable evening and I am building up the courage to invite a couple of families to us towards the end of the summer.
I was just outside the door this evening when I head the most almighty bang from the kitchen. I was very worried as I thought something serious had happened. I went in to find the children sat watching TV having not flinched. "what bang they said". Perhaps a beam had broken in the barn I thought - but no. Or perhaps a problem on the roof - again no. No problems upstairs. But I knew I couldn't have imagined it - so belly curdling was the sound. I went to the fridge - oh my goodness......another exploding bottle of the famous elderflower champagne. It must have been in a thousand pieces and took us a good hour and a half to clean up the mess. I carefully (and shaking from head to toe I must confess) lifted the rest of the bottles from the fridge and they are now sat on the naughty step at the bottom of the garden in a cardboard box covered by a towel. I won't be visiting them until they have finished exploding!!