Summer has most definitely arrived. And so has the heat. With the forecast showing little relief from the 30+ degrees, one would think a jump in the pool would be just what the ticket for cooling down – if it wasn’t for the fact that the water temperature is about the same. It’s like swimming in soup albeit more of a consommé now that I have removed all the sand from the bottom. Still, I’m not complaining as Arry and I have the pool to ourselves most days; the exceptions being when Simon and Alba drop in on the weekends to bake themselves on the sun loungers. And as from yesterday, we have an extra visitor in the shape of my little brother, Moth, who has flown in from his home in Kenya to spend a couple of months both here and at his property in Cenne-Monestiés. I doubt he will be taking advantage of the outdoor facilities much though, he’s got a list of things to finish in the main house.
Luckily the sainted Nick and Roy have finished my bedroom at last and I can now sleep at night. The spare room may be comfortable but the bed isn’t quite as big as mine so sharing it with 4 of the woofers became more of a sweaty yoga session than a snoozing sanctuary. I have to say the chaps did a fantastic job especially with the colour scheme – the dark green feature wall has the most soporific effect on one’s brain. The once grey linoleum floor is now a dark wood making the whole room feel cooler, that and the oscillating fan I bought down from the loft. Nocturnal bliss indeed. Sadly, it means the end of having Nick and Roy here for a while as there isn’t anything else to do until they start on my guest room in the Autumn. I shall miss the banter especially as Nick is moving – I still can’t understand why he would want to leave the scorching South for the North’s more temperate climate.
This time last year, we were already heading towards a canicule or heatwave – I know because I’m going back through previous blogs for The Second Book. So far, we’ve been blessed with the odd thunderstorm or overnight drizzle to keep the garden happy. The potager in particular, is now resembling a vegetable Jurassic Park with over-sized spring onions and towering tomato plants. I have also discovered that an ancient apricot tree that D had chopped back to nothing 12 months ago, is now bursting with yellow balls of sweetness. Between the largesse of the legumes and the flamboyance of fruit, we are in for a sumptuous summer.
It is just as well that I now have a calm space to collapse into as Friday night saw the start to Le P’tit Bistrot or the weekly village get-together. Denis and I have been charged with handling the nutritional side of things, actually he roped me into helping him (I’d have been more at home behind the bar). It’s a good job the man knows a thing or two about running restaurants and festival food stands because we didn’t stop serving up kebabs for five hours and that was only because we ran out of meat. I have to say, we made a pretty amazing team, him on the grill and me filling the wraps and if the compliments were anything to go by, a very successful one too. In fact, the whole evening was a monster hit with everyone from the very energetic band to the bustling bar – what a great start to the season. Roll on summer and all things sunshine and soupy pools…
“The summer night is like a perfection of thought” (Wallace Stevens)
Widow plus woofs 