Apologies for not writing a blog last week. I had said at the end of the previous one that we would reward ourselves with a couple of days of light duties having completed Granary. Those couple of days have become closer to a couple of weeks – although not entirely by choice!
It is often the case that working on something gives your body focus so that it doesn’t have a chance, or need, to succumb to other things. Then, when you complete whatever it is you were working on, the other things come to the fore. When I was working ‘properly’ before moving out to France, it wasn’t uncommon that I could work for months in good health and then, as soon as I had any time off, I would come down with a stinking cold. This has been the case post-Granary.
I had a couple of days doing normal admin type things at a gentle pace and then whatever bug I had in me decided to take charge and knocked me out for a few more days! Typical but thankfully all gone now.
That said, despite feeling a lot better, the last week hasn’t been the most productive either.
Having been focussing on Granary for the previous couple of months, everything else had been overlooked, including the garden. Despite us having what seem to be near-drought conditions the weeds continue to grow furiously. For the most part they don’t present too much of a problem other than being a little unsightly other than in the petanque pitch.
The petanque pitch is a good thing to have and gets used fairly regularly by guests – hopefully more when the whole area is improved (the next project). But, it is also a bit like the challenge of Sisyphus keeping it weed-free – especially over winter and without the use of any effective herbicide.
Starting with a pitch that is almost indistinguishable from the lawn it took the best part of a couple of days to get it clear and useable again.
The hedge is looking amazing when you consider what it looked like when I created the pitch in 2018.
However, we continue to be busy in the gîtes with a number of days that I had to prepare 2 breakfasts each morning (only significant as we only have 1 B&B!) but it is all well worth it when we receive some lovely comments in our guest books.
Only occasionally do we get people inspired to be artistic in the books – we have had one watercolour painted in one and flowers pressed in another – but this couple really enjoyed their stay in Stable for 3 nights and we hope to welcome them back.
Today we have also joined in the worldwide celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee with a number of other members of the Brit community in this part of Finistère. Our friends who run a nearby campsite on the shores of the Lac du Drennec were kind enough to invite a number of us for a proper British tea party. Thankfully the weather wasn’t too British!
Now fully recovered, I will be back to work from tomorrow and, while not great for our guests this week, if the forecast is to be believed, the drought may also break tomorrow.
Kenavo.