Thursday 20 June 2013

June and the fun so far!

Another couple of weeks have passed by in some kind of rush - not sure who is rushing this year but would they please slow it down a little! In 6 days it's Rob's birthday and in 16 days it will be our wedding anniversary! This month is rather like it was in the UK 22 years ago - leading up to our Big Day it rained, rained and rained some more and then the Sunshone and it was a blazing hot day! But still enough of that - we have this year and this month to look at!

So far - rain - yes it has, in all shapes and forms - from drizzle (that wet rain) to Hail the size of Golf balls  - I kid you not - thankfully it was 3am in the morning so most people were sleeping and it wasn't in our town but one not so far away and a lot of the North Deux Sèvres suffered! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.389322484509401.1073741828.264616960313288&type=1

 Naomi's friend in Niort likened it to Armageddon - and was it a sign of failing her Bac, at least she was focusing on that!

Yes it's been that time here - exams and more exams! Naomi has currently done her Bac Français written, Science tomorrow and French Oral on the 2nd July then that is it for this year the holidays can begin!!

She was told by her very sensible teacher to go out and not do anything revision related on Tuesday the day before THE exam so we had to go out - swimming and then retail therapy - it is hard being a Mum some days ;)

Chloe passed her end of year Uni exams and we are so pleased and proud! She is now somewhere in the Cantal region hopefully not soggy from the rain, but enjoying her experience of "basic camping" and by basic I mean basic just a tent and the hills nothing else! Still she's young and it's a great experience - I just wonder is it one she will repeat?

We have managed a few bike rides - I wanted to get some Poppy images before they were blown away or rained away! So one of our early morning rides consisted of me stopping to take photos, Rob being very patient and Scooby even more so - at least it's worth going out for otherwise we do the 4kms far too quickly!
Early morning Poppies


So bright!


The 7th June was a lovely day - lots of beautiful sunshine and warmth - in fact so much so everyone was commenting on the fact that summer must be here! Not quite but Spring promised to be nice....if only for a day or two - so off round the garden to see what was new and in bloom - my fave the honeysuckle - is there ever such a sweet scent? Anytime of the day whatever the weather this bush is a hive of industry and smells divine!


Clematis the size of a dinner plate!

Orchid or Freesia?

Irises in the grass (that should have been wildflowers!)

Bee in the Cornflower!

For more photos pop to my Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151612176650095.1073741855.122083630094&type=1

In between deluges I have been picking my delicious strawberries - I am trying to get out there every other day and I am prepared to share some with the birds but not ALL!

sweet treats!

I have also had my first Golden Rasberries and they are so sweet and succulent - although not many at the moment hopefully more will be here soon....



I do love the rain and I do love the fact that the flowers are enjoying it (when the wind doesn't blow them away that is!) but to be outside after a rainfall is quite magical really - look at the drops and you see a whole new world!



Drops on the Foxgloves

Love in the Mist


white roses against the grey sky

Pink Poppy
White Foxglogves - Bee on the way in...
My parents have decided to move - the house they are in is lovely but getting to that stage of garden a bit big etc...so I popped down to take a few internal photos for the advert www.admyhouse.com and whilst there of course the flowers beckoned! I won't bore you with them all but I do love their cottage door....


We have been busy at home when we can be as well and Sunday (16th)  was glorious - very warm indeed, so we started the day with a 22kms bike ride and really I didn't want it to end! Only the fact it was lunch time and Chloe would be going back to Poitiers to sort out the rest of her camping bits,
oh and Rob was hungry! Many hills and a slight headwind but oh so worth it!

22kms - done!
Back home and lunch down the garden needed severe attention - grass needed mowing so we did get out there and we did do the jobs that needed to be done and whilst potting up my new tomato plants I found a mole mountain - I kid you not!
How does the mole get through when I cannot!?

work in progress!

Getting back to normality!

ummm - gaffer tape anyone?

ready for the better weather!

Spotted by Chloe whilst watering - so along came the camera! Note the water drop!

We brought the water feature with us and made the triangle for it to sit in - however the bowl cracked so I had another idea - make the triangle the water holder!

finished with my 2 lovely Fuchsias from Rob!

Well that brings me nearly up to date - just a couple of  "work things" to throw in now -  I am sure you 
remember me saying about my "epic photo shoot" with many children at les lacs....well one of the photos has become a lovely Sepia Canvas!
And another order from the same shoot but a different family ordered by her friend - how lovely :)

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Pêle Mêle
Pêle Mêle is certainly proving to be a really popular way of displaying photos - and I am so pleased to be able to offer this service!

Here is a Special Fathers Day card but ideal for any occasion!



20x30cms Limited Edition Print - designed for a Birthday present!
















I really want to share this with you- for those of you who are my friends on FB you will have seen this has been my banner photo for some while now - taken by my Dad about 40 years ago at Leigh-on-Sea! As a Mother's Day gift I had this printed up onto a wooden mount and absolutely thrilled to bits with it I am...I think my Mum was pretty chuffed with it as well! It's only a small image as taken from a slide but it shows what you can do! So I can now offer this service also with any photos I have taken as portraits or from my gallery!







Right now my tummy is starting to rumble so I think it must be time to go and cook lunch and maybe a Fat Free Cherry Cake - recipe kindly shared by my friend J.B over at http://www.frenchvillagediaries.com/2013/01/fat-free-cherry-cake-recipe.html it looks delish and I so happen to have a few cherries in the fridge - not as many as I would like but hopefully enough to make the cake!

The finished cake!















Don't forget you can see more of my work over at my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PamelaJaynePhotography

I do hope you are enjoying my "life through the lens" and would love you to share more with me......all comments are welcome!

Have a great rest of the week and let's hope the weather improves for the Marché Fermier et d'Artisanat d'Art - Maire l'Evescault 79190 on the 22nd June!

Monday 3 June 2013

Merry Month of May comes to a sunny finale!


yes 40 something!



Well there we have it - May - done!

I had a totally brilliant Birthday my lovely family (arranged by Rob) all clubbed together and bought me the bike of my dreams! Well I have been using Naomi's for some weeks but this is a newer model in comparison now!  Don't tell her I told you that though!!

All with much subterfuge was it done - the deed of buying the bike that is, Naomi took me off around Decathlon to look at the gear, from work out stuff to goggles and flippers! And then the bait Protein drinks I am totally gullible it seems - suddenly my 18 year old is taking an interest in these dreaded drinks! But not for long - we got distracted by the lovely swimming costumes and then we were off out of the shop to meet Rob who had been buying inner tubes (plausible!) and then presented with the lovely shiny bike!  Meet "DaisyMay" Daisy was my first bike (also Dad calls me Daisy Bailey, and the flowers themselves are among my top 5 fave flowers!) May well that's obvious no?

DaisyMay and Me!


So Saturday the 25th - could it be - the sun in the sky?? eeek quick bikes out! (I remember when my friend lived in Spain her then boyfriend - now hubby would phone her and say "Hey Rach come home quick - the surfs up!) funny how we still get excited about nature and her wiley ways - so with Naomi off recording with her "Rock Choir" we decided to take the time out and get a few kms in ..... I was very good and didn't take the camera with me - well it was all about "me and DaisyMay" and getting to know each other!

And then it was off to take photos of Rock Choir Recording except there were only 3 there! Never mind I can still take photos!
l'eglise - Melleran

Mic in Black and White (great for a Unique photocard for the musician!)

Mic



26th May - Birthday and Mother's Day Bouquet!

Sunday dawned bright and sunny with the birds singing very loudly - trying to out do the Nightingale I am sure!

We were told to "leave the house Parents and don't come back for at least 2 hours" well - I ask you - what would you do? The only right and decent thing - we went out.........

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May Fields

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The Path to the Forest - another day for that then!

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Wheat fields

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Homeward bound

Back home and time to get ready - the girls had made a splendid job of tidying and the table looked perfect - new wine goblets included! Rob was on the case straight away preparing the deliciousness that is The Hairy Dieters Skinny Beef Lasagne! 
Skinny Beef lasagne!

Cheers everyone - oops glass seems to be empty! Must have been Café de Paris then...



Necklace from JB


After food t'was the time for presents and I got lots of lovely, lovely things amongst my Butterfly presents (of which I had a plethora this year) I had this lovely bird necklace made by the talented Buttonsy (the clever lady I sent the Dandelions to!) https://www.facebook.com/Buttonsy?fref=ts 

I have to say the best laugh of the day - tears at teatime was from the present Chloe bought me - and it's a must read for everyone (that likes to laugh out loud!) 50 Shades of Chicken  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fifty-Shades-Chicken-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B009JU5G9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370269817&sr=8-1&keywords=50+shades+of+chicken it is hilarious and whether you have or haven't read the other 50 Shades books it doesn't matter as this is all about the chicken! The recipes are lovely as well and we look foward to trying them out!

Cake time! This made by my Mum as always - "The" Lemon Drizzle cake - filled with M&M's and Maltesers and yes that is butter cream icing in the middle! 


Well the excitement of the day had to come to an end at some point and whilst it was sad to day goodbye to my parents and in-laws a little bit of excitement took place - the sun was still out and that meant only one thing - yup - you guessed it.......



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The Lane!

SO that's it really.....the rest of May has been very strange weather wise - hailstones in Javea - Spain, North of the Deux Sèvres and lots of wind and rain here as well! The garden is as green as you like but sadly my Melon plants have not survived! Will try again next year......

Our friends popped by on Friday on their way home from their 2 week stay in Biarritz....not much better down there either - which is such a shame as holidays are so precious! But still we stayed up until 3am catching up on 8 years worth of news and enjoying the time spent - mainly talking about bike riding and food! They left us on Saturday morning but we are hoping the next visit will be a little longer and we can show them around this little part of France.

I didn't make it to the market at Aigré as the weather did look decidedly "iffy" that wind does for my cards and prints, so it was a case of chilling in the afternoon until sleep nearly took over - but NO we couldn't sleep on a Saturday afternoon so we really did drag ourselves out and so glad we did - we found a lovely route - quiet country lanes only used by farmers!

So there we have it another Month - left us - but what a lovely month really - spending valuable time with our family and friends - always a good thing :)

Thank you as always for reading and I do hope you enjoy taking a peek at my "Life through the lens" and don't forget to pop over to my page - to keep an eye on what's happening! 

Three ladies took part in my "Fête de Mères" Giftaway and received copies of "Wishes on the Wind" 
 This month I am offering 2 mounted prints 30cms x 40cms for just 30,00€ a great gift idea for Fête de Pères on the 16th June!

Here's to the better weather appearing now - it's only a few weeks until Summer Officially begins but hopefully it's been teasing us and we will have a lovely summer!