Thursday, April 20, 2017

Mind over matter.


The Old Farmer has somehow managed to struggle down the steps from his terrace and get his old Mercedes out of the garage. He's squeezed himself into the drivers seat with the zimmer frame propped unceremoniously on the passenger side. The old fellow sets off for a spin while the roads are quiet. The original intention had been to drive to the polling station on Sunday in the equally ancient Peugeot. However, this has  a manual transmission and pushing the clutch is too painful for him. The Mercedes is an automatic.

Such small victories make the world turn.


Out on the ridge Sophie's too busy hunting down tantalizing smells to notice how clear the air is. The tamarisk bushes in full bloom. We tried growing them in Scotland but ended up with wee stumpy things that never flowered. Here they're ten feet tall and luxuriant.  Amazing what a bit of sunshine and the absence of gales can do for a plant.


Who would have thought six months ago that the family diva would be navigating rough terrain with the ease ( if not the grace ) of a ballerina ? This morning is a morning for the angelic duo to roll over and over and over in the grass.


An unusual sight. Two American ladies in the bakers. They're making cooing noises at the cakes and telling the young lady behind the counter '' We don't have pastries like this in Zanesville ". The young lady behind the counter smiles at them but, speaking not a word of English,  has absolutely no idea what they're saying. I leave the two American ladies discussing whether slices of vegetable quiche would be the sort of thing '' real French people eat for breakfast ".


Immersed in their appreciation of the bakers products the women remain gloriously oblivious to the fact that a lengthy and increasingly impatient queue has formed behind them.


Fermented milk makes an appearance in the grocers. Why are the shelves suddenly full of it?


Is this the best advert of the year ? : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjKd24UCPYY






18 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Lovely picture of Sophie on the ridge. Suddenly, it all looks so lush.
I confess to some sympathy with the American ladies - after all, unlike readers of this blog, they may not have had regular practice in decided which of the baker's many delicious pastries to chose.
Cheers, Gail.

Virginia said...

Fermented milk? Yoghurt by another name? Possibly, but I doubt it. What a wonderful climate you enjoy, easier to keep PONs clean than Scotland would be, I'll be bound!

Wishfully Thinking said...

Lovely to see Sophie so fit and well.

Love the ad; reminds me of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull

Taste of France said...

Wonderful ad. The work that must have gone into it!
I've been in many a boulangerie queue and have had the same thing happen with native French who get to the front of the line and then can't decide what to buy while ever-more people wait.
The Old Farmer's plight is touching. My parents lived for a while in an "assisted living" apartment, right next to a big shopping center. But the shops might as well have been on the moon for these people who had a hard time even getting out of their own building's door. The polling station might be steps away, but it's still too far.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Great to hear Sophie is back on form....with the old Farmer not far behind!

MOPL said...

Excellent for the old Farmer. Hard to keep him down.

VirginiaC said...

YEAH!!! for the Old Farmer....I love him so much.
When I grow up I want to be just like him...he is truly the essence of "don't ever say can't."

Swan said...

It's so good to see Sophie well again.

rottrover said...

I totally agree with Virginia about the OF's "don't ever say can't" attitude!

BaileyBobSouthernDog said...

Indeed small stories of joy, and a time to be grateful for them all!

Unknown said...

The tamarisk is beautiful, especially in the delicate light in which you’ve captured it.

Emm said...

Hooray for the Old Farmer.
I'm wondering if your fermented milk is kefir? Good stuff.

Coppa's girl said...

Good for the Old Farmer - he's made of stern stuff !
I can understand the American ladies' determination to take their time over the selection of those delicious pastries. Such things cannot be rushed.

Beau and Mom said...

I agree with you! The light and shadows on these pictures are beautiful.
(as well as the pastries!!) hee hee

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

Wonderful for Sophie and the Old Farmer - And the ostrich too! :-)

Cheryl Pass said...

Ha....Zanesville is about 25 miles from where I grew up in Ohio. They aren't kidding....no pastries like yours in Zanesville....or even in North Carolina where I live now. With choices as yours, the question is how many can one reasonably grab while the opportunity presents itself! Salivating at the thought!

Good luck to the old farmer...I hope he navigates his way with no incidents!
And glad that Sophie is so nimble now, after her ordeal!

The Life of Riley said...

We loved the advert, and knowing you and Bob enjoy rugby here is a link to an advert featuring the All Blacks in Japan on YouTube which might make you both smile too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVzzhq5whWE

Angus said...

Wha fun. Thank you. A lot of stunt doubles needed for that ad .