Adieu oaks
Very sad to say that we had to cut down the two large oak trees that stood at either end of the dam last week. They had become high risk as if they were ever to be uprooted by strong … read more…
Gazebo update
A couple of photos of the beautiful oak gazebo made a little while ago now completely finished and in use. The clients used a light oak treatment to bring out the natural beauty of the wood and to give it … read more…
Changes at the dam
While some of us were gadding about on our holidays, a lot of hard work was going on back at base. In connection with the changes we want to make to the lake are the changes we are now obliged … read more…
Devon in May
Short break back to the homeland. A few days of blindingly good weather when we got out and about mixed in with the rest sitting around drinking tea. The woods with an impressive show of Bluebells, the crystal clear Start … read more…
Paul Bocuse
Came across this little piece in French Entrée about the chef Paul Bocuse. He is very famous in France and you can find a couple of plates from his restaurant near Lyon in our online shop click here and also an interesting and … read more…
wattle border
Since we pruned the willow I have been meaning to do something with a bit of it. So I decided to make a simple bit of edging for one of the vegetable plots, to stop the grass encroaching. It was … read more…
silver birch sap
Well, another first here at la maison! we’ve been drinking the sap collected by tapping a silver birch tree or two round the lake. At this time of year the sap is rising in trees and plants and in many … read more…
unbelievable sunset
Not in any way enhanced by a photo editor, the colour in the pictures of this sunset the other day are phenomenal! Not a lot more to add really except we didn’t get to see the eclipse that many of … read more…
porcelain components
Well, this area is very famous for its’ porcelain and there are shops and factories all over the place. However something I didn’t expect to see when making a quick visit to our preferred outlet was a display of electrical … read more…
annual willow prune
Once a year jobs seem to come round very quickly like this one to prune one row of the willow. Cut with a chainsaw and then gathered mostly for the bonfire, some saved for edging the bottom beds. The idea … read more…