A walk in the park...

Made a visit with Ada over to Belleisle park and gardens yesterday.

In the conservatory.

 

Ada and her gran making a wish in the tree circle.

A better way of celebrating the glorious 12th...

In the Craig household we have our own glorious 12th a month early which does not involve any shooting of game birds but more of a celebration of Michael's birthday and a family get-together. It was good to have Paul with us  (Mara was busy with performing) and to be in Ayr when it has been blessed with some glorious weather. Eileen has been, as usual, the most generous of hosts.

Before lunch we had  headed down to the beach for a bit of paddling and kite flying.

Michael and Ada getting us of to a flying start.

Paul and Ada tkinging over the reins

Rose taking more of a laissez-faire approach.

The kites themselves were impressive in the Ayr air!

All in all a lovely day.

A bench for Sunday...

Last Sunday Jim & Francis,Rose's mum and dad, invited us for a lovely lunch, up to their home in Comrie, a village in the southern Highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perth and Kinross. It sits 7 miles west of Crieff and is a pretty historic conservation village in a scenic area along the River Earn. Their pretty garden leads down to the river and features this wonderful driftwood bench.*

The bench is very similar to one I recently featured on my Paris blog.

*Jim also has a four seat bench set from the first seating featured in Hamden Park.

For the love of bees...

Eileen had left patches of clover on her lawn here in Ayr to attract bees  so when doing some maintenance this morning for her, I did the same but added my own take on her love for bees. 

The garden is looking great under the current beautiful clear blue sky.

 

A study in window views...

 

This is the view from the study window of our house for sale in La Guerche in Southern Touraine.

We currently use it as a music room but with its great natural light it would be ideal as an artist's studio.

You can check out the rest of the house here.

You know I love a good coincidence...

We are currently staying at Eileen's in Ayr where, for family reasons, we had arrived a week before our original date.A few days after we arrived Eileen headed off for a prearranged visit to friends in England, a trip that included a trip to the tennis at Wimbledon. 

My sister Sally came down to visit us and joined us on our walk over to the Alloway Tunnel Project to view our portraits in person.

The tunnel mural has been extended since our las visit.

Here we are beneath our own portraits.

The coincidence?- the couple just below us and Ada were there looking up at their own images! They currently live in Switzerland but like us have decided to return to Scotland. What's the chances of us both being there on the same day?

Need cheering up?

 

La Guerche cemetery at sunset.

 

A classic quirk of French rural road management.

It amused me to witness the new road resurfacing on the D750 stopping at Le Beau Sejour exactly at the hamlet entrance and resuming as you leave, maybe 300mtr! Commune / region responsibility.

Sunset over Barrou...

 

Popped into some friends who live just up behind Barrou last night - could not resist snapping the sunset.

Our unique sunflower...

 

After showing the sunflowers that are coming out locally yesterday I thought I would show off our own courtyard tournesol captured here in La Guerche. You could be enjoying this perfect 'lock & leave' house and courtyard as the house is currently on the market.

Here comes the sun...flowers.

 

First of the sunflowers making an appearance just outside the village by the D750.

Outside in...

 

We had neighbours over for aperos last night and with these very high temperatures it was always about sitting outside. I had been in touch with our family back in Scotland to let them know the week ahead was going to be hot,hot,hot and they asked us to send some north to combat the rain. No sooner had I finished when the sky went dark and we were hit by an 'orage'. 

However with the temperatures being as they are it took only 10 minutes (the time difference between the images above) to dry out. So it was back to the outside plan. The weather however still had a hand to play and as we were enjoying some drinks and nibbles it threw another heavy shower down on us, which meant a quick gathering up of plates and glasses and a quick retreat indoors. 

Sunset by the river Creuse in Barrou.

 

Wednesday for windows...overdressed?

 The window of our little 'dependence' here in La guerche.

This morning's sunshine on one part of the courtyard.

Did I say the house is currently on the market?

Monday's even shorter (too hot) walk...around Le Grand-Pressigny.

 In Pictures.