Owning a second home that is around 150 years old, but modernized in the past 40 years, there are lots of things on the list. While last year we replaced the washing machine, the hot water tank and built a deck out back in the garden, (well we paid Alan and his wife Marina to build it), this year the list is full of little things.
Garden: The garden is an ongoing effort, with the weeds often winning. This year we have scaled down the vegetable section to just tomatoes, celery and strawberries. Last year our friends Robert and Tric got our garden started early, but this year it was Steve planting the tomatoes and ceilery in June. They are doing well with a harvest of tomatoes just ripening on the vines. The celery is still growing, but at the moment you won’t be able to get much Chez Whiz on the celery stock as they are the size of baby carrots. We purchased a few more annuals and perennials to fill in the gaps. The two new lavender plants are doing very well, as is our honey suckle. Some sweet peas that I planted in March survived the very wet spring and are now just about tall enough to latch onto the chicken wire fence that separates us from Monsieur et Madame, nos voisins.
Shutters: Yesterday day we finally got our second floor shutters off their hinges and are now ready to paint. The diy hint of the week is the shutters need to be opened to about 45° angle front the wall (sweet spot), and then they lift off the hinges with ease. Well about as easy as could be expected from a large, heavy shutter can lift from a second floor window. We need to thank our new friend and neighbour, Carl for this helpful hint. So now these are in the garage waiting to be sanded and then painted Provence Vert. We just hope the returning of the shutters is as easy as yesterday’s taking down.
Floor: Since moving in, we have always wondered what the original flooring on our second floor was like. The previous owner installed laminate through out the entire level. We had discussed finding a corner to attempt to pull the laminate just to get a glimps of the floor underneath. Well the easiest place to peak into the past was just at the top of the stairs, and we discovered a leveling compound,
(we think) and the beautiful old country floor dream was quickly dashed..... รง’est dommage.
Shed: When we purchased the house, it came with a very typical North American garden shed. What wasn’t typical, was it was jammed packed with more garden implements than I knew what to do with. The other issue with the shed was the rust. Today we purchased a rust proof metal paint for the rusty roof. We purchased orange which should match our orange lounge chairs in the back yard. Maybe just a bit too cutting edge for our conservative voisins.
Not only did Steve paint the roof of the shed, he took part in a bit of cultural appropriation, and painted an eagle on the side of the shed.
Not only did Steve paint the roof of the shed, he took part in a bit of cultural appropriation, and painted an eagle on the side of the shed.
Garage Door: Along with the front shutters, the garage door has a new coat of paint, Provence Vert. Taking the painting en plen aire to the extreme, Steve added silhouettes of trees, birds and les chats de Bellac on the doors. We understand from Christine, one of our English neighbours, that there has been some local conversations in regards to the doors.
Deck: Late last year, Alan and Marina constructed our back deck. It replaced a deck that was the size of two shipping palates, and about as well constructed. This year, the deck required a second coat of the stain to protect it. Thinking that this would be a back breaking job, and I had already hurt my back worse than ever before, it spent a long time on our list. Once the job started it only took two afternoons to complete and looks much better than the worn first coat We will have to thank Steve for getting this off our list as he was protecting my back, which was busy continuing to clean up the gardens while he painted.
Entertain guests and neighbours: We have come a long way in getting to know our neighbours since
arriving. Even with the departure of Linda and Andrew to Spain, we have developed friendships with Carl and Samantha who live just across the train tracks from us and Claire, who purchasoed Linda and Andrew’s old house. In fact, she is dropping by this afternoon for foursies. Foursies are our mid afternoon drink and snack. With dinner not served until 7:00 or later, we need some sustenance to ensure our survival until dinner. Most French have a large lunch, so they do not suffer from this ailment. These new folks are in addition to our old friends, both English and French.
Travel: Each year we head off to discover a new corner of France. This year we are finally off to Normandy. We are headed to the town of Bayeux. This is the home to Bayeux Tapastry, right out of Grade 8 Social Studies and 1066. It is also the departure point for the D-Day Beach tours. Four years ago, a group of our visitors took the tour and raved about it, so this is finally our year. We are also stopping off a a coastal town of Honfleur, made famous in impresionists paintings. This was a favourite of Monet. It is only five days away from our getaway....
Later we plan a beach getaway to the Atlantic coast possibly but August is the month that all the French are on the coast, so maybe we will head back to Paris, of maybe Lyon as a city break, and enjoy the local Lac Du St. Paradox for our beach trips.
Later we plan a beach getaway to the Atlantic coast possibly but August is the month that all the French are on the coast, so maybe we will head back to Paris, of maybe Lyon as a city break, and enjoy the local Lac Du St. Paradox for our beach trips.
