Location, location, location...

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They say location is everything and I can't think of one better than this to be enjoying a Sunday breakfast of coffee; juice and Pain au Lait - fantastic views and a fair bit of wildlife to look at whilst enjoying it.

During the course of breakfast, there were two or three Nuthatches coming for sunflower seeds about two feet from my position, along with a few more timid Blue tits and suchlike.

Then along came "Tufty" - showing my age there - and with the Mission Impossible music in my head, scampered over the garden looking for somewhere to bury his nuts...

Next to appear was either a Buzzard or a Gosshawk, I have seen many, many Buzzards in Wales, and I have the feeling this isnt "just" a Buzzard. Looks like it has a roost - or whatever it is called - down in the trees at the foot of the valley, really pushing the 300mm lens to the limit and still dont have a tripod to make the most of the distance. Could probably do with an 800mm and a decent tripod if he keeps using the perch.

Also here are the promised Praying Mantis pictures, and it is a European Praying Mantis - apparently they think the female eating the male is only something that happens in lab conditions and not in the wild, hell of a way to go though!

Tough choices...

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Well not an awfully tough choice really, planned to get up early and head off to L'isle Jourdan where there is a great Saturday morning market. However the best laid plans of mice - mouse, hunt argghh - and men...

A late night mainly due to the heat and not actually feeling tired so watched films and tried to perfect the Margarita recipe - still not got the Cointreau/Triple Sec - seemed to taste pretty damn good though...

So a lie in today and surfaced mid morning, and realised that I couldnt possibly go out and not be able to listen to the cricket, there are a couple of bars in the locale that would have it on tv but with the choice of sitting in my own garden, with the pool and unlimited food and drink to hand it seemed a shame to go sit in a sweaty(?) bar - rigged a speaker up so I can sit outside overlooking the pool and garden - which is where I am typing this, it's 30dC and nice being in the shade with the cool breeze just ruffling the leaves.

Anyway all is well England are building nicely Freddie came on for his cameo thrash and now I think another 100 for a 500 lead should be about... but this is the ashes... unbeatable.

Had a very unusual week, with all sorts of things going on, not a lot at work as still quiet, although looks like it will be back to normal next week.

The Lidl addiction is under control to some extent as only two visits in the week, and one was to get something specific on the day it was made available - a snazzy Stanley mobile toolbox/workshop thing for €39 - online about £50-£75 so seems like a bargain and somewhere to put all the tools and bits of pieces that currently lie around on a bench and in a wheelbarrow - I kid you not! - so should help tidy the garage up. All I need know is a rainy day to spend indoors sorting them out!

Have managed to spend a little time working on the video footage that was taken of the show Magical Musical Movies by CMTC, the video is quite dark and not the best quality, however I seem to have been able to get something that may or may not be good enough for cast etc to want a copy. I will take a rough sample back at the weekend and have it reviewed and see what the feelings are. Thank you to Premier Pro CS4, I had persevered with Pinnacle studio but this does knock the socks off it, mind you at a suitably inflated price - managing to do the testing on a trial licence guess will have to see what the options are when that expires...

Getting in the mood for another brief return to blighty next weekend, dinners, wedding reception parties and a spot of cricket (watching) are on the cards, and with any luck a nice piece of Almond Bakewell slice.

Friday afternoon will be - how to make Yorkshire puddings that rise... Aunt Bessie will be an emergency back up plan, but I am confident we wont be needing her help!!! Then a fantastic - no doubt - english roast dinner, good company, few drinks, almost perfect.

No pics in this post, but there are a couple to download from the camera of what looks to me like a praying mantis... do they have them here... research required... then will post the answer with the pictures.

Right I think a swim is on the cards, having topped the pool up with water, and it is looking to inviting to ignore anymore, so will sign off and maybe try and do another post later in the weekend with the mantis or whatever it is!
Bon Journee

Wheeww...

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Wow, what a day 95d in the shade at the house, was actually to hot to sit in the sun. Thank god for the shutters on the french (well they would be) windows, open the windows close the shutters and you get the most wonderful cool cave of a house to retreat to in the midday heat.

Cooling off in the pool later the temp was still in the 90's but at least the intense rays of the sun had abated somewhat. Major issue in first running out of Bombay Sapphire(R) and then running out of lemonade for the Pimms(R), could have been a calamity if I didn't have to hand most of the makings of Margaritas (not the Pizza!) Tequila, Syrup du Citron, sparkling (works well) water - haven't got or seen anywhere Triple Sec, not even sure what it is or what an alternative might be - so for now Triple Sec less Margarita.

*** Just wikipedia'd it and Triple Sec is an orange liqueur and Cointreau will do as a replacement - right off to Hypermarche on Monday!***

There is always a stubby French or Belgian beer to quench the first if all else fails...

Another lesson learnt last night, don't leave the kitchen doors to the balcony open and the light on all evening, it was something out of a Lepidopterists dream, must have been 40-50 different ones flitting around the light.

Have stupidly been drawn into killing the odd moment on Facebook with Mouse Hunt and Farmville - will try and limit the addiction to work time... so as not to interrupt free time... -- And there we go 30 minutes later back to the blog after catching mice and tending the crops arrrghhhh.

As promised in an earlier post here is a picture of me in the shirt that the Indonesians gave me as a souvenir of their visit - funny thought it was the other way around when you visited -, comments on a postcard please, is this the new fashion for around the pool? I think I would feel more like a waiter at an exotic beach hotel to be honest.

I don't think the shorts help in anyway either!

Well it is creeping up again 32d now at 13:25 (that is the time not the price or order number on a Chinese menu...A.M. take note...)

Have to make the lunch decision soon, think it may well be a giant bruschetta day with something cold to wash it down with, then maybe a quick swim and a read of a great book called "Merde Actually" the follow up to "A Year in the Merde", very funny tales of one mans attempts to start a Parisian English Tea Shop...

Strikes a cord on many levels and I have had some funny looks from the cats when I laugh out loud - probably madness setting in, although I am trying to limit my full conversations with the cats to try and avoid going to far down that path!

Something I am still trying to stop is one of the cats seems to think the pool is just the biggest water bowl ever and keeps trying to drink it, this involves hanging over the edge to just before the point of falling in and I do think any day now there will be an almighty splash and one very wet pussy on the side of the pool. We can but hope...

Right off to make the lunch, find a chilled one and generally do nothing to strenuous for the rest of the day, may try and get the watercolours out and see if I can make any headway with the painting again, too hot to go out with the camera and too nice to be sat indoors on the computer.

Have to sort out photos and am also trying to make a show DVD from really poor (dark) footage (MMM for those in the know) have made some progress in getting a decent picture just need to treat all the footage and edit it together into a coherent movie. It may be done by the time I come back at the end of the month - I will at least have a sample of it to show to the director to see if it is worth pursuing.

Right really off this time. Au revoir.

Meteorites and clear skys

Spent the hours between 11.oopm and 2.00am in a lounger looking at the sky, took a bunch of pictures and hoped to catch a couple of meteroites from the Perseides.

Once I looked at the pictures this morning and turned up the brightness there were more there than I had seen with the naked eye! I saw about two dozen over the three hours and the sky was so clear it was amazing.



Improvised a tripod by sitting the camera on the table facing up and using the laptop to control it to try and avoid shake, for the horizon shots the same table and a clothes peg as a lens prop gave the right angle to the sky.

Hopefully looking at the pictures full size will show the meteorite trails.

the second picture has one at the top edge just left of centre coming diagonally down

Third picture is of star trails, two minute exposure to see the rotation of the earth.

the others you will just have to hunt the trails!

There are larger ones here - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3280134&l=e9931ae11f&id=581406158

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Back to France & Home...?

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Back to France on Sunday and it is feeling like home, and where I should be, not that I don't enjoy catching up and going out back in Chesham!

Thanks to Erick for popping in and making sure all was well whilst I was away.

Got back to find that no raves or tea dances had been organised by the parents whilst I was away - however, there does seem to have been some unwanted habits being introduced to the cats.

Having them line up at 7.00 every evening for "grooming time" is a little tedious, but their coats are testament to the good it does them.

Have had a nice week off with the parents and relaxing for a couple of days, a day in Toulouse with coffees, lunches and lots of walking. Have been feeling a little under the weather with a sore throat and with a minor nose bleed was catagorised as a swine flu victim by my mum!!! However, it has done nothing worse than a sore throat so not going to be retiring to my bed for a week yet!!!

Last evening with a house full tonight and then back to normality(?) tomorrow night, no bookings, no threats of visits for the forseable future - so that means I get to do my own thing after 3 weeks of visitors - Hurrah - but I will miss them all, honest!!

Hottest day so far today 34dC in the shade - very, very hot in the sun! Had an hour in the pool with dad inveting games with a mini american football (remember that one A & S?), and a swimming ring, resisted the temptation to throw the ball when dad put his head through the hole though!!!

BBQ this evening and then a very hot evening, going to be trouble sleeping tonight me thinks.

All for now, may be able to upload some pics later.

Blighty, reunions and good times

Had a great week back in the UK - the training went well and I even got a rather "snazzy" Indonesian batik shirt as a present - pics to follow, maybe!

Good to catch up with so many friends who made the time back in the UK great fun, have to admit it was a little wierd being back and not being in my house, but at least I have (probably) got tenants in there now, so onwards and upwards in the landlord world. A huge thanks to "he who shall not be named" for all the work that he did to get things spic and span, and also to his little house elf helper!

Managed to get to the get out for the Pepper Show and catch up with everyone, sorry it wasnt longer or that I could have got there earlier and seen what the show was like. Also fitted in a 60th birthday and to be honest he doesnt look a day over 65...

Still enjoying the golf, even after playing a "proper" course, at Chartridge with hills and ponds and narrow fairways, a bit of a difference to the wide open plains of Wexham! Thanks Mr T and Mr H, hopefully we will do it again end of the month?

Friday had a great evening out for a Thai, beer and a catch up with Mr R, to say there was a lot of 'Casualty' talk would be doing the evening a disservice - however, it was fantastic and a great evening, and I hope that Mr R got home ok...

Saturday, busy, busy, busy, over to Little Chalfont to see Mr & Mrs S and their fantastic lovely new house, what a great AWNING!
Then shot over to Harrow - sorry for running out R&B! - to meet up with Aunt and Cousin for a Dim Sum luncheon, had a great couple of hours and at least it is breaking the 16 year meeting interval previously experienced between me and S!!!

Did a little shopping then and picked up Wii Sports Resort and Tiger Woods (got to improve the golf!!!) complete with 2x Wii motion plus - (already tried them out "brilliant"!)

Got back for Mr H's birthday bash, another fun evening and another international menu - Indian this time - great laughs and too much to eat but that is the way to celebrate!

Sadly had to leave Sunday before there was time to enjoy and english roast - manged Thai, Chinese, Indian but not an english roast!!! - must try harder next time.