Normal service resumes

So sorry for then”domain expiry” debacle yesterday, an old pal Wayne Brown, had set it up for me 4 years ago, and he was in Sweden with his Red Radish catering outfit and could not be contacted to sort it out.

After a busy morning slashing aloes, pruning palm trees and generally tidying up the garden in Valbonne, which was looking lovely and now looks lovelier, I turned my attention to Bluebell the camper. She has been outside and not been started since October last year, and being a venerable old lady, created in 1969, she had a flat tyre, and looked a little forlorn, I was expecting a short battle to get her started and then a call to Phil the Mechanic to administer some tender loving care to get her underway. I had not disconnected the batteries before we left last year (forgot) and as a result I thought the chances of her having enough power even to turn on the ignition light were negligible. To my surprise, the lights came on, she turned over and started!

I was on a mechanical roll. Exalted by my mechanical success, I decided to test the cement mixer, which will be pressed into service in the coming weeks as That Nice Lady Decorator has some building work in mind. It too has been standing outside, but has not been used for two years, but it was a double edged sword as I plugged it in. You see, if it did not work, there was a slight chance that she might abandon the idea of cement, thus relieving me of the task of mixing it, but more likely she would insist I buy her a new one (it had been a birthday present), or worse still I would have to mix it by hand. On balance I decided I was pleased when it instantly sprang into life. If I had one of the puncture repair cylinders to hand I would have fixed the flat tyre. A perfect three! Maybe I should have been a mechanic?

It was warm and sunny but the swimming pool was barely 15 degrees, however that did not stop Sprog 2, down for the weekend, from testing it out as my picture today shows.

Sprog 2 braves the pool

Mustapaha the gardener arrived to cut the grass and with it being sunny and around 24 degrees, it seemed perfectly natural to adjourn to the pav, our Thai style pavilion, and open the wine. By 10 I clock I was ready for bed after my exertions. Unfortunately That Nice Lady Party Person had a second wind and we did not her to bed until the third bottle of Rioja was breached, and the Sancerre had been dispatched.

Yesterday morning was damp, it having rained in the night, but are my spirits low? Not a bit of it as after some work to secure a new client for the services of Currencies Direct, we were  invited to Lord Of All He Surveys, Simon Howes and his beautiful and gorgeous wife Sarah for lunch, along with man mountain Peachy Butterfield and blonde bombshell Suzanne,  to enjoy some of his house wine, which is the great Chateau Gloria and as it turns out a Grand Cru Classe Chateau Tessyier.  I recall when we were all at Valbonne Church (shocking I know, but stay with me) for a Christmas carol concert a few years ago. In the gap in the song that has the long refrain Gloooooooria, Peachy could be heard making a popping sound with his finger in his cheek and looking pointedly at Simon. I think Peachy was celebrating the wine. This is, of course, a departure for Peachy who is strong on his criticism of wine poncery, and an aficionado of Card Bordeaux, but I as I had suspected, as has happened in the past, he put aside all his concerns and tucked into the Chateau Gloria.

Chris France
@Valbonne_News