Summer in full swing...

I have a good feeling about this week We seem to have some really lovely guests. Two families are from last year, so it has been wonderful to catch up over a glass of rose. They have already broken the ice with the other guests who are newcomers to La Roultiere so already it feels friendly and inclusive. The new guests are chatty and open and seem to get what a holiday at La Roultiere is about. It has been interesting to find out how guests find us cyberly and make the choice to come here. One family this week has holidayed at CountryKids and Chateau Ribenac but further south, but appauled to their child friendliness. It is nice to know we can hold our own with such holiday providers, and are competing in a similar market.
And of course I have been absolutely thrilled to have been accepted as one of Alistair Sawdays Special Places for the guide Self catering France. There is just over 400 self catering special places in this highly reputable guides so I feel it is a true accreditation! The nice thing is that they dont just look at the aspect of the accommodation, but at what the owners offer too. We were interviewed and visited before we found our way into the book and website. Definately one for the CV !!!

Tidy at last...

Its been a while....

May is always frantic, with gite preperations and a never ending list of snagging jobs. My winter list of things that needed doing has been worked through, the problem being I kept adding to it much to Mr LR frustration. There are a few whimsical ideas that have been shelved (fire pit patio just dosnt seem important when the nights are incredibly warm for the time of year). We have though relocated the tennis court sized veggie garden to a small manageable raised bed by the lounge doors. Phew no more bind weed choking the leeks and lettuces, but a reduced but hopefully productive patch of mud (if we can stop the dogs from thinking its a great resting perch for their chase games.

It has been unseasonably hot for May. Fortunatley, touch wood the well is still working (thanks to Mr LR's determination to fix the pompe puis as opposed to buying another new one), but I fear that the early blooming flowers will not last the season and by the end of July we will have shrivled and crispy flower beds, regardless of our watering attempts. The hot sun has also put pay to putting a coat of varnish on the window frames (a normal May job) as the lasure would just blister in this heat.

One the upside of the heat though, the pool is lovely, and as much as we love our guests, it is nice to have a period of time when we can use it alone! (I know selfish....am working on Mr LR's love of digging holes to dig me a new pool). One pool problem though, Meg our collie has taken to free dipping. Will have to discourage her with an old bath in the digger yard.

My new cleaner is working out a treat too. Turns out she is also a registered child carer and WANTS to take on my customers children, day or night for child care and babysitting...so if La Roultiere's guests wish to vineyard crawl, child free, they can, know full well that the lovely Ruth is taking the kids on a nature trail, or bought her fancy dress box over (childrens fancy dress only!!) Crayons at the ready!!!!

Winter blues.

Sometimes I wonder whether I suffer from SAD. I do hate the winter and love my bed so much more in January and February than any other time of year. But when the sun shines here and we have beautiful but crisp cold days, it is definitely re-energising. Like today. Gorgeous blue sky, a early morning glistening off frost, and actually day I say it, a touch of warmth in the day as it progresses.

The problem is when the days get longer and warmer again,, it a sure sign that we must concentrate on starting to get the gites ready for May.

List of things that have broken and need replacing:
pompe chaleur for the pool which is less than 2 years old
pompe de puis which is less than 8 months old (yes and it 11 metres down the well)
my bosch washing machine 10 years old poor thing (again)
bath in Veranda (replaced but not yet finished the fitting of)
velux window Veranda replaced and fitted last week
Cooker Fermette (over zealous usage)
Toilet Ecurie

Things to order/buy
New beds & mattresses
Pompe Chaleur
Pompe Puis
Bed linens and pillows
Carpet for Veranda bedroom
New Bathroom suite for Veranda

List of gardening and landscaping tasks:
Patio for the boules pitch
Patio for the communal barbeque
Replanting 40 metres of hedges
Replanting and tidying up front of house where the re pointing work will be carried out.
Ploughing over old veg patch
Spring pruning
Still raking leaves
Chase up Monsieur Robin to see if we can buy his abandoned field. If successful to extend the lawn.

Jobs on our house:
Finish plastering utility
Finish porch
Repaint kids room
Varnish windows again

the lists seem to be endless.
Maybe I am just procrastinating with list writing and actually go and make a start.
Where's my wellies.