Meet Elmo!

Yes, meet, Elmo. He arrived at Amy's about a month ago----our new granddog. He is such fun. Of course, his first toy had to be an Elmo, which he was very happy to receive. Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy, but everything is in constant motion.

He is a Hovawort, just like Daisy. He comes from northern France and was a guard dog. Becoming a part of this family was very easy for Elmo.

I think the other Elmo was a little shocked, however, with his introduction to his friend, Elmo.







À bientôt,

Cindy

Moules Frites, Anyone?

The warm breezes of the Mediterranean greeted me as I got off the plane in Montpellier, the largest airport closest to where we live. My red bags all arrived this time and Amy greeted me with "Let's go have moules frites. Bouziques is only twenty minutes away!"

I guess the adventure has begun. Walking down the small village street, one side lined with outdoor cafes, the other side the shore, we were disappointed to find her favorite place closed for the day. Alas, that did not stop us. We found a cafe that served the moules (mussels) we could see growing in the bay. Ordering a bottle of white wine, we impatiently awaited the black pot that would contain our lunch.

The frites (French fries) arrived first and then the steaming hot moules floating in cream were placed before us. Taking a small shell in one hand we used it as "pinchers"to remove the sweet mussel from the other shells. Ah, were they delicious. With the gentle winds cooling us, it did not take long to empty the pot and leave only the shells.

Off in the distance we could see the posts that the mussels are farmed on. They are attached to ropes that spiral around the piling. There is a mesh that covers the growing babies, waiting to be harvested. The bay at Bouziques is a haven for mussel farming.

After a leisurely lunch, we were off to Amy's for what I thought would be a quiet evening. Ha!

á bientôt,
Cindy

I know it all will fit!

I now know what it is like living in England. We have had so much rain that our designation of a cool desert is in jeopardy. Yesterday, Pikes Peak had a dusting of snow. According to legend, we will have snow down here within six weeks. Our field is green, the sunflowers are peaking out , the trumpet vine has reached new heights, and the pumpkin vine will be stretching across the yard within the next week.

Pikes Peak is on the horizon. Oh, you don't see it, well imagine what it looks like as the sky is turning dark. Listen carefully and you can hear it rumble. The raindrops are again tumbling to earth and sharp light dashes across the angry sky. What great weather for more weeds.

Joe left last week for a hot air balloon festival in Lorraine, the northeast section of France . He is flying with our good friend, Dave Johnson, from England. Can you imagine flying with two pilots in one balloon????? http://www.pilatre-de-rozier.com/
I leave tomorrow to travel to Amy's. Our house is rented until August 6th, so I will have to work for my keep. I imagine that she has my list made.

Will everything fit? That is my carry on. It is stuffed. I still have eight more pounds I can place in one bag. The other bag has not been weighed.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer. Now, I know these white daisies will be yellow sunflowers when I arrive in the south of France.

Enjoy!
Cindy