What can you see through your window today

[Henry100]

Morning all,

Ive just looked out of the Window in my work shop This window gives a good view of the front /side of the house across the fields and the orchard and Boy is it misty, The cats (5) now have all turned up for "Morning glory" (breakfast) and the bird table has been filled,

The two old boy's (are having a few extra winks in their baskets in  the kitchen by the stove, (Who said it's a dogs life ?)

And I can not help but think how Lucky i am to live in the countryside and have all this and the sight i can  see !!!!!!

Is all for free, Mother Nature and her Misty cold morn,

How about you ? How has your day started ?

[alittlebitfrench]

To be fair Henry, most folk in France live in appartements….so their view tends to be of…..another appartement.

You should count yourself lucky to have such a view and afford such a lifestyle.

In terms of my day,..hmmmmm…..well… since you are asking…..…I have driven 15 km’s to take the kids to school and then back for lunch. That has taken 45 mins according to the computer in the car.

My life in real France is very different to yours. 😉

Edited December 15, 2022 by alittlebitfrench

[Ken]

Like Henry 100. Except I have mountains and great scenic views. Only four cats though!! So  glad I don't live in the 'real France!!!!

[alittlebitfrench]

42 minutes ago, Ken said:

Like Henry 100. Except I have mountains and great scenic views. Only four cats though!! So  glad I don't live in the 'real France!!!!

Ken….did you afford your loverly view in France by selling a property in the UK ?

Edited December 15, 2022 by alittlebitfrench

[Henry100]

10 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said:

To be fair Henry, most folk in France live in appartements….so their view tends to be of…..another appartement.

You should count yourself lucky to have such a view and afford such a lifestyle.

In terms of my day,..hmmmmm…..well… since you are asking…..…I have driven 15 km’s to take the kids to school and then back for lunch. That has taken 45 mins according to the computer in the car.

My life in real France is very different to yours. 😉

Greetings,

I am a bit older than you and at 71yr, Led mainly a military Life and i have seen some really nasty sights thanks to Man and his greed, I also lived in Flats and barracks blocks But i learnt to know what nature had to offer and made it my own choice to life the simple life, (The country life style many people still live) Housing in this area of France can still as i write this reply be bought for a lot less than in the likes of Paris "But a lot of people do not want to live my life style,

And i have lived in the city and never really felt safe or Happy being in what i called the concrete jungle

I feel this is real France just as you feel your living in Real France, Are you happy living your life ?

[Ken]

15 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said:

Ken….did you afford your loverly view in France by selling a property in the UK ?

No, is the answer to your question. A cliché perhaps, but life is what you make it. You make choices and have to live with them.  You live in 'real' France. That's your choice. Excuses will bubble to the surface about school accessibility or medical care, whatever, but people live where they live because that's what they choose. Bitching about things or blaming just about everything is really the only 'real' thing that seems to exist in this modern world.  Anyway, I will continue viewing my 'faux' France you can continue in your 'real' France!!

[Lehaut]

"To be fair Henry, most folk in France live in appartements….so their view tends to be of…..another apartment"

Well we lucked out with our apartment, the wretched Loire river gets in the way!

[alittlebitfrench]

38 minutes ago, Lehaut said:

"To be fair Henry, most folk in France live in appartements….so their view tends to be of…..another apartment"

Well we lucked out with our apartment, the wretched Loire river gets in the way!

The Loire is bit too flat and wide in Nantes for my liking. 😀 

And you don’t have beaches on the Loire either. We do 😉

 

 

[alittlebitfrench]

2 hours ago, Ken said:

No, is the answer to your question. A cliché perhaps, but life is what you make it. You make choices and have to live with them.  You live in 'real' France. That's your choice. Excuses will bubble to the surface about school accessibility or medical care, whatever, but people live where they live because that's what they choose. Bitching about things or blaming just about everything is really the only 'real' thing that seems to exist in this modern world.  Anyway, I will continue viewing my 'faux' France you can continue in your 'real' France!!

I refer you to the point I am just about to make. See below.

[alittlebitfrench]

10 hours ago, Henry100 said:

Greetings,

I am a bit older than you and at 71yr, Led mainly a military Life and i have seen some really nasty sights thanks to Man and his greed, I also lived in Flats and barracks blocks But i learnt to know what nature had to offer and made it my own choice to life the simple life, (The country life style many people still live) Housing in this area of France can still as i write this reply be bought for a lot less than in the likes of Paris "But a lot of people do not want to live my life style,

And i have lived in the city and never really felt safe or Happy being in what i called the concrete jungle

I feel this is real France just as you feel your living in Real France, Are you happy living your life ?

Greetings my new forum friend.

Firstly, I grew up in a very tiny village in loverly Wiltshire….so I get what you are saying. I’m a country lad. 

Then Londoners moved into the village and spolit it.

The point I was making was that most peeps in France don’t have the choice but to live in a concrete environment. Cheap rural houses with a loverly view won’t get you a job.

The British can afford a rural life in France but the majority of French can’t. 
 

Bit unfair innit.

 

 

[Ken]

14 minutes ago, alittlebitfrench said:

Greetings my new forum friend.

Firstly, I grew up in a very tiny village in loverly Wiltshire….so I get what you are saying. I’m a country lad. 

Then Londoners moved into the village and spolit it.

The point I was making was that most peeps in France don’t have the choice but to live in a concrete environment. Cheap rural houses with a loverly view won’t get you a job.

The British can afford a rural life in France but the majority of French can’t. 
 

Bit unfair innit.

 

 

You did refer me to your 'point' so may I also respond? I'm a Londoner and I moved first to Kent, before coming to France, didn't spoil a thing. Just what sort of 'Londoners' are you referring to and what did they do to spoil your idyll?

As for living in apartments, I would agree that most do but you are trying to give the impression, in fact you said, most don't have a choice. That may be accurate, then again it may not be!  At the poorer end of society it may be the case that many don't have a choice but you can't even offer anecdotal evidence that that is an accurate statement. There are many social issues that you simply ignore by your sweeping statements.

You also say the majority of the French can't afford a rural life completely ignoring the possibility that the majority probably don't want a rural life!  In this part of France, as in other parts, 'peeps' come down for their holidays every year, from their apartments!! Not everyone wants to wake up to the sound of a '****-a-doodle-do!!

You have some hang up about Brits who come here who can afford a 'rural' life. There are also people, on this site, who live in an apartment, are they also 'poor'?

 

[alittlebitfrench]

1 hour ago, Ken said:

 

You have some hang up about Brits who come here who can afford a 'rural' life. There are also people, on this site, who live in an apartment, are they also 'poor'?

 

I have no hung up. 

Just think that Brits have a very distorted view (excuse the pun) of France.

I have lived in many appartments in France BTW, and will probably end up in one in my older years. Nothing wrong with apparemment living.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Henry100]

10 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said:

Greetings my new forum friend.

Firstly, I grew up in a very tiny village in loverly Wiltshire….so I get what you are saying. I’m a country lad. 

Then Londoners moved into the village and spolit it.

The point I was making was that most peeps in France don’t have the choice but to live in a concrete environment. Cheap rural houses with a loverly view won’t get you a job.

The British can afford a rural life in France but the majority of French can’t. 
 

Bit unfair innit.

 

  Hi,

Nice to talk to you,

I lived  (just across the river Mersey /Liverpool docks was the view from our slum house,

As you can see by my age I was born not that long after the second world war was over "But because of the docks

Hitler bomb the area and a lot of the houses ended up blown to rubble " Hence the area became a slum, Damp housing and the air raid shelters was a place us kids played in, Our house was what my dad thought was great and would tell me to tell my teacher we lived in the one of two semi-detached houses in our street, we even had wall paper on the outside wall of part of the house thanks to next door being bombed, So as i am sure you'll understand why i joined HM Army from school, My mum and Dad moved to a house with our own toilet (indoors)

And it was a dry house and in a field, Yes we could see proper grass, the only thing wrong was we shared the field

with 500 other folk, It was called a council housing in a council estate,

If you really want something in life you have to plan and make sure your plan will work, And this is how we came to live here Deep in the countryside, I have seen houses here in the last few weeks for sale at really cheap prices,

Most have come on the market due to old folk' death,  When you see the way these people lived all their lives and the fact that a lot of younger people would turn their noses up at such houses, you can not help but think that a house/cottage is only a section of walls with a roof, A home is something made by a plan and effort,

Time is the very most important thing in life no matter if your the POPE/KING/or a bouncer for Mother care "It is time we all have just now !!!! But for how long ? Who know's  So live life how you feel you should, But the clocks ticking and yesterday is history "we can not have yesterday back!!!!!!  But tomorrow ? Well that's something for us all to plan for,

Be good and keep feeding the birds,

 

[Lehaut]

"And you don’t have beaches on the Loire either. We do 😉"

 

I beg to differ.  There is a designated beach at St Sebastien Sur Loire, and if its more sand you want,  this on my bike ride two weeks ago on the way to Ancenis, and the other at Mauves sur Loire where there is a beach below the rampart.

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Lehaut

[Henry100]

Greetings Lehaut,

I wanted to know more about your bike than the beach,

Any chance of giving info regarding the electric bike, such as the really good one to but, what it will do in terms of battery life, do you charge them up by peddling etc etc etc

Well come on what about it?😇

[alittlebitfrench]

14 hours ago, Henry100 said:

14 hours ago, Henry100 said:

 

I do feed the birds Henry. In fact I design/make my own bird feeders to help different types of birds access the food. Which makes a big difference for attracting different types of birds.

We have had all sorts this morning.

Even a blackcap turned up. But my fav is the Nuthatch. Or the Dunnock that hangs about at the bottom. 
 

The problem is, it is very difficult to get hold of peanuts at the moment in France. There is a world shortage. 
 

But we are doing our bit, and provides the perfect view from our window.

[Henry100]

Hi alittlebitoffrench

You have made my day, "really" I am a real animal lover and like you Ive been around our garden as i do every morning what i call (stand by your beds Inspection) Of all the bird feeders from hanging wire enclosed to the old bin lid on the ground, In fact my french neighbor thinks i am the crazy English man because she caught me covering empty loo roll holders with pea nut butter and then rolling them in my special mixture of Oats/currants/ small seed/& sun flower seed

and then hanging them in the tree's,  And when they saw me putting the little cats ball in the birds water dish (to help keep the water from freezing  to quickly (They really thought i had lost the plot)

But well done you👍

[Lehaut]

Hello Henry100, sorry to disappoint, but its not an electric bike.  My good old fashioned legs power it, so the range at the moment is somewhat limited!  200€ off the Leboncoin.  Have only recently got back on a bike and thought of an electric one, but it seemed a bit of a cop out.  The one in the photo is a VTC, copes well on roads and trails (which I mostly go on if given the choice).  It has front suspension, disk brakes and an aluminium frame.  About 15kg. Decathlon mark

[Henry100]

Thank you for the info, It is my other half (she who rides in the boot of my car) She started asking me questions about push bikes and then appeared with our nearest neighbor (she is in her 80's) and the old ladies push bike, It needed a good clean grease and polish and one tube was nearly flat, after doing this little lot and securing the basket to the holder I gave her the bike back, it was then she said she had not rode the bike for a long time (she pushes it to the store "gets her bread" and pushes it home again, I got a nice report from her saying it wheels so much better now,😃

My wife remarked to me "Is that why they call them push bikes"

[Henry100]

Good morning ,

Well i wont keep you long (all you church going folk)

It is freezing here today and as i walked back from a very short walk with just the one Dog "Henry" (he is 16yr) I again noticed he just can not walk very far, so from now on it will be short ones for him and (bough) my other best friend is 17yr only likes the back seat of the car and being lifted in, So Ive decided from now on both the boys will be walked in the garden and I will have a walk on my own (I'll send them a post card "Wish you we're here" But as you get older Inspite of you denying it to yourself and not feeling older, "YOU ARE" I did it today,I forgot it is Sunday and the hunters are out,

I'd just closed the gate and as we both walked down our path i heard the gun fire, And even now after Leaving  the Army some 40yrs ago i still get that stiff feeling when i hear a gun go off "crazy really" And because it is so quiet here and we do not see a lot of people on an average day And i live in a world of my own !!!!! You can easily for get what day it is⌛

But the birds still need feeding along with the cats "OH"  And her indoors likes the odd cuppa made for her and even more when i remember to put the tea bag in😄,

Well have a nice one folks and be nice to the wild life,

[ssomon]

Well, you will at least know from your Army days that if you hear the gunshot, it missed you 😉

[Henry100]

HI

Yes'

your not wrong there, Day's and times and many thoughts

Hope your having a nice day (only 5 more sleeps and he should have delivered ???🎅)

[Henry100]

Ive just returned from the worst experience any man / woman /child could Experience "The visit to the super store,

I never did like shopping anyway (except for a man shopping experience  such as tools or the "what I call the Rusty counter"s on the outdoor markets stalls) 

Her who must be obeyed, insist I wear smart clothing and smell like i have just come out of a perfume bottle,

As we drove the 18mile to one of the larger town's we had to stop as the traffic was standing still with four-way's flashing, And smart phones taking photo's of a leaning post,

A car had hit the telephone post and the services we're trying to sort things, After a while the car in front door opens and a bare bum appeared held by "MUMMY" and a spray of human waste sprayed out, Then the line of French men stood in-front of a hedge and performed some kind of french POKER, or that's what it looked like, Mist heading for the sky and that final shake to say I have finished 😧 After about 15min the traffic started to move "except one of those Yogart shaped cars, You know the ones you do not need a Licence for   after being put off the road for drink driving, Well this mower engine car would not start and so every one was trying to get passed, We arrived at the Store and the car park was packed  & we pretended we we're on a race track for snails as we drove round & round this car park until we found a car leaving and we managed to park,

The store was packed, French people being French must stand in the middle of the isle in packs of 4 / 5 people all chatting

away and blocking any chance of air getting between them never mind fellow shoppers , Spent ages finding what we thought we wanted and then the pay at the desk, We found people had their basket on wheels & Trolly's  sitting in the line of people waiting to pay for their goods "But NO SIGN OF THE OWNERS" They would appear every now & then with arm's full of more shopping items and then off they would go to continue to find more shopping, what a carry on,

I was glad to be driving up our drive to be greeted by the cats wanting their supper as they got in line, And all looking at me as i emptied the boot As though they we're thinking look at him still dealing with shopping when we want our supper? What a crazy game this shopping lark is.?

And i have just been told we are to leave early in the morning to finish the Christmas shopping ?

Has the world gone mad?😵

[Henry100]

Only two nights to go and then the house with kids in it go mad,

It is the one day of the year very few mums & dads say little and just take it, The one day when little faces light up as they tear that paper you paid extra for to bits and find whats inside, (Also the one day you wish you had thought of "Batteries ????')

I still remember the Street and all my mates outside with their new toys, the little bike's going past And the girls with their new dolls prams and dolly, The visitor's visiting Granny, Our street came alive on Christmas day,

The Dad's went for a dinner time pint in that new jumper on (The one with the price tag hanging out the back  !!!!!)

And The Mum's of the houses !!!!! For them it was a day of cooking, picking paper & boxes up and those dishes  "Boy" she never thought that sink could hold so much ?

The only dish washer she had we're at the bottom of her own Arms (called hands) No fancy plug in electric machines,

Yes for Mum's it was a long day "But one to remember all year long,

Even the animals had extra on Christmas day,  Few people thought of those who worked in the likes of Hospitals or even those who lived rough and those who had no one But some could be seen with flowers walking alone,

Was it their Christmas present to lost loved ones ?

Even Christmas night time seemed to have a silence, Not like  Christmas eve when the kids wanted to go to bed early,

Really early "thinking Santa would come sooner, But could not go to sleep,

Yes this is a special time of the year and a time to still feed the Birds and maybe Just maybe think of that neighbor you never really talk to "The one who lives alone and keeps themselves to themselves, ?? (that spare box of sweets ?) Delivered via a little girl with her new pram? And a new Dolly to show off,

Merry Christmas Folks, Merry Christmas,😉

 

[Henry100]

Greetings to all,

Well  it is wet this morning and the only site i have seen or should i say heard is the Bin men, I was walking back from the old stream and then i heard the dog's barking, it was the Bin wagon and three bin men,

One things for sure the UK Bin men and the French ones have one thing in common, Noise, they we're a noisy lot in the UK and the same as here. Only difference here is our bins are Plastic on wheels and the UK ones we're metal,

I wonder when you go for the interview to become a Bin man if you have to demonstrate how much noise you can make ?🤣

Well another day and all 5 cats have shown up for Breakfast, and the two dogs are safe and had a good nights sleep in a safe   place, So many in animal centers wondering why they are there, They'd give anything for a loving home and a chance to bark at the bin men,

Well folks , Not sure what i am doing today But once i am in the workshop tools jump into my hands and i am off doing something, If i have one thing in this world and would not be without it  It's my work shop or as (her in doors says)

His man cave,  She keeps telling me she is going to clean it up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😒 I know her idea of cleaning such places up is to chuck all kinds away like one draw i have mounted on two "L" shaped bracket's  and that's it, Just an old draw that's got what i call bits and odd ends in it, You know something you want like an odd nut or larger than the norm washer !!

Well it ends up in this old draw, and i know were it is when needed, She thinks it 's a junk draw and should be in the bin,

Ive told her she is banned from this space, but she wont have it "but she has a fear of mice, and she heard the smoke alarm making a low battery beep beep noise and i told her it's mice😁

Be good and have a nice one,