Journey to Jul
Yesterday the boys Hugo and his brother Jules drove over to the big farm with me to collect walnuts for the pigs.
Here are the pictures Hugo took with Camera House as we drove. Life is full of such journeys. Little ones. Good little journeys. No future or past. Just driving there and back. Collecting nuts for pigs. With music.
Life is good. Like a revolving door there is always that moment of panic after you willfully step into the moving door – the glass wall pushes you through from behind. You trip in the frisson, the change in air, and speed, eyes wide, shuffling ahead of the door. Then the relief, when you pop like a mouse out onto another dance floor. And the music is French and fast. 
The wind blew yesterday. Soon the Daily View will be back to the bare bones of winter.
It is busy enough but not too busy. Hugo and I worked overtime all the last week so that we could take it easy this weekend with his family.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
ps. By the way, my favourite French rapper is ‘Jul’.
40 Comments on “Journey to Jul”
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What a lovely drive you had. I’ve never heard French rap!
I hope the humans are allowed some of the walnuts. I received a bucketful this week from friends, scope for many a coffee and walnut cake (Jock’s favourite) and to add to Waldorf salad. Which reminds me of lunch. I’m off…..
lots of love,
ViV xox
These are black walnuts, I don’t know anyone here with the English ones.. The black walnut it very difficult to crack (the locals recommend driving over them with a car to break them) and the nut is more acidic in a way. No-one I know wants to eat them.. c
What a shame. Ah well, your loss is the piggs’ gain.
I wish I had some, the shells are great for dyeing, we only have the light coloured ones here, black are best.
Lovely autumn images. I can feel the lull before the onslaught of Old Man Winter’s arrival. Enjoy this time of preparation for the cold months… and this special time with family. Oh, I love French music (traditional) and French food… and French fashion. I must have been French in a previous life!
The French fashion — ah — that would be lovely.. c
Cute pic of the KuneKunes, gorgeous pic of Boo and lovely pic of the cats. Make my heart sing. – I am glad that your timidezza was replaced by a lovely companionship (don’t know whether it’s good englisch, but: it’s me). I think the brothers are happy to have each other again.
We had such a lovely weather yesterday – spring like: mild temperatures, sunny light air united with all the stunning atumnal colours of an indian summer. So so great.
Have a great time all together.
I’m enjoying the French take on an American farm.
I absolutely LOVED what you wrote about ‘changes in life’ and how change can often feel like diving, head first, into a revolving door – only to discover how awesome that change is! I’m seriously thinking of selling my old farmhouse in about 18 months,and I do feel as if I’m poised to jump into that revolving door because I plan to travel for a time before buying another home ++ You really do have the heart of a poet… a farming poet! I wrote several poems while living at our farm in Quebec… and hardly any since. There’s something about being close to nature and animals that brings out the poet in us it seems.
Have a lovely Sunday and enjoy all the gifts of it. It seems there are many and thanks for sharing. Do you have to take the nuts out of the shells for the pigs? The pictures are wonderful.
No, they exercise their jaws and teeth and break the nuts open themselves.. they pretty much eat the lot
Good for them. I heard they could digest anything. 🙂
Celi, go you dehusk them before you give them to the pigs? Or do you wait until the husk kind of decomposes off?
Nope I just chuck the lot in there.. they do all the work – I think this is good for their teeth too, biting down on something hard like that – Like a dog and her bone I think..
Okay then, I’m going to to it too!!! I try to collect as many acorns here in the fall and we feed them to the pigs, and goats during the fall and winter! They love them!!!! XO
Acorns are fantastic – wish i could find some – we are rather short of trees in this area..
Lovely pics!
I’ve got some wet walnuts from the farmers’ market – hopefully they will last longer than they do with the pigs.
I’ve got a favourite French rap song by MC Solar – Nouveau Western, featuring Serge Gainsbourg’s Bonnie and Clyde.
I will find it – thank you.. c
I have to confess that the original Bonnie and Clyde by Serge Gainsbourg is better than the rap version, but it does work well 🙂
I need to do some serious listening!
If you play Serge Gainsbourg while your French friends are around, they’ll be seriously impressed – he’s one of the most important figures in French music ever, in spite of his bad behaviour 😉
Bad behaviour too! Excellent. I will find it and play it when I get Hugo back later this week. Years ago i used to listen to a french rapper but could not remember his name and Hugo sat for ages going through his OLD music collection playing me bits trying to find who it was..
Shockingly bad behaviour!
I can never get over the fact that pigs eat eggs, shells and all, and walnuts too, shells and all. Love Boo enjoying a ride!
Pickled Black Walnuts are a delicacy here – I wonder if they are the same? I have never tasted due to ‘tree nut allergy’. I have been meaning to ask which you think has improved the most – your French or Hugo’s Kiwi accent ?? 🙂 Laura
I also like Mad Dogs favorite rapper, MC Solar – La belle et le bad boy, my favorite. I’ll have to check out ‘Jul’
Great photos! Love the cats eating.
Robin
That music will set the time and place for you of that drive, whenever you hear it from now on it will take you there 🙂
I love the leading photo. There is nothing like that here. I see the structure and know that is America back in the day.
I’m glad I’m able to open your post now, I was suffering Farmy-withdrawal symptoms… I don’t know if it was me or you, but WordPress kept telling me the page didn’t exist, and I just KNEW it was there and I couldn’t get at it – oh, the frustration. That back view of the two boys really brings it home how tall and lanky Hugo is…. He has a good eye with the camera too, those huge open landscape shots are great. Glad the visit’s going well; it sounds as if the nerves have passed!
Horrible – well I definitely do exist!!
Loud hurrahs! You’re still not showing in my Reader, so I might have to UnFollow and Follow again to bring you back. I’ll see what tomorrow brings…
This happens to me too – I used to get notifications from many blogs now only a few come through anymore.. c
It’s OK, you’re back without me having to do anything.
Do you crush the walnuts for the pigs or do they manage that themselves? Looks like a pleasant way to spend the day with Hugo and his family.
Your favorite French rapper–I love it! There is much learning in both directions. It appears the field and road go on to eternity. A lovely shot of the old house and tree. And the mirror shots. It’s interesting to see things through different eyes.
That revolving door metaphor describes me perfectly. I am always a wee bit anxious when something is abt to start…like now for example…heading into meetings with Italian professors and you NEVER know what they are going to say…
Italian professors. That sounds interesting – i hope it went well..
Wow–those piggies have a feast coming to them, don’ t they? I was amazed to learn they can crack them with their teeth as well –I learn something new every time I read your blog. What a lovely post with all the pictures of life through the eyes of visitors.
The nuts are great for the winter!